In today’s educational landscape, with NEP 2020 implementation, clickers have emerged as a powerful tool to enhance student learning and engagement. By incorporating clicker-based assessments and interactive activities, educators can revolutionise the traditional classroom experience. Let’s explore the potential benefits of using clickers in class, which go beyond just measuring comprehension and attendance.

I) Enhancing Conceptual Understanding

Clickers work to enhance conceptual understanding by testing students’ comprehension shortly after they have been taught course material. This immediate feedback helps reinforce key concepts, identify misconceptions, and solidify understanding.

• Critical Classroom Situation: Students struggle with grasping complex concepts and require additional reinforcement to solidify their understanding.
• Case Study: In an introductory physics class, Professor Dr Yamuna uses clickers to assess students’ understanding of Newton’s laws. After teaching the topic, she poses a clicker question that asks students to apply the laws to a real-life scenario. The instant feedback from the clicker responses enables Professor Dr Yamuna to address any misconceptions and provide further clarification, leading to enhanced conceptual understanding among the students.

1. II) Fostering Collaboration and Active Participation

Engaging students through clicker questions effectively converts them from passive recipients of information to active participants in the learning process. Clickers encourage students to actively engage with the course material, share their perspectives, and participate in meaningful discussions. By responding to clicker questions, students engage in real-time discussions, collaborate with peers, and contribute to a dynamic classroom environment.

Critical Classroom Situation: Students exhibit passive behaviour and lack engagement in the learning process, resulting in limited opportunities for discussion and interaction.

Case Study: In a literature class, Professor Dr Nithya uses clickers to facilitate discussions on literary analysis. She presents a clicker question that asks students to interpret a poem’s symbolism. After voting anonymously, students engage in group discussions, sharing their interpretations and analysing the different layers of meaning. This collaborative approach fosters active participation, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the literary work.

III) Tailoring Teaching Plans through Pre-Assessment

Clicker questions can be used to measure students’ pre-requisite knowledge about a subject prior to designing a lecture, allowing teachers to modify their teaching plans accordingly. Pre-assessment with clickers helps identify knowledge gaps, adapt instruction, and ensure that students receive targeted learning experiences. The preparation of customised lesson plans with pre-assessment is not done in most schools and colleges. Because the students are different this year, the lesson plan from the previous year may not be appropriate.

Critical Classroom Situation: Instructors need to identify students’ prior knowledge and misconceptions to effectively plan and deliver targeted instruction.

Case Study: In Professor Dr Kalpana’s mathematics course, she utilises clickers to assess students’ understanding of key mathematical concepts before delving into new topics. At the beginning of each class, she poses a clicker question related to the previous lesson’s content or a foundational concept for the upcoming material.

For example, Professor Dr Kalpana is about to introduce a new unit on algebraic equations. Before starting the lecture, she uses the clicker system to ask a question that assesses students’ understanding of solving linear equations. The question might involve simplifying expressions or solving basic equations. Once the students submit their responses through the clickers, the system generates real-time data that Professor Dr Kalpana can analyse. She quickly identifies common misconceptions and knowledge gaps in the class. For instance, she notices that many students struggle with combining like terms in the given expressions.

Armed with this information, Professor Dr Kalpana adjusts her teaching plan accordingly. She spends extra time reviewing the concept of combining like terms, providing step-by-step examples and interactive exercises to reinforce understanding. By tailoring her instruction to address specific challenges identified through the clicker pre-assessment, she ensures that students grasp the fundamental skills required for the upcoming algebraic equations unit.

Throughout the course, Professor Dr Kalpana continues to use clicker pre-assessments to gauge students’ readiness for new topics and adjust her teaching approach accordingly. This personalised instruction enables students to build a solid foundation of mathematical knowledge, leading to improved comprehension, increased engagement, and ultimately better academic performance.

IV) Peer Teaching and Collaborative Learning

Clickers facilitate peer teaching and collaborative learning. Students with similar levels of conceptual understanding can work together, reinforcing their knowledge and helping each other grasp complex concepts. This approach promotes cooperative learning and strengthens overall retention.

Critical Classroom Situation: Students face challenges in comprehending complex topics individually and would benefit from collaborative learning experiences with peers.

Case Study: In Professor Dr Deepa’s computer science and engineering class, clickers play a pivotal role in enhancing the learning experience during programming exercises. To foster collaboration and peer learning, Professor Dr Deepa introduces clickers as a tool for students to share their approaches and solutions to coding problems.

Here’s how the clicker-based assessment unfolds in the coding class:

1. Individual Coding Attempt: At the beginning of each programming exercise, students are given a simple coding problem to solve/debug individually. They have a designated time, preferably in seconds, to work on their solutions, applying the programming concepts they have learned.
2. Clicker-Based Sharing: Once the individual coding phase is complete, students transition to the clicker system. Using the clickers, they anonymously submit their approaches and solutions to the coding problem. This enables every student to contribute without fear of judgement or comparison.
3. Collaborative Discussions: With the clicker-based submissions displayed on the screen, Professor Dr Deepa facilitates collaborative discussions among the students. They analyse and compare different coding solutions, identify alternative approaches, and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of various strategies.
4. Peer Teaching and Learning: The clicker system serves as a platform for peer teaching, where students explain their coding logic, algorithms, and techniques to their classmates. This process not only strengthens their own understanding but also helps others grasp different problem-solving methods. The students actively engage in discussions, ask questions, and provide feedback, creating a dynamic and interactive learning environment.
5. Reinforcing Programming Concepts: Through clicker-based sharing and discussions, students reinforce their understanding of programming concepts. They gain exposure to a variety of coding styles and problem-solving strategies, expanding their knowledge and building a diverse set of skills.

The clicker-based assessment in Professor Dr Deepa’s coding class facilitates peer teaching, collaboration, and the development of a supportive learning community. By leveraging the anonymity provided by the clickers, students feel more comfortable sharing their approaches and solutions, leading to open and inclusive discussions. This approach not only enhances their coding skills but also cultivates important communication and teamwork abilities.

V) Engaging Large Class Participation, such as Soft Skill and Technical Training for Placement

Clickers allow for a greater number of students to effectively participate within a large class, by encouraging group learning that is safe for individual students because their responses (knowledge, values, and beliefs) are anonymous.

Critical Classroom Situation: In a large electronics engineering class, it can be challenging to ensure active participation and collaboration among a substantial number of students. Traditional methods often lead to a few dominant voices overshadowing others, hindering the collective learning process. Additionally, the fear of judgement and bias may discourage some students from actively contributing their ideas and perspectives.

Case Study: In an introductory psychology class for combined MBA students with a large enrollment, Professor Dr Karthikeyan employs clickers to engage students actively. He presents clicker questions related to various psychological theories, and students respond anonymously. The immediate feedback and anonymity encourage more students to participate, even in a large class setting. This clicker-based approach facilitates active participation, creates a comfortable learning environment, and ensures that a broader range of student voices are heard.

VI) Reinforcing Learning Through Evidence-Based Practise: When clicker data support the concepts being taught, students tend to have increased confidence and belief in those theories. The active engagement and visual representation of clicker responses validate their understanding and enhance their trust in the course material.

Critical Classroom Situation: Students may doubt the applicability and validity of theoretical concepts without concrete evidence or practical demonstrations.

Case Study

• In an electronics engineering class, Professor Dr Gowrishankar incorporates clickers to reinforce students’ learning of circuit analysis principles. As part of their coursework, students are given a circuit diagram and are asked to predict the behaviour of the circuit in response to different inputs. Using clickers, students record their predictions and submit their responses within a time limit of 10 to 30 seconds.
• After collecting the clicker responses, Professor Dr Gowrishankar reveals the correct analysis and compares it with the students’ predictions. By comparing their own assessments with the evidence presented through clicker data, students gain insights into the accuracy of their predictions and validate the underlying theoretical concepts.
• Through this process, students actively engage in evidence-based practice, reinforcing their understanding of circuit analysis principles. The clicker system provides them with immediate feedback, allowing them to identify any misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge. By actively participating in this evidence-based learning approach, students develop a stronger belief in the theories and concepts they have studied.

VII) Increasing Class Attendance and Enjoyment

Many students think that utilising clickers makes lessons more interesting and keeps them on task, which leads to higher class attendance. Regular clicker point collection encourages students to attend class on a regular basis. Students are more motivated to show up, actively engage, and make the most of their educational experience when they know their involvement adds to their overall achievement. Clicker-based lessons are generally more pleasant and engaging for students, resulting in increased focus and attention during lectures. The interactive aspect of clicker exercises keeps students focused on the work at hand, making it simpler for them to stay up, actively participate, and assimilate the information offered.

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Written by

Dr R K Suresh M.E., Ph.D., F.I.E., C.I.E., P.G.D.M.M.

Founder and CEO

LPP Learning Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore-4

rk.suresh@learnglobe.in