Faculty and Students Find Success When Clicking
March 2007
Northwestern classrooms are increasingly technology-enabled — high-tech videoconferencing, Smart Classrooms, and now, clickers.
Clickers, or the Student Response System (SRS), is an integrated hardware and software system that allows instructors to pose questions and gather students' responses during a lecture. Gaining popularity at Northwestern since testing began two years ago, the system often takes the "clicker" name because of the remote control device used to answer posed questions.
“The students learn more, even recognize their difficulties, when engaged with this system,” said Martina Bode, Mathematics senior lecturer. Bode is also an SRS pilot team member and evaluator.
Use of the system by faculty such as Bode has steadily increased since the initial launch last fall quarter.
“Students overwhelmingly enjoy using this system,” said Mary Schuller, managing coordinator of the SRS.
The system allows students to have fun with learning in a lecture setting, and allows faculty to reap the benefits as well. Bode recently polled participating students about use of the clickers, and ninety percent said the system increases instructor awareness of difficulties. In addition, seventy-six percent of students said the SRS helps them understand what is expected in class, and eighty percent said that discussing SRS questions helps them better understand subject matter.
Clickers can also be used for fun in the classroom — Bode suggests using the devices as icebreakers in large groups, creating teams to debate questions and eventually agree on an answer to select.
SRS recently released a Mac software kit for non PC-based instructors, and a few Smart Classrooms are already equipped with the appropriate software.
Faculty interested in piloting SRS are encouraged to contact NUIT’s Academic Technologies for a kit, which are available for up to three weeks per session.
