Teaching with Clickers in the Large Size Principles of Marketing Class
Douglas J. Lincoln
Marketing education Review, Volume 18, Number1 (Spring 2008)
I choose this article because the “clickers” intrigued me; I had no idea what they were or could be used for. Also, I hope to teach Marketing Classes and expect that my first level classes might be large. I will note here that the article did not necessarily concentrate on Marketing, which just happened to be where the study took place, so the information is transferable to other disciplines.
I found the Article interesting. It describes 5 problems and provides 3 recommendations related to teaching in a large class (defined as 50+ students) using “clickers”. A “clicker” is a student response device, pool or system, like an audience response pad on a TV show-apparently students must carry them to class. No other information was provided regarding the apparatus.
The Authors feel that used correctly, the clickers are a very helpful and can relieve the students from “Death by PowerPoint”. The 5 problems instructors face in a large classroom are defined as:
1. getting the students to attend class
2. keeping the students attention
3. Getting them to actively participate in the learning process
4. instructors have difficulty in gauging where each student is in the learning
5. managing significant volumes of course maintenance work load
Lincoln feels students enjoying using the clickers so attendance is improved. Using a clicker question immediately upon starting class can engage student’s attention and move thinking patterns towards classroom subjects. Because today’s students are comfortable with technology they do not like an “impassive” learning style. An interactive style provided by the clicker is better suited to their interests. Because clickers are anonymous students whom would not normally participate in class do so. In addition clickers can help identify misconceptions and provide instant feedback allowing instructors to focus discussions on specific topics.
The recommendations are:
1. Go for Depth not Breadth – when using these apparatus to help create deep learning, instructors need to really prioritize topics. They should use them to execute a contingent teaching style where the teaching depends on the actions (answers) of students rather than a fixed sequence of events.
2. Design effective Questions- keep in mind three purposes behind the questions use when designing them:
a. Content Goals; “What piece of subject matter do I want to illuminate?”
b. Cognitive Process Goals; “What skills to I want the students to exercise?” (Compare/contrast; predict & observe etc.)
c. Metacognitive Goals; “What beliefs about learning and practicing this discipline do I wish to reinforce?” The Author warns that clickers should not be used to reinforce rote memorization.
3. Use a Series of Questions- A Session; Two thoughts on this are:
a. Chronological six step question cycle (Beatty et al 2006) which starts with small group discussions, individual response, displaying response patterns, conducting classroom discussion and having the instructor express observations or a brief lecture
b. A three question cycle (Reay et al 2005) used as part of a constructivist approach to learning. The thought here is to give students three questions all different features but all with the same concept, response summaries are then shown. Classroom discussion then follows, another harder question is given, response again shown, more discussion and finally a third question is used to check if they understand the concept, which by this point most answer correctly.
In the conclusion Lincoln warns that “most of these challenges are only addressed when instructor carefully design course pedagogy and activates to that student use of clickers is a means to an end and not an end onto itself,….learning the art and science of designing and implementing effective clicker questions and question sessions is much more difficult”.Teaching with Clickers in the Large Size Principles of Marketing Class
Part of the value of this article is the way in which the authors model so successfully the introduction of any new information and communication technology into the classroom. They keep their focus on what and how they want the students to learn, and integrate the technology in the ways best suited to meeting those teaching and learning goals, rather than deciding to use clickers and "adding on" ways students might use them. Thus you gain the information on the clickers and the wider picture of integrating technologies effectively in the one article.
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