Fall+2012_Group_4

CPS Pulse iClickers in the Classroom

__ Description __

=
The CPS Pulse iClicker is a hand held device used in classrooms to allow students to participate anonymously. There are over 1000 institutions with a total of about 2 million students using iClickers. The remotes are very small in size, about six inches long by two inches wide and weighing only three ounces. Each remote requires 2AA batteries with a typical life of 9 to 12 months. CPS Pulse iClickers are great for classrooms, because the operating distance reaches up to 150 feet. ======

Classroom Integration There are various ways in which iClickers can be used in a classroom. iClickers can be used to aid teachers with classroom managements tasks and are also great tools for facilitatiing lessons. Listed below are a few examples of ways that iClickers can be used in a classroom setting.

Classroom Management (For Instructors): Lesson Facilitation (Ways in Which Students Can Use iClickers):
 * __Attendance__- Attendance can be taken by having the students respond to a question or if iClickers are assigned to students, attendance can be taken simply by viewing which students used their iClickers during a class period on a given day.
 * __Assessment__- Results of quizzes, homework, and student response based activities are displayed instantaneously. Not only can this help instructors manage student grades, but it also helps them to see ares of strength and weakness in their classes.
 * __Voting__- Decisions that will affect the entire class can be made by having the students vote using their iClickers. Results will be instantaneous and votes can remain anonymous.
 * __Discussion Warm-Up__- Teachers may pose a question, ask students to think about it, and submit their answer using iClickers. Then the instructor may display the results, and lead into a classroom discussion based on the results.
 * __Repeated Questions__- Instructor may ask students to answer a question, give a lesson, and then ask the same question at the end of the lesson. Then, a comparison can be displayed to facilitate a discussion of the before and after results.
 * __Student Perspective__- The teacher can poll the class for answers to questions regarding lesson understanding levels, confidence levels, demographic information, or to share opinions.
 * __Classroom Experiments__- iClickers can be used to gather data for lessons in probability and comparison. This data can be displayed with some software in various graphs to offer a visual component for students.
 * __Hypotheses__- A teacher may ask students to submit their hypothesis about an outcome before doing an experiment.

How to Use iClickers With the evolving technology in today's world there is always the fear that the technology may just be to advanced to use for some people. With iClickers, the software is easy and the set up is not difficult, and the information that you get from this makes it all worth it.

First, before iClickers can be used you have to setup the iClicker software on your computer. Second, Open the folder containing your copy of the software on the course that you selected. Third, you have to Select 'Start Session' from the main menu For the iClickers to work with the students, they must first turn on their iClickers at the beginning of class.
 * After the software is setup you have to set up the Base unit.
 * Make sure that the Base unit is plugged into the computer you are using.
 * Double-click on the iClicker file at the start of class
 * A floating bar will appear in the top left corner of the screen. Don't worry you can run other applications while you have the floating bar up.
 * Click on the floating bar in the top corner of your screen to view a drop-down menu and access other functions while the software is running.
 * Their iClcikers must be set to the correct frequency for the classroom that their in.
 * The frequency can be set for the iCicker program in 'You Settings and Preferences.'

The link below will take you to a short clip that shows how easy to use the iClickers. [|www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KMlwMCYDDk]

__ Cost __ -$33.00 for the iClicker itself to be purchased by the student -The receivers are 1 to 100 iClickers to be purchased by the teacher: $300.00

The Benefits of Using iClickers

** Increased student engagement ** When students know they will be called on to respond to questions at indeterminate times, they remain more engaged. Also, students become more involved because they feel a sense of ownership since their answers can affect the flow of the course presentation. The class shifts from an instructor-centric to a more student from an instructor-centric to a more student-centric class. Instructors using iClickers report a decreased use of non-classroom-related activities during class, such as messaging to friends.

**More widespread student involvement** Since answers are anonymous, iClickers create a safe environment for unsure students. In many courses, the same students tend to dominate classroom discussions. The use of iClickers increases the involvement of those students who typically remain quiet. When the quieter students see how their responses correlate to those of the rest of the class, they gain confidence in their own understanding, increasing their likelihood to participate in class discussions.

**​** ** Increased class attendance ** Instructors using iClickers report highly increased attendance rates, reportedly due to two factors: 1.) Instructors can use iClicker responses as a component of a student's grade 2.) Students find classes that incorporate iClickers are more fun to attend

Sometimes instructors don't get accurate feedback about how well students understand course material until an exam. With iClickers, you can learn immediately how well students understand the presented material. Depending on student response, you might alter their lecture, moderate the pace, generate a discussion, or follow up with an appropriate assignment.
 * Immediate feedback for instructor **

Students can see how well they understand the class material, and can compare their understandings to that of their classmates. They can use this knowledge to gain confidence and to understand what they need to work on. In a straight lecture environment, students may not always realize which concepts they have difficulty understanding until they do an assignment or study for an exam. With iClickers, they can recognize problems earlier and ask questions in the classroom with the instructor available.
 * Immediate feedback for students **

** Higher-level student understanding of course material ** Well-designed iClicker questions call upon students to reflect upon, extend, and enhance their understanding of class material.

The following video shows how iClickers are beneficial in the classroom. media type="youtube" key="_oW3edmrqqQ?version=3" height="315" width="560" align="center"

Additional Information

[|How to use Clickers Effectively]
[|Clickers in the Classroom]

[|Clicker Questions]

[|Clickers in K12]