Re: Clickers (Automatic Response Systems)

I didn't see it mentioned in this discussion, but another product is
http://www.gtcocalcomp.com/interwriteprsrf.htm . Ironically, I saw one at
lunch with some colleagues as we talked with a local technology person
about possibly adopting a clicker in our classes!

       - Bill

Jose said:

> Hi,
>
> Has anyone on the list ever used automatic response systems (clickers)
> in their lectures/courses? This technology allows students to respond
> in an interactive way during lectures by using individual "keypads".
> The summary of their answers can be presented to them in real time and
> integrated in the Power Point presentations. I’m using them for the
> first time this semester in a course with 300 students (I’m using a
> software called: Turning-point, which is distributed by Thomson).
>
> My main concern is about how to structure the credit for this part of
> the course. On the one hand, since students have to pay almost $50 for
> the “clickers”, I’m inclined to have them as a small part of the grade
> requirement (perhaps 10% of the total grade). On the other hand, I am
> concerned that if I make them part of the total grade students might
> become too stress out during the lectures; which would defeat the
> purpose of the technology. I’m also concerned about cheating, and
> spending too much time handling student’s complaints (e.g. my keypad
> wasn’t working), a potential outcome of making them a large part of the
> total grade.
>
> I would love to hear your feedback regarding this technology as it
> pertains to this grading issue, or about the use of clickers in your
> classes in general.
>
> Thanks Jose J. Vazquez-Cognet, PhD Department of Economics University of
> Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL 61821 (217) 265-0682

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