FACILITATION TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Make Clickers Work for You

Dr. Stephanie V. Chasteen Physics Department

& Science Education InitiativeUniv. of Colorado at Boulder

http://colorado.edu/sei

Web and blog: http://sciencegeekgirl.com

Email: stephanie.chasteen@colorado.edu

Short refresher course

What do you teach?

A. ScienceB. Engineering or MathC. Social sciencesD. HumanitiesE. Administration / faculty supportF. Other

Show of hands

Have you used response systems (clickers) in your teaching?

A. Not at all, and I haven’t seen them usedB. Not at all, but I’ve observed their use

somewhatC. I’ve used them a littleD. I’ve used them a lotE. I could be (should be?) giving this workshop

Take a clicker & turn it on If the green light flashes,

your vote has been counted

How familiar are you with Mazur’s “Peer Instruction”

A. Fairly familiar, and I like itB. Fairly familiar, but I’m not sure that I like itC. I’ve heard of it but only have a vague idea

what it isD. Not familiar at allE. Not sure

Colored cards

Introducing Me

Applying scientific principles to improve science education – What are students learning, and which instructional approaches improve learning?

Science Education Initiative

http://colorado.edu/SEI

Physics Education Research Group

One of largest PER groups in nation, studying technology, attitudes, classroom practice, & institutional change.

http://PER.colorado.edu

Blogger

http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com

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U. Colorado clicker resources…7

Videos of effective use of clickers

http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu

Clicker resource page

http://STEMvideos.colorado.edu

2-5 mins long

• Instructor’s Guide• Question banks•Literature / Articles

PLUS past workshopsAnd all workshop materials

I can help you with your institution’s workshops too

Why question?

How many times have you given a lecture and found that students hadn’t followed you?

Can you rely on students to ask questions if they don’t understand something?

Can you rely on students to know if they don’t understand something?

What are the benefits of questioning?

whiteboardCredit: Rosie Piller

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The more things change…

2000 years ago

Today

When can we ask questions?

Credit: Rosie Piller and Ian Beatty.

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BEFORESetting up instruction

MotivateDiscoverPredict outcomeProvoke thinkingAssess prior knowledge

DURINGDeveloping knowledge

Check knowledgeApplicationAnalysisEvaluationSynthesisExercise skillElicit misconception

AFTER Assessing learning

Relate to big pictureDemonstrate successReview or recapExit poll

Some methods of asking questions

Ask rhetoricallyTarget the class (how?)Target someone in particular (in what order?)Wait and then… (call on whom?)Answer your own questionLeave the question unanswered

Or ask out of classBlogsDiscussion boardsHomework…Credit: Rosie Piller

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Why use clickers to target the class? An outline of Peer Instruction.

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But not a magic bullet!

Clickers are a tool for questioning

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Ask Question

Peer Discussion

Vote

Class Discussion

…Lecture… (Maybe vote)

* See also: Peer Instruction, A User’s Manual. E. Mazur.

Anatomy of Peer Instruction

How is a clicker question the same or different?*

Similar in terms of goalsMultiple choiceAnonymous (to peers)Every student has a voice –

the loud ones and the shy ones

Forced wait timeYou can withhold the answer

until everyone has had time to think (choose when to show the histogram)

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* From other types of in-class questions

What does this tool help us to do?

Peer instruction helps students learn

Research shows that:Students can better answer a similar

question after talking to their peersPeer discussion + instructor explanation

works better than either one aloneStudents like peer instruction, from intro to

the junior levelStudents in courses using peer instruction

outperform those in traditional lecture courses on a common test

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See http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu for various references

U. Colorado clicker resources…18

Videos of effective use of clickers

http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu

Clicker resource page

http://STEMvideos.colorado.edu

2-5 mins long

• Instructor’s Guide• Question banks• Workshops• Literature / Articles

Which of these could be clicker questions?

Credit: Rosie Piller and Ian Beatty.

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BEFORESetting up instruction

MotivateDiscoverPredict outcomeProvoke thinkingAssess prior knowledge

DURINGDeveloping knowledge

Check knowledgeApplicationAnalysisEvaluationSynthesisExercise skillElicit misconception

AFTER Assessing learning

Relate to big pictureDemonstrate successReview or recapExit poll

Let’s try it

A. Writing good questionsB. Getting students to really think about themC. Getting students to answer the questions /

Nobody respondsD. The same students always respond / Not

everybody respondsE. It takes too long / I have a lot of content to

cover

I think the toughest thing about using clickers and peer instruction in class will be:

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A science-content example

Which superpower would you rather have? The ability to…

A. Change the mass of thingsB. Change the charge of thingsC. Change the magnetization of thingsD. Change the boiling point of things

Question: Ian Beatty, UNC Greensboro Image: Thibault fr on Wikimedia

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Example question: Math

Your sister in law calls to say that she’s having twins. Which of the following is the most likely? (Assume she’s having fraternal, not identical, twins)

A.Twin boysB.Twin girlsC.One girl and one boyD.All are equally likely

Derek Bruff, Vanderbilt

Example Question: Survey

Which of the following are you least comfortable using to solve problems?

A. KinematicsB. Newton’s LawsC. Work-Energy TheoremD. Momentum-Impulse TheoremE. Angular Momentum-Angular Impulse Theorem

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Ian Beatty, UMass Amherst

FACILITATION TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Make Clickers Work for You

Dr. Stephanie V. Chasteen Physics Department

& Science Education InitiativeUniv. of Colorado at Boulder

http://colorado.edu/sei

Web and blog: http://sciencegeekgirl.com

Email: stephanie.chasteen@colorado.edu

Two way conversations with students are vital...26

...because students can misunderstand what we say

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Ask Question

Peer Discussion

Vote

Class Discussion

…Lecture… (Maybe vote)

* See also: Peer Instruction, A User’s Manual. E. Mazur.

Anatomy of Peer Instruction

Burning questions?

Let’s revisit the question from before

A. Writing good questionsB. Getting students to really think about themC. Getting students to answer the questions /

Nobody respondsD. The same students always respond / Not

everybody respondsE. It takes too long / I have a lot of content to

cover

I think the toughest thing about using clickers and peer instruction in class will be:

Another question

Honestly, I think that I’m most likely to modify this technique of peer instruction to suit me and my students. I know that there are at least ___ parts of the technique that I’ll be changing:

A. NoneB. OneC. Two-threeD. Four or more

Be prepared to explain your answer and defend!

Is there a problem with modifications?

I won’t tell you how to teach. You’re smart & you care about instruction.

Be strategic about modifications.

% of physics faculty reporting to be familiar with RBIS

* Research-Based Instructional StrategyDancy & Henderson, Pedagogical practices and instructional change of faculty, Am. J. Phys., 78(10), Oct 2010.

“RBIS”= Research-Based Instructional Strategy

% of faculty reporting as current user of RBIS

* Research-Based Instructional StrategyDancy & Henderson, Pedagogical practices and instructional change of faculty, Am. J. Phys., 78(10), Oct 2010.Web survey of 722 physics faculty at various institutions, initial sample of 2000.

~ 50%

“RBIS”= Research-Based Instructional Strategy

Of these, how many do you think use consistent with Mazur’s method?(A) <30% (B) 30-70% (C) >70%

In particular:

Students discuss ideas in class* 27%

Students discuss qualitative/quantitative problems in class*

27%

Whole class voting* 38%

Conceptual questions* 64%

% of instructors who report using Peer Instruction and also report including the following elements of Peer Instruction:

Dancy & Henderson, Pedagogical practices and instructional change of faculty, Am. J. Phys., 78(10), Oct 2010.Web survey of 722 physics faculty at various institutions, initial sample of 2000.

* Every class

Is this a problem?It depends.

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Ask Question

Peer Discussion

Vote

Class Discussion

…Lecture… (Maybe vote)

* See also: Peer Instruction, A User’s Manual. E. Mazur.

Exercise #1: Core Philosophies

What are the underlying principles that make this work?

Some core philosophies of mine

Students learn by teaching each otherStudents learn by articulating their ideasIt’s important for me to hear student ideasI need to know what my students understand

during the course of instruction, before the test

I value and respect student ideasI want students to know that I value student

ideasI want students to feel safe sharing their

ideasClicker questions are an integral part of my

lecture

What could possibly go wrong?

You ask students a question, and ask them to discuss.

You then ask them to share their answers and reasoning in a whole-class discussion

What could possibly go wrong?

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In groups of 3-5 brainstorm some of the challenges you imagine in using this.

Brainstorm some solutions that are in line with your core philosophies

Write on your handout.

Exercise #2

10 mins

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1. Ask Question

What are some challenges/ philosophies / solutions related to asking the question?

Handout/worksheet / whiteboard

Best practices•Ask several times during lecture•Ask challenging, meaningful questions•Don’t post until ready & give time to read

Philosophies•Questions are integral to lecture•Students can learn by considering a question

2. Peer Discussion39

What are core philosophies in peer discussion?

Philosophies: • Students learn through discussion• Students need to know that you value their ideas & that it’s safe to share

Solutions:•Make it clear why you’re doing this• Circulate and ask questions / model•Use questions they want to discuss•Allow enough time (2-5 mins)•Focus on reasoning in wrap-up

What are challenges / how can you help make it work?

Student buy-in is key!

3. Wrap-Up Discussion41

Philosophies? Challenges? What might you do to facilitate an effective wrap-up discussion?

Solutions:•Establish culture of respect•Consider whether to show the histogram immediately• Ask multiple students to defend their answers• Emphasize reasoning: Why are wrong answers wrong and why right answer is right

Philosophies:•Student ideas are important•Students need to feel safe

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Giving the answer stops student thinking!

Effects of increased wait time

Changes in student behavior: More students respond More students respond without being asked (unsolicited) Student responses are longer More alternative explanations are offered Student confidence increases There are more speculative responses Students ask more questions

Other changes (on teacher!) Quantity of questions decreased Quality of questions increased Expectations of slower students were revised Teacher reactions to answers were more appropriate

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Rowe, Mary Budd (1974)

All from a few more seconds!

Other things we haven’t talked about?

Other challenges / solutions / philosophies?

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Let’s try it: Mock Class45

In a group of 3-5:1. Choose a question to use2. Assign roles to each member of the

group to split up the task of facilitating the question

10 minutes

Rules for Mock Class

1. You are a “Critical friend”2. Say PAUSE when we should discuss

something3. Have fun!

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Action Plan

Take a few minutes to write down your action plan to implement ideas you heard about in the workshop

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Many materials in this workshop (particularly the questioning cycle and the participant

exercises) were adapted from Rosie Piller, Making Students Think: The Art of Questioning. Short papers published in: Computer Training & Support Conference, 1995; ISPI International Conferences, 1991 and 1996; ASTD National Conference on Technical & Skills Training, 1990. Related workshop description at http://www.educationexperts.net/nstworkshop.html. Other materials (particularly

sample clicker questions and goals of clicker questions) adapted from Ian Beatty’s Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment (TEFA) program. http://ianbeatty.com/crs

Resource Page: http://STEMclickers.colorado.eduWeb and blog: http://sciencegeekgirl.comEmail: stephanie.chasteen@colorado.edu

Thanks!

Got questions later? We can schedule a virtual follow-up

anytime.

Learning Goals

Biology: Recognize the components of a cell and describe why each is necessary for the function of a cell

Physics: Identify the different ways that light can interact with an object (i.e., transmitted, absorbed, reflected).

Chemistry: Explain trends in boiling points in terms of intermolecular interactions

Earth science: Understand the formation of the three major types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and the processes by which they form, relating them by the rock cycle.

Math: Solve a system of linear equations in two variables using algebra or graphing.

What Do I do if…?

What can you do if you ask questions and..There is no responseThe same people keep raising their handsThe answers are called out before everyone

has a chance to thinkThe answers take too longSomeone gives a wrong answerOnly some students are prepared?

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We’ll discuss in Workshop #2.

For now: Many of these challenges are addressed by clickers