Technical -specific to iClicker | Pedagogical Problems | Other | Ask A Question
When I display the student answer histogram in the classroom, we can barely see it.
This is a problem with the projection system you are using. Try adjusting the brightness of the display – make it less bright.
Students can’t see the rolling roster.
This is a problem with the projection system you are using. Try adjusting the brightness of the display – make it less bright.
How do I know what the students are answering without showing them the histogram?
Your iClicker base displays this information – look on the LCD panel as the students are clicking and you will see the numbers changing.
What if I want to make up a question “on the fly”?
You can write the question anywhere, even on the board. Simply tell iClicker to “start” and a new countdown will begin; students can click in. Also, the floating menu bar has an “on the fly” feature which will open a text box in which you can type your question. This is good to use because iGrader will capture this on-the-fly question.
Students in my early section want to come to my later section instead. Can I transfer data among sections?
You can’t transfer data among sections, but you can create one big roster file for the two sections, mark your students’ registrations in your roster file as belonging to one or the other section, and sort the data out later. This is a little extra work for you. Also, if you allow students to switch sections, fairness requires your use of the iClicker to be very similar from one class section to another.
To mark your students’ registrations for their section numbers, the easiest way is to manually place a section indicator in front of their names on your class roster. You can then sort the data according to class section.
I want to create my class presentation and keep my records on a Mac, but the classroom computer is a PC. Can I use iClicker?
Creating your class presentation on a Mac is no problem, because iClicker does not interact with your presentation software at all. It “floats” on top. Create your presentation in Mac and shift it to your classroom PC in the way that you usually do. Set your iClicker system up for a PC, and attach it to your classroom PC. You are all set.
However, keeping your class records on your Mac while using the PC in the classroom does present a problem. Two possible solutions are:
Students accidentally click “E” when that’s not a choice.
That’s okay. They can click again with their real answer before the countdown stops. If you see an “E” pop up on the instructor’s base, remind students that “E” is not a choice and they should click again.
My students don’t want to buy the clickers. What can I say to convince them?
First, make sure you are using the clickers effectively – frequently, with substantive questions, and ensuring that clicker questions are firmly tied to exam questions or other important class activities. Next, explain to your students that clickers have benefits to them that go beyond raising their hands or using paper quizzes. For example, anonymous participation tends to encourage everyone to participate instead of allowing a few people to dominate class discussions. Your being able to see the aggregate class answers allows you to decide how to direct class time most usefully for them, based on their understanding or interest.
My students keep forgetting their clickers.
If you use the clicker regularly, it should become part of students’ preparation for your class. It’s good to have a syllabus policy that allows students to have one or two “no-fault” days. This saves you from having to make up clicker questions for absences or forgetfullness. However, if you do not use the clicker regularly, you will need to remind students to bring the clickers and probably be more lenient about forgetting.
My students say that getting credit for the correct answer makes them nervous.
Make sure that the credit for participation is at least equal to if not considerably more than credit for the correct answer. Clicker questions are for students to try their skills and get practice with the material; don’t make them into mini-tests.
The rationale for giving some credit for the correct answer is of course to reward students who have learned better.
My students are not taking this seriously.
First, make sure you are using the clickers effectively – frequently, with substantive questions, and ensuring that clicker questions are firmly tied to exam questions or other important class activities. Allow enough time for students to think through the questions; sometimes students just click an answer quickly because they don’t know how to deal with the question. As a final resort, you can attach a small amount of extra credit to getting the right answer, which will tend to make students pay more attention to their answers. This has its own problems, as the FAQ above illustrates.
Writing questions is taking a lot of time.
This is the hardest part of using clickers, at least the first time through. There is no easy solution. See our website resources for writing questions, and search your professional resources for question ideas. The good thing is that once you have a bank of clicker questions, you can use them over and over.
I know a couple of people are clicking in with their absent friends’ clickers – there are only 38 people in the room but I’m getting 40 clicker answers!
As with any issue of academic integrity, there is a continuum of ways to handle this. At first, it’s best to be low key, letting students know that you know what’s happening and that it’s not an honest thing to do. Usually this takes care of the problem.
Why did Cal Poly choose iClicker® specifically?
A faculty learning group tested the iClicker on the recommendation of the physics undergraduate education community. The iClicker system is extremely simple to use because it was designed by faculty members (at the University of Illionois) with faculty members’ needs in mind. Our faculty learning group agreed that the simplicity of the system outweighed its limited functionality. The iClicker can only deal with multiple choice questions; you cannot ask students for text or numeric answers.
Can I borrow a set of clickers for my students so they don’t have to buy them?
If your class is less than about 60 students, and you want to use the clickers only once or twice during the quarter, I&IT Learning may be able to provide a set. However, this set must be returned promptly. If you want to try the concept without buying the clickers, we suggest using one of the low-tech alternatives described below.
Can students sell iClickers back to the bookstore? Can students re-use the iClickers?
Yes, students can sell iClickers to the bookstore for about $17. Yes, iClickers can be used in any class in which the professor is using the iClicker system. Students can buy used iClickers at the bookstore for about $25.
How do I carry all this stuff without losing it?
We suggest a gallon-sized ziploc bag to keep the system together in your pack or briefcase.
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