What are Clickers?

Clickers are classroom response systems that can be used in the classroom in any discipline to promote student engagement in class. Many departments at Auburn currently use clickers in their classrooms: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Political Science, Forestry, Spanish, and Pharmacy, among others.

 

How do Clickers work?

Each student uses his/her own clicker (see the example on the left) class meetings. An instructor can put up questions on a  projector and give the students a certain amount of time to respond to the questions by selecting an option on their clickers.

Why should I use Clickers in my Classroom?

Clickers can be used for a variety of functions: to assess students’ understanding of a lesson, to gather feedback, or to preassess knowledge before a lesson. The Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative Clicker Guide claims, “Clickers are not a magic bullet – they are not necessarily useful as an end in themselves. Clickers become useful when you have a clear idea as to what you want to achieve with them, and the questions are designed to improve student engagement and instructor-student interaction.”

How do I get Clickers in my Classroom?

The Biggio Center can loan you a set of clickers for classes up to 30-40 in size. You can test them out to see if you want to use them for the duration of the semester. Then, you will need to contact your department or the Auburn University Bookstore about their policies regarding clickers. Students own their own clickers and bring them to class to use.  Currently, the iClicker2 is being used in a number of courses at Auburn.

More Information about Clickers

There is a variety of information about how to use clickers in the classroom and what effects and benefits they have on and for your students.

• Resources for using clickers in the classroom
• Multiple resources about clickers and their uses from the CW Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia.
• “Clickers-for Assessment and Instruction,” by Dr. Raj Chaudhury offers tips about using clickers in the classroom.