Have you ever written any clicker questions? · Student, if the court finds that the terms of the catalogue are complete, definite, and certain Student, since catalogues are usually

Writing Clicker QuestionsStephanie V. Chasteen

University of Colorado at Boulder

A)Never used clickersB)Yes, many timesC)Yes, and tried them in class a few timesD)No, but I’ve used ones others wroteE)No, I use the ones from question banks

Have you ever written any clicker questions?Take a clicker & turn it onIf the green light flashes,

your vote has been counted

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Today’s agenda

• Discussion of clicker questions• Practice writing and revising clicker

questions

• If there’s time… discussion of ways toimplement peer discussion and questionwrap-up

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The clickerquestion

cycle

1.Learning goals

2.Ask question

3.Peer discussion

4.Vote

5.Whole class discussion

6.Interpret & use results

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Quick video break

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Benefits of clickers

“Anonymous” responsesInstant feedback to teacher and studentsFocuses class on a question and forcesthem to commit to answerCatalyzes discussionMakes your student’s thinking visibleModels reasoning and oral presentation

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I teach...

A)Elementary SchoolB)Middle SchoolC)High schoolD)College or UniversityE)Other/I don’t teach

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I primarily teach...

A)BiologyB)PhysicsC)MathD)ChemistryE)Other

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Basic use of clickers...

•Only for quizzes or testing•Only occasionally or at set times•To check for basic comprehension

Better use of clickers...

•Frequent and integrated into class•Require or encourage peer discussion•Mix of difficulty•Use results to direct instruction

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Writing questions video

• 2:00-3:10

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A note on the “wrong” answers

• Distractors should be tempting• And based on common student

misunderstandings• Don’t forget options like “more than one”

or “none of these”

What does each answer tell you about student thinking?This is important part of formative assessment.

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Take a stab…

• On your own, take a few minutes to trywriting a question for a topic you will beteaching this month.

• If you have brought a question, eitherwork on revising it, or try a new approachto that same material.

Use the pink handout as a guide

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I think it’s hardest to…

A. Figure out when in class (or why) to use aquestion

B. Decide what type of question to askC. Write the question itselfD. Come up with the “wrong” answers (distractors)E. More than one / something else

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E.g. Communications

You are an editor at the Washington Post, and theUnabomber has demanded that you print hismanifesto or he will continue sending mail bombs.

As Post editor, which would you value most?• Upholding 1st Amendment independence from gov’t• Increased readership• Maintaining credibility• Possibly help save lives• Informing readers

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E.g. Chemistry

• Demonstration predictions. For example,show that a lightbulb is lit when running acurrent through a weak acid solution.“Will a 100% acid solution make thelight bulb brighter or dimmer?”

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E.g. Psychology

Play students the “Jaws” theme after a break.Is this an example of classical or

instrumental conditioning?

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E.g. Biology

Which of the following are alive (can be more thanone)?

• A seed• A leaf on a tree• A leaf that has just fallen• A tree in spring (no leaves)• A tree in summer (lots of leaves)• A tree in fall (leaves not green)• A tree in winter

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E.g. Law

Based on the facts of problem 7 in the textbook, in the lawsuitby the student against Mountain Law School, a court willlikely find in favor of the:

Student, if the court finds that the terms of the catalogue arecomplete, definite, and certain

Student, since catalogues are usually considered ads, and ads arealways offers

Law school, since catalogues can never include all the necessaryterms to be deemed definite and complete offers

Law school, since the student could not have been expected to betaught all the terms in the catalogue

Application

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E.g., Medicine• RR is a 22 year old Mexican american

newly diagnosed with type I diabetes. Heweighs 68 kg. He has no insurance andspeaks limited english. What is the bestinsulin regimen to start him on?

• Gliargine 15 units at bedtime• NPH 30 units twice daily• Mixed insulin 70/30, 20 units in the

morning and 10 units at bedtime• Glargine 15 units at bedtime and lispro 5

units with meals• Levemir 15 units twice daily

One bestanswer

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E.g. PhysicsBALL BOUNCE Suppose you are on a cart, initially at rest on a track with no friction. You throw balls at a partition that is rigidly mounted on the front of the cart. If the balls bounce straight back, as shown in the figure, is the cart put in motion?

1. Yes, left 2. Yes, right 3 . No

A. Donʼt know

You’re on a cart, initially at rest, throwingballs at a partition that is rigidly mounted onthe front of the cart. If the balls bouncestraight back, as in the figure, then is the cartput in motion?

A.Yes, leftB.Yes, rightC.NoD.Don’t know

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E.g. Environmental Science

Students watch section of The Day AfterTomorrow. Then are asked

Global warming could lead to the shutdown ofthe North Atlantic’s ocean circulationpattern causing global cooling

• Strongly agree• Moderately agree• Moderately disagree• Strongly disagree

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Modes of clicker use1) quiz on the reading

or homework2) require recall of

lecture point3) elicit/reveal prior

ideas4) require prediction of

demo, expt, sim.5) test conceptual

understanding

6)transfer/implication

7) relate differentrepresentations

8) Help visualizationskills

9) do a calculation

10) survey students

11) Enter responses fromtimed test

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What makes a “good” question?

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Example questions

Use the “what makes agood clicker question”sheet (pink)Rate some questions onblue sheet1=bad, 2=OK, 3=good.

Work witha buddy

A)Still workingB)Nearly thereC)Done!

ARE YOU DONE?

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Writing questions

Now, take the question you started before.

Work witha buddy

A)Still workingB)Nearly thereC)Done!

ARE YOU DONE? Take a few minutes to

make any revisions, or tryanother approach. Then work with your

neighbor to improve yourquestions.

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Challenges?

• Be patient, it gets easier!

“students learn better when I use (clickers),but I don’t have time because I have to getthrough so much content”

When I think learning is happening is usuallywhen it’s most chaotic.

When the kids behave it [question-orientedlearning] works so well… and whenthey’re naughty it’s soooo frustrating.

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It’s not about our teaching,

it’s about student learning.

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The clickerquestion

cycle

1.Learning goals

2.Ask question

3.Peer discussion

4.Vote

5.Whole class discussion

•Interpret & use results

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Peer Discussion• Actively engages students in thinking about and discussing the

concept/skill/idea• Gives students an opportunity to explain and defend their

reasoning, and evaluate others reasoning (to engage in scientificargument)

• Gives the teacher a chance to hear what students are thinking(ask students or listen to group discussion).

• Gives students a chance to voice their and hear others’questions (students are not alone in their confusion).

• Builds a collaborative learning community• Others????

What is its role inthe student’slearning process?

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The role of talk• Eric Mazur -

Harvard U.

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Whole class discussion:Giving the answer stops student thinking

Do not reveal answer immediatelyUnderstanding why wrong answers arewrong is as important as why the rightanswers are rightValue reasoning above the right answer.(The right answer for the wrong reason isuseless).

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The message:

The answer is NOT asimportant as the strategy for

getting TO the answer

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Common problems & pitfalls

Writing good questionsFacilitating quality student participationConcerns about time to cover curriculum(depth vs. breadth)Technical troubleStudent misbehavior or resistanceClash with teaching style

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Teacher struggles

“students learn better when I use (clickers),but I don’t have time because I have to getthrough so much content”

When I think learning is happening is usuallywhen it’s most chaotic.

When the kids behave it [question-orientedlearning] works so well… and whenthey’re naughty it’s soooo frustrating.

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Tips for success

Be clear (to students and yourself) why you’reusing clickersUse them frequentlyAsk questions at a variety of levels of difficultyEncourage discussion and listen to studentsUse a variety of techniquesStart small

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It’s not about our teaching,

it’s about student learning.

STEMclickers.colorado.edu has videosand resourcesMany handouts and additional resourceson TIE wikiWe are available to do workshops in yourschool

[email protected]

For more information...

PLEASE RETURN YOUR CLICKER!