ERIC Number: EJ923400
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Mar
Pages: 4
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1931-7913
EISSN: N/A
The Benefits of Using Clickers in Small-Enrollment Seminar-Style Biology Courses
Smith, Michelle K.; Trujillo, Caleb; Su, Tin Tin
CBE - Life Sciences Education, v10 n1 p14-17 Mar 2011
Although the use of clickers and peer discussion is becoming common in large-lecture undergraduate biology courses, their use is limited in small-enrollment seminar-style courses. To investigate whether facilitating peer discussion with clickers would add value to a small-enrollment seminar-style course, we evaluated their usefulness in an 11-student Embryology course at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Student performance data, observations of peer discussion, and interviews with students revealed that adding clickers to a small-enrollment course 1) increases the chance students will do the required reading before class, 2) helps the instructor engage all students in the class, and 3) gives students a focused opportunity to share thinking and to learn from their peers. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Seminars, Course Evaluation, Embryology, Biology, Classroom Environment, Handheld Devices, Educational Technology, Science Instruction, Discussion (Teaching Technique), Program Effectiveness, College Science, Observation, Interviews, Small Classes
American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Colorado
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A