ERIC Number: EJ1096874
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Mar
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1931-7913
EISSN: N/A
A Campus-Wide Investigation of Clicker Implementation: The Status of Peer Discussion in STEM Classes
Lewin, Justin D.; Vinson, Erin L.; Stetzer, MacKenzie R.; Smith, Michelle K.
CBE - Life Sciences Education, v15 n1 Article 6 Mar 2016
At the University of Maine, middle and high school teachers observed more than 250 university science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes and collected information on the nature of instruction, including how clickers were being used. Comparisons of classes taught with (n = 80) and without (n = 184) clickers show that, while instructional behaviors differ, the use of clickers alone does not significantly impact the time instructors spend lecturing. One possible explanation stems from the observation of three distinct modes of clicker use: peer discussion, in which students had the opportunity to talk with one another during clicker questions; individual thinking, in which no peer discussion was observed; and alternative collaboration, in which students had time for discussion, but it was not paired with clicker questions. Investigation of these modes revealed differences in the range of behaviors, the amount of time instructors lecture, and how challenging the clicker questions were to answer. Because instructors can vary their instructional style from one clicker question to the next, we also explored differences in how individual instructors incorporated peer discussion during clicker questions. These findings provide new insights into the range of clicker implementation at a campus-wide level and how such findings can be used to inform targeted professional development for faculty.
Descriptors: Audience Response Systems, Technology Uses in Education, Educational Technology, STEM Education, Discussion (Teaching Technique), Comparative Analysis, College Students, College Faculty, Teaching Methods, Peer Groups, Middle School Teachers, High Schools, Secondary School Teachers, Observation
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 - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maine
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1347577; 0962805