Using Clickers to Facilitate Development of Problem-Solving Skills

Classroom response systems, or clickers, have become pedagogical staples of the undergraduate science curriculum at many universities. In this study, the effectiveness of clickers in promoting problem-solving skills in a genetics class was investigated. Students were presented with problems requirin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:CBE life sciences education 2011-12, Vol.10 (4), p.406-417
Main Author: Levesque, Aime A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Audiovisual Aids
Biology - education
Classroom Environment
Correlation
Discussion
Discussion (Teaching Technique)
Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods
Educational Measurement - methods
Educational Technology
Educational Technology - instrumentation
Feedback (Response)
Genetics
Geographic Location
Grades (Scholastic)
Handheld Devices
Humans
Lecture Method
Problem Solving
Science Curriculum
Software
Students - psychology
Teaching Methods
Tests
Universities
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Summary:Classroom response systems, or clickers, have become pedagogical staples of the undergraduate science curriculum at many universities. In this study, the effectiveness of clickers in promoting problem-solving skills in a genetics class was investigated. Students were presented with problems requiring application of concepts covered in lecture and were polled for the correct answer. A histogram of class responses was displayed, and students were encouraged to discuss the problem, which enabled them to better understand the correct answer. Students were then presented with a similar problem and were again polled. My results indicate that those students who were initially unable to solve the problem were then able to figure out how to solve similar types of problems through a combination of trial and error and class discussion. This was reflected in student performance on exams, where there was a statistically significant positive correlation between grades and the percentage of clicker questions answered. Interestingly, there was no clear correlation between exam grades and the percentage of clicker questions answered correctly. These results suggest that students who attempt to solve problems in class are better equipped to solve problems on exams. (Contains 5 tables and 5 figures.)
ISSN:1931-7913
1931-7913
DOI:10.1187/cbe.11-03-0024