Use of Clickers to Improve Student Engagement in Learning: Observations from the Built Environment Discipline

Abstract

Student engagement and active learning have been identified as key areas for learning enhancement as students tend to understand and retain teaching material better and enjoy lectures when they are actively engaged. This would improve retention and progression of students and could lead to improved levels of academic success. Designing learning activities to improve student engagement has been considered by many universities. This article evaluates the use of 'Clickers' (a remote voting system) as a mechanism to improve student engagement within the Built Environment discipline. Focus group discussions and questionnaire surveys with students, interviews with staff members and personal observations were used to collect data. A positive correlation between student engagement and Clicker sessions was evident. Anonymously responding to questions, collaborative learning, and selfevaluation of performance have been able to improve student engagement for Clicker sessions. Effective feedback discussions based on the Clicker questions, knowledge sharing with peers, and reflecting more on the subject content have influenced deep learning among students, and hence, improved learning. The originality of this research stems from the fact that Clickers could be more useful for the Built Environment discipline, as its outward looking teaching and learning approach appropriately matches with that of Clickers technology.

Considerations for using personal Wi-Fi enabled devices as “clickers” in a large university class

“…Dedicating enough time to the use of clickers and reviewing responses is most effective (Lantz and Stawiski, 2014). In addition, more time and focus given to discussions of problems as a class, in pairs, or small groups has shown to deepen understanding and enhance learning (Kulatunga and Rameezdeen, 2014). Previous research suggests that the discussion of answers, aside from understanding the concepts, contributes greatly to the other reported benefits of clickers, such as building relationships between students and the instructor, and generally increasing engagement.…”

“…The opportunity to interact with his or her peers and the instructor can increase a student’s commitment to the class and increase the effort put in (Hoekstra, 2008; Kang et al, 2012; Shaffer and Collura, 2009). It has been frequently reported by students that the use of clickers increased their engagement in class (Cook and Calkins, 2013; Fifer, 2012; Hoekstra, 2008; Kulatunga and Rameezdeen, 2014).…”

“…Other factors have also been found to influence the effect of clickers on grade, such as when students were able to use their own Wi-Fi-enabled device rather than when using a required RF device (Petto, 2013). Some studies have reported that use of clickers resulted in students being better prepared for each class, for example, by doing required reading, which could also lead to an improvement in performance (Cook and Calkins, 2013; Fifer, 2012; Hoekstra, 2008; Kulatunga and Rameezdeen, 2014). A recent study showed that students using their own mobile devices did not affect student grades (Stowell, 2015).…”

A Case Study of the Practical Implications of Using Interactive Technology in Teaching International Postgraduate Students

“…ARSs have the potential to bring a pedagogical shift from a teacher-centred to student-centred learning environment and promote active learning. In addition to that, ARSs render a plethora of advantages such as tracking and maintaining in-class engagement levels, evaluating the effectiveness of individual lectures, and understanding students' learning experiences (Blasco-Arcas et al, 2013;Kulatunga & Rameezdeen, 2014).…”

Stabilization, Safety, and Security of Distributed Systems

“…Clickers are wireless devices that let instructors poll students for purposes such as taking attendance, and administering quizzes and/or surveys. Research has shown that such a learning tool can greatly improve students' learning abilities and engagement with material if the clickers are used effectively [4][5][6].…”