Clickers in K12 Settings
Marty Williams recently asked in a comment here about resources for teachers in K12 settings interested in using clickers. I am asked this question from time to time, and my usual response is that since I’ve focused my efforts at the college and university level, I’m not as familiar with K12 clicker use. I suspect that much of good clicker question design and good clicker pedagogy at the college level translate well to high school settings, if not all K12 settings. I would be glad to hear feedback from K12 teachers on the ideas in my book to see if I’m right about that.
One connection point between college settings and K12 settings is the education of pre-service teachers. Clicker use in courses for undergraduate education majors have two potential benefits. One is that clickers can enhance the learning experience for these students in both education courses and in subject courses–math, chemistry, literature, and so on. (Here’s an example.) Another is that as clicker use becomes more common in K12 settings, future teachers will benefit from knowing how to use clickers effectively. I would be interested in hearing from those who prepare future teachers how they have used clickers in these ways.
Given the interest in resources for using clickers in K12 settings, I thought I would share the few resources with which I’m familiar, while encouraging readers to add to this list in the comments below.
Teacher Learning of Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment is an NSF-sponsored project headed by Ian Beatty and William Leonard of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro studies “how secondary science and mathematics teachers learn to use [clickers] to implement a specific pedagogical approach called Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment (TEFA).” I interviewed Ian for my podcast last year, and in the interview he talked about some of the lessons he learned through the project regarding professional development around clickers. He’s also co-authored a paper on the project:
Beatty, I. D. & Gerace, W. J. (2009). Technology-enhanced formative assessment: A research-based pedagogy for teaching science with classroom response technology. Journal of Science Education & Technology.
Another reference of potential use is this 2007 literature review of classroom response systems in elementary and secondary education:
Penuel, W. R., Boscardin, C. K., Masyn, K., & Crawford, V. M. (2007). Teaching with student response systems in elementary and secondary education settings: A survey study. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 55(4).
Also, in a comment here on this blog, Jeff Stowell pointed out that some classroom response system vendors make available clicker questions aligned with state standards. He linked to question banks from Turning Technologies and eInstruction.
Now I turn it over to you. What resources for using clickers in K12 settings have you found? Please share in the comments. I know that there are several K12 teachers who read this blog who would be interested in what you have to share.