Adam Lucas and iClickers

iClickers may seem like just another cool techno gadget being marketed to colleges by random companies who want to make a quick buck. Why would I want to take the time to restructure my instruction in order to use them? One professor, who has had no problems getting up and running and has had very positive results with them, is Saint Mary's Assistant Math Professor, Adam Lucas. Professor Lucas received a grant from the Carnegie Foundation to find ways of engaging undergraduates in the topic of Math. He chose to focus his research on iClickers and peer instruction as he believed in the power and effectiveness of this method. iClickers in conjunction with peer instruction have indeed proven to be an incredible tool for developing student confidence and enthusiasm in math instruction. As a result of his research and experimentation with different methodologies, iClickers teamed with peer instruction, have helped tremendously in facilitating the process of learning in the classes of Professor Lucas.

Like many professors at Saint Mary’s College, Adam teaches classes that range in number from five to thirty undergraduates and he has found iClickers to be effective for both small and large classes. Some students in his classes excel in math and others are notoriously confused. In addition to the inevitable gaps in understanding between students in a specific class, there are also students who tend to monopolize class time because they are perceived as “high status students” by others. These are the students who jump up to participate and always seems to have the right answers. And while their energy is great, invariably such students overtake the class and keep the students who are having difficulty from getting the attention and assistance they need to absorb the material, not to mention the times when they are actually off the mark and lead others in the wrong direction.

What to do? How can we reach the students that are afraid to speak up or ask questions for fear of looking bad in front of their classmates? One solution is collaboration. Students who work in groups not only master social skills that will help them to solve problems outside of math class, but also learn to communicate effectively using math vocabulary and language structures that carry over into other subject matter. In addition, the confidence that comes with helping other students may in turn help them become more comfortable with the uncertainty and risk necessary to shift deeply engrained misconceptions or faulty reasoning.

So this is great news, but how can I incorporate iClickers in an effective way in my own class? Well, here’s how Professor Lucas keeps students engaged and interested in the subject matter. First Professor Lucas will ask a series of questions and students answer individually. Then after projecting the results of all student answers on the board in graph form, students are asked to form small groups and justify the answer they chose. Next as a group the students decide on the best answer and vote again. Finally, the correct answer is projected onto the board. Many times answers change after the students work together in small groups. In addition to seeing how strong personalities can effect the answers people choose, students also learn to use the vocabulary of math to explain their answer. Each time they receive a correct answer they receive points ( both as an individual and as a group.). The points really motivate students to work together and find the correct answer. Creating a fun game-like atmosphere has helped many students who would otherwise loose interest or fall behind. The motivation factor is built into the lesson.

iClickers have been around for many years yet they are still not widely used perhaps because of the perceived difficulty in getting up and running with them. Hopefully, as a result of reading this article, we will see more of you willing to take a chance! iClickers are a fun way to reinforce learning and engage students who may otherwise not be able to concentrate and the end results are obvious.