The pricey clickers now all-to-common in chemistry classrooms at UAF may be hurting students' wallets, but they're a valuable teaching tool, according to the professor behind the gadgets.
"They provide solid objective evidence that I'm not just talking to the stars while I'm up in front of the classroom," said chemistry professor John Keller.
The UAF Chemistry Department started mandating that students obtain a clicker for classes in 2005. At this point it is the only department using clickers at UAF.
Radio frequency clickers are devices used in university classrooms around the nation to receive an electronic response automatically from students in lectures. They provide means for professors to collect information from students during class without wasting time talking individually.
Keller said he can ensure his students are listening and understanding by using the clickers to answer questions he presents. He can then look at the results and see if they need further explanation.
"It's a valuable tool for teachers," Keller said.
The clickers are also used for teaching effectiveness and to evaluate the course and teacher, Keller said.
There is a database with each clicker's serial number that corresponds with a student. The radio frequency receiver goes into a USB port in the professor's computer and results are viewed in PowerPoint on the projector screen. Answers are received and recorded in the database and used for grading.
Clickers are used to take attendance and to quiz students. They provide instant gratification in presenting the answers, which helps question student's understanding.
"It's a very good visual aid to see how you are doing in the class," said chemistry student Bronwyn Harrod.
She said it was useful to know before the test how well she was absorbing and interpreting the information.
Keller initially had 185 students enrolled in Chemistry 105. He said he appreciates the ability to take role and quiz them without spending his lecture time "taking care of business."
The frustration with using the clickers comes from a purchasing standpoint. The UAF Bookstore sells the clickers in a bundled package with the required textbook, which retails for $201.75. Clickers are not sold individually, which means students have to purchase the book from UAF.
"I already had bought the textbook for CHEM 105 and found out I needed a clicker in class, so I had to re-buy the text from the UAF Bookstore," said Ann Kornkven, now an organic chemistry student.
Kornkven said last year she had many frustrations with the new process, but kept the same clicker this year and has nothing else to complain about.
If students lose or break their clickers, they can search around campus for a used one or search the Internet for a new one, which may cost up to $50. Clickers take two round three-volt lithium batteries, which can be purchased from the Chemistry Department for $4 per pair.
Keller also said that clickers provide a motivation to come to class. One-sixth of the final grade is based on participation, which is judged by the clicker's response. Students receive half credit just for attempting problems but get zeros for not clicking in.
With clickers in lectures professors can now give a series of quizzes that act like pretests. These give the instructors a sample of how the students stand before a test. When the actual tests are graded they can compare the two and have before and after samples. Before this would have required too much grading time.
Although other departments at UAF have yet to incorporate the clickers in their class materials, Keller predicted that all departments will soon use them, following the national trend.
