Introduction of i-clickers meets with mixed reviews
Switch from Turning Technologies to i-clicker shows promising results
Tara Bannow
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: Campus News
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Students can now purchase the new handheld i-clicker for $33 at the University Bookstore, said Heather Lee, textbook manager at the bookstore. I-clickers are portable radio-frequency devices used in classrooms and allow students' responses to be gathered and posted instantly.
Previously, the university purchased clickers from Turning Technologies, said Donna Raleigh, an associate for Learning Technology Services. But dissatisfaction among faculty and students and a resolution passed by Student Senate prompted a committee of faculty and staff to meet with four different vendors, she said, adding the result was a switch to the i-clicker.
"We think this choice will be much better," said Raleigh, who apologizes for the change and ensures students that once they buy this clicker, it'll be the only one they'll be supporting on campus.
The i-clicker costs about half the price of the previous clicker sold in the campus bookstore, Raleigh said, adding that the i-clicker runs on AAA batteries, is easy to charge and has a low-battery warning light.
"Using the i-clicker, you can see if students aren't getting it, and you can further the discussion," assistant professor of journalism, Mike Dorsher, said. "It gives me a clue."
One of the first six faculty members to have incorporated i-clickers into their classes, Dorsher said the devices are used for demographic data, lecture assimilation, in-class quizzes, surveys and attendance.
Lee said the university has a three-year commitment with i-clicker, and she expects to see an expansion in the number of professors who will require them.
To find out how his students felt about their i-clickers, Dorsher polled 107 of his students. Sixty percent agreed that the i-clickers keep them more engaged in class and are good for demographic data and attendance. Seventy percent agreed that i-clickers help to see if they're "getting it." Eighty percent agreed that i-clickers are good for in-class quizzes.
However, i-clickers aren't for everybody.
"It wouldn't be that hard to just hand in a paper with the answer," senior Chuck Kania said. "It costs money, and when you're a senior, you're already in debt."
Kania said if he was asked to buy one as a freshman, he would've been less opposed.
On the contrary, senior Eric Rosenquist said, "It's a good way to see if students are paying attention and how well they know the material."
"Oftentimes people are embarrassed to be in the minority," Dorsher said. "Once someone sees that they're in the minority, they're likely to re-examine their position and stop arguing blindly for a position that doesn't have backing."
Senior Sarah Rasmussen, a student in Dorsher's mass media ethics class, agreed.
"The way my class is set up, we only use the i-clickers," said Rasmussen. "It makes life a lot easier because we can just do the homework (reading) and come to class every day. I think it's great."
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