Millennials Perception of Using Clicker to Support an Active Classroom Environment: An Early Adoption Perspective

John Patrick Hogan; Dan Cernusca

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Conference: 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: June 10, 2012
Start Date: June 10, 2012
End Date: June 13, 2012
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Social Media and In-class Technology: Creating Active Learning Environments
Tagged Division: Computers in Education
Page Count: 21
Page Numbers: 25.937.1 - 25.937.21
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--21694
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/21694
Download Count: 578

Paper Authors

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John Patrick Hogan Missouri University of Science & Technology

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John P. Hogan is an Associate Professor of geology in the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in geology in 1990 and 1984 from Virginia Tech. He also holds a B.S. in geology from the University of New Hampshire. His research interests include igneous petrology, structural geology, and tectonics. He has active projects in Maine, Oklahoma, Missouri, Egypt, and southern Africa. He is also interested in enhancing student learning through integration of technology with active learning strategies.

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Dan Cernusca Missouri University of Science & Technology

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Dan Cernusca is Instructional Design Specialist in the Department of Global Learning at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He received his Ph.D. degree in information science and learning technologies in 2007 from the University of Missouri, Columbia. His research interests include design-based research in technology-enabled learning contexts, technology-mediated problem solving, assessment in technology-rich learning environments, applications of dynamic modeling for learning of complex topics, and the impact of epistemic beliefs on learning with technology.

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Abstract

A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF MILLENIALS’ PERCETION OF USING CLICKERS TO SUPPORT AN ACTIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AbstractThis paper presents a reflective perspective of a six year longitudinal study of students’perception associated with the introduction of personal response systems, aka “clickers”, from itsinitial stage to date. Clickers address the Millennia’s need for instant gratification and activeengagement as an integral component of their learning experience. We discuss temporal changesin the instructor’s and students’ views associated with adoption of this classroom technology.Introduction to Structural Geology is a 4 credit required course for Geology and Geophysics,Geological Engineers, Mining Engineers, and Petroleum Engineers. A few Civil Engineers takethe course as an elective. The course is designed to encourage discussion and collaborationacross what students view as “disparate majors” to build an appreciation and respect for thedifferent disciplines. One of the goals for the course is to prepare students for careers in whichcollaboration on multidisciplinary teams is highly valued. Some of the challenges include anenrollment that has more than doubled in size to over 170 students (typical structural geologycourses are ~20 or so students), a culture on campus that favors lecture over discussion, and astudent body that views required non-engineering courses unfavorably. In 2006 the instructorintroduced clickers, a relatively new technology on the campus, as a means of increasing studentengagement during lecture. The goal of using clickers was from the beginning that of initiatingand stimulating classroom discussions as part of an overall attempt to introduce active learningstrategies. The paper will describe both the temporal evolution of the structure of variouscategories of clicker questions used in this process as well as the grading strategy used for clickerquestions during the last six years.To measure the impact of this strategy on students’ learning experience, an end of the semestersurvey was administered using clickers. To reduce students’ answer biases the survey wasadministered by a graduate student and the recording of students’ answers was anonymous. Themajor categories of issues covered in the survey included: the easiness of using clickers, theimpact on students’ preparedness, impact on active learning strategies, role of clickers on self-assessment, and classroom motivation. A one-way ANOVA analysis followed by a post-hocanalysis indicated statistically significant differences between the first two years ofimplementation and the last three ones for most of the above-mentioned categories. The resultsof this longitudinal analysis, along with instructors’ reflections on both the implementationstrategies and potential factors that informed the changes in these strategies provides a valuabledesign precedent for instructors and instructional designers engaged in the introduction of newtechnologies at the course and organizational level.

Citation
Format

Hogan, J. P., & Cernusca, D. (2012, June), Millennials Perception of Using Clicker to Support an Active Classroom Environment: An Early Adoption Perspective Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--21694

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -                A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF MILLENIALS’             PERCETION OF USING CLICKERS TO SUPPORT AN                   ACTIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT                                             AbstractThis paper presents a reflective perspective of a six year longitudinal study of students’perception associated with the introduction of personal response systems, aka “clickers”, from itsinitial stage to date. Clickers address the Millennia’s need for instant gratification and activeengagement as an integral component of their learning experience. We discuss temporal changesin the instructor’s and students’ views associated with adoption of this classroom technology.Introduction to Structural Geology is a 4 credit required course for Geology and Geophysics,Geological Engineers, Mining Engineers, and Petroleum Engineers. A few Civil Engineers takethe course as an elective. The course is designed to encourage discussion and collaborationacross what students view as “disparate majors” to build an appreciation and respect for thedifferent disciplines. One of the goals for the course is to prepare students for careers in whichcollaboration on multidisciplinary teams is highly valued. Some of the challenges include anenrollment that has more than doubled in size to over 170 students (typical structural geologycourses are ~20 or so students), a culture on campus that favors lecture over discussion, and astudent body that views required non-engineering courses unfavorably. In 2006 the instructorintroduced clickers, a relatively new technology on the campus, as a means of increasing studentengagement during lecture. The goal of using clickers was from the beginning that of initiatingand stimulating classroom discussions as part of an overall attempt to introduce active learningstrategies. The paper will describe both the temporal evolution of the structure of variouscategories of clicker questions used in this process as well as the grading strategy used for clickerquestions during the last six years.To measure the impact of this strategy on students’ learning experience, an end of the semestersurvey was administered using clickers. To reduce students’ answer biases the survey wasadministered by a graduate student and the recording of students’ answers was anonymous. Themajor categories of issues covered in the survey included: the easiness of using clickers, theimpact on students’ preparedness, impact on active learning strategies, role of clickers on self-assessment, and classroom motivation. A one-way ANOVA analysis followed by a post-hocanalysis indicated statistically significant differences between the first two years ofimplementation and the last three ones for most of the above-mentioned categories. The resultsof this longitudinal analysis, along with instructors’ reflections on both the implementationstrategies and potential factors that informed the changes in these strategies provides a valuabledesign precedent for instructors and instructional designers engaged in the introduction of newtechnologies at the course and organizational level.
AU  - John Patrick Hogan
AU  - Dan Cernusca
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Millennials Perception of Using Clicker to Support an Active Classroom Environment: An Early Adoption Perspective
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/21694
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--21694
ER  -