This first tip is from Dr. Roger Freedman. I attended a workshop that Dr. Freedman presented at the University of Delaware in December. He uses clickers in his Physics classes at the University of California, Santa Barbara. One technique he uses frequently is Think, Pair Share. Here's how it works:
THINK
So, the idea here is to ask a question, and allow the students to respond to it using the clickers. You have the option to share the results with the class or not.
PAIR
After they have answered the question, allow the students a few minutes to discuss their choice with another student close by.
SHARE
After the "share" part, have the students respond to the same question. Show the changes (or lack thereof) in the charts.
Why It's Effective
Through this exercise, students get a chance to work through the question, and defend their position.
Experiment With It
Try breaking the class up into small groups after they complete the "think" portion of the question. Have the groups present their final answer to the class, and explain how they came to that conclusion.
You can watch Dr. Freedman's presentation below. There are several great examples of question types, and why there effective.
THINK
So, the idea here is to ask a question, and allow the students to respond to it using the clickers. You have the option to share the results with the class or not.
PAIR
After they have answered the question, allow the students a few minutes to discuss their choice with another student close by.
SHARE
After the "share" part, have the students respond to the same question. Show the changes (or lack thereof) in the charts.
Why It's Effective
Through this exercise, students get a chance to work through the question, and defend their position.
Experiment With It
Try breaking the class up into small groups after they complete the "think" portion of the question. Have the groups present their final answer to the class, and explain how they came to that conclusion.
You can watch Dr. Freedman's presentation below. There are several great examples of question types, and why there effective.
Feel free to comment on this post with ideas for how you can use this technique in your class.
If you have any questions, or would like some help designing an activity like this for your class, email me at bxy8@psu.edu. I would love to help!
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