Teaching+with+Voters

=Teaching with Voters (Student Response Systems)=
 * Facilitate Class Discussion**- Poll students and discuss reasons for their opinions. Engage normally shy students and encourage them to participate them in the discussion.
 * Topics include Generating Discussion, Strategies for Leading Discussion, and Structuring Class Time.


 * Encourage Peer Instruction**- Allow students to share their opinions through discussions and see if they come to the same conclusions about the lecture topics.
 * Topics include Generating Small-Group Discussion and Handling Peer Instruction.


 * Multi-pass Learning**- Quickly revisit material throughout the term to review and reinforce previously learned material to improve retention.


 * Guide Your Lectures**- Poll students and collect immediate feedback about their understanding of the topics of your lecture. Use results to direct your presentation (Agile Teaching).
 * Topics include Agile Teaching, Multi-pass Learning, Running a Lecture, and Gathering Feedback on Teaching.


 * Make Your Classes More Interactive**- Increasingly tech-savvy students expect to use technology in the classroom with a growing focus on interactivity. Use student response systems to engage students in the class. Make your class an active learning experience.
 * Topics include Students and Technology and Explaining the Rationale for Clickers.
 * Collect Data and Assess Students**- Collect data on course content or learning preferences. Use this to alter your future courses or current material. Gather responses from all the students in a class simultaneously. Track participantion and student understanding.
 * Topics include Assessing Learning, Assessment Stages and Objectives,Ideas for Assessment, Participation,Grading, and Cheating.
 * Offer Quizzes and Pre-Exam Reviews**- Save time by using student response systems for quizzes without having to manually grade them. Or use clicker games for pre-exam reviews, which make reviews more fun and effective.
 * Topics include Ideas for Quizzes and Clicker Games.

Determine if Clickers Are Right for Your Teaching Style[[image:Expression2news.jpg width="216" height="193" align="right"]]

 * Is your main reason for using clickers to enhance interactive teaching and learning?
 * Are you willing to have an active classroom environment?
 * Are you willing to shift discussion based on the students’ responses to questions?
 * Are you prepared to devote more class time than usual to questions using the clickers?

**Before Class: Prepare!!!**

 * Develop sound questions ahead of time that are relevant to the topic being presented.
 * Take time to practice with the equipment you will use in class.

**At Beginning**

 * Explain that the benefits and purpose of using the clickers, and inform students of your expectations.
 * Advise students on care of clickers.
 * Have a clear policy in your syllabus on what you consider cheating with clickers and identify the consequences.

**Questioning Techniques and Tips**

 * Use a “Testing-the-System” question.
 * Student Survey Top Three Questions Types: Opinion, Reading Review Questions, and Mid-lecture questions.
 * Incorporate peer instruction activities using the clickers.
 * Base some of your clicker questions on the out of class activities.
 * Incorporate 2-3 clicker questions in each class period.
 * Keep the level of difficulty at an intermediate level.
 * If using the timer on the slide, consider giving students 30 seconds or more to process and respond.

**If Using Clicker Responses for Grades**

 * Use the clickers for a minimal part of the course grade.
 * Do not grade responses during the first week of class.
 * Provide timely feedback to students regarding their grades.

//References:// "Faculty Support: Student Response System Pilot Overview." Online Learning. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec.2010. []

"Rochester Institute of Technology." Audience Response Systems | Turning Technologies. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. []