CTD WEEKLY WORKSHOPS:CLICKERS 3: CLICK IT UP A LEVEL

Peter Newbury Center for Teaching Development,University of California, San Diego

pnewbury@ucsd.edu @polarisdotca

ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd

slides and resources: http://tinyurl.com/CTDClickers3

Thursday, February 7, 201312:30 – 1:30 pm Center Hall, Room 316

Clickers 3: Click it up a level2

student-centered instruction

listening

interacting

engaged

learning

traditional lecture

listening

Clickers 3: Click it up a level3

student-centered instruction

listening

interacting

engaged

learningpeer instruction w clickersworksheetsvideosinteractive demonstrationssurveys of opinionsreading quizzesdiscussions

Clickers 3: Click it up a level

Typical Peer Instruction Episode

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Alternating with 10-15 minute mini-lectures, 1. Instructor poses a conceptually-

challengingmultiple-choice question.

2. Students think about question on their own.

3. Students vote for an answer using clickers, colored/ABCD voting cards,...

4. The instructor reacts, based on the distribution of votes.

Clickers 3: Click it up a level

Effective peer instruction requires

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1. identifying key concepts, misconceptions2. creating multiple-choice questions that

require deeper thinking and learning

3. facilitating peer instruction episodes thatspark student discussion

4. resolving the misconceptions

beforeclass

duringclass

Clickers 2

Clickers 1

Clickers 3: Click it up a level

In effective peer instruction

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students teach each other while theymay still hold or remember their novice misconceptions

students discuss the concepts in theirown language

the instructor finds out what the students know (and don’t know) and reacts

students learn and practice how to think, communicate like experts

Clickers 3

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Reacting to their votesYou don’t know what’s going to happen but you can anticipate and prepare yourself for the likely outcomes.

When you know the first-vote distribution (but they don’t) you have lots of options.

This is where you show your “agility.”

(Image: Peter Newbury)

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Ideally……every 1st (“solo”) vote should be followed by1. “Please turn to your neighbors and

convince them you’re right.”2. peer discussion3. 2nd (“group”) vote4. instructor-led group discussion (“What

did your group talk about?”)5. confirmation/clarification of the correct

answer(s) and incorrect answers

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Let’s try it…

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Ideally……every 1st (“solo”) vote should be followed by1. “Please turn to your neighbors and

convince them you’re right.”2. peer discussion3. 2nd (“group”) vote4. instructor-led group discussion (“What

did your group talk about?”)5. confirmation/clarification of the correct

answer(s) and incorrect answers

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In reality… not every question works out the way

your were expecting (especially the first time)

it’s gets a bit boring, for them and for you

When you’re comfortable with the clicker choreography, click it up a level. Adjust your reaction to wring every ounce of learning out of the teachable moment.

Clickers 3: Click it up a level12

What do you think you should dowith this first-vote distribution?

A) “Turn to your neighbours and convince them you’re right”

B) move on – everyone got itC) confirm correct answer and move onD) “Can someone who answered C tell us

why they made that choice?”E) other

A B C D E

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A) “Turn to your neighbours and convince them you’re right”

B) confirm correct answer and move onC) “Can someone who answered B tell us

why they made that choice?”D) show the vote distributionE) other

What do you think you should dowith this first-vote distribution?

A B C D E

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What do you think you should dowith this first-vote distribution?

A B C D E

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What do you think you should dowith this first-vote distribution?(C is not the correct answer)

A B C D E

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What do you think you shoulddo if this is the second-votedistribution?

A B C D E

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Reacting to their votes

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When you know the first-vote distribution (but they don’t) there are many options. You can confirm and move on ask the students to discuss with their

peers ask students to advocate for the choices

they made check that the question made sense eliminate one or more choices before re-

voting and more...

This is where you show your agility.

Clickers 3: Click it up a level

Resources

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www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/clickers.htmRich resource, including links to collections ofpeer instruction questions

peerinstruction4cs.orgBeth Simon and Cynthia Lee, UCSDExcellent guide to what to do before term, on the first day, how to get student buy-in, and more.

CWSEI Eric Mazur(1996)

Derek Bruff(2009)

Doug Duncan(2004)

Sample Questions

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Clicker questionA thin bar of gold is placed next toa bar of chocolate. Which of thefollowing is true?

A) Both take up the same space and are equally heavy.

B) The chocolate is lighter but both take up the same space.

C) The gold is heavier and takes up less space.

(Sujatha Raghu from Braincandy via LearningCatalytics)

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Clicker questionCopper pennies turn from a rosy pink color to a dark brown and even green over time. The color change: A) happens when copper reacts

with oxygen.B) is from accumulation of dirt

on the pennies.C) happens when the top

sheen wears off and the color underneath shows up.(Question: Sujatha Raghu from Braincandy via

LearningCatalytics)(Image: Penny Floor: Hotel Congress by cobalt123 on flickr

CC)

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Clicker questionWater is boiling in a pot. Whatare the bubbles made up of ? A) Hot airB) Water vaporC) Heat wavesD) Nothing (bubbles are empty)

(Question: Sujatha Raghu from Braincandy via LearningCatalytics)

(Image: Hubble, Bubble by canonsnapper on flickr CC)

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Clicker questionMelt chocolate over low heat. Remove the chocolate from the heat. What will happen to the chocolate?A) It will condense.B) It will evaporate.C) It will freeze.

(Question: Sujatha Raghu from Braincandy via LearningCatalytics)

(Image: CIM9926 by number657 on flickr CC)

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Clicker questionA leopard goes into a deep cavewhere there is no light. After anhour, can it see in the dark?

A) No because there is no light.B) No because its eyes have not had enough

time to adjust.C) Yes because its eyes have adjusted to the

darkness.D) Yes because leopards can see in the dark.(Question: Paul Simeon from Braincandy via

LearningCatalytics)(Image: Villy at the “door” of his cave by Tambako the Jaguar

on flickr CC)

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Clicker question

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For the data set displayed in the following histogram, which would be larger, the mean or the median?

A) meanB) medianC) can’t tell from the given histogram(Peck, mathquest.carroll.edu/resources.html)

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Clicker questionIf you lower a 1.5 kg mass on a string into a 5 kg beaker filled with water, what happens to the reading on the scale?

A) increases to 6.5 kgB) increases to a value < 6.5 kgC) increases to a value > 6.5 kgD) stay the same

(UBC CWSEI)

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(Question: Bill Wood)(Image: Hubble, Bubble by canonsnapper on flickr CC)

Clicker question

The molecules making up the dry mass of wood that forms during the growth of a tree largely come from A) sunlight.B) the air.C) the seed.D) the soil.

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Clicker questionWhich point on the phylogenetic tree represents the closest relative of the frog?

AB

CD

E

(UBC CWSEI)