Are Pen and Paper Quizzes A Thing Of The Past?

The i>clicker, a portable answering device, has made its way into university campus classrooms.

The original i>clicker has buttons A-E, and is used to answer multiple-choice questions. Teachers can format quizzes onto slides, and as each slide is shown, students simply press the appropriate button.

The i>clicker 2 is expected to release in the fall of 2011, with an LCD screen that lets students know whether or not their answers have been received. It also has alphanumeric options that teachers can turn on and off accordingly.

i>clickers encourage classroom collaboration and participation, and they aren’t intimidating. Students who are too shy to answer questions in class can now receive their participation marks by just clicking a button. It also keeps them engaged. At any moment, students can be asked to answer a question using there i>clicker, and those who have dozed off or skipped out early lose marks.

Teachers can use the data from the quizzes to keep track of classroom progress. They can see which areas of study are giving students the most difficulty, and help them accordingly. Also, as soon as the quiz is over, teachers can list off the correct answers so that students can know how they did immediately. This allows students to keep track of their own progress in the class, and they don’t need to wait a week to receive quiz marks. It’s quick and efficient. Also if a teacher wants to take a poll, or even take attendance, they can do so within minutes, regardless of the class size.

What do you think of i>clickers? Do you plan on implementing them?