Engaging Questions for Clickers

Clicker Question Types for Deeper Learning

  • Student Perspective Question – Connect course material to their own lives.
  • Select Best Answer Questions – May have no right answer, may have multiple right answers, may combine with consensus type activities (see below).
  • Misconception Questions – Present a common misconception or error as an option in the possible answers. Real-time results are helpful and can be used to discuss the misconception.
  • Prior Learning Questions – Use to determine prior learning or experiences.
  • Complex Thinking Questions – Usually with two or three answers (i.e True False, A, B, or C), but students have two options for each (high confidence A, low confidence A, high confidence B, low confidence B, etc.). Use to discuss reasons for confidence in a particular answer.

Clicker Activities

  • Basic Group Work – Students work as a group and submit one clicker response.
  • Consensus/Peer Instruction – Students first answer individually, then pair up with a classmate to discuss and submit the answer again. You can then either form groups or go straight to a full class discussion. The idea is to eventually move towards the entire class agreeing to a single answer using peer instruction.
  • Peer Assessment – Anonymous class evaluation or feedback on presentations, group answers, etc.
  • Thought Questions – Groups presented with a question, one group chosen to give answer (either through open ended clicker question or verbally). Remaining class uses clicker to indicate if they agree. If not, then another group has a chance to present their answer and the process is repeated.
  • Debates – Can be formal or informal, using clickers to poll the class on their opinion on a topic or their agreement with the current speaker.