In Dr. Hauke Busch’s physics class, students interact with the class presentation through the aid of “clickers,” or Student Response Systems.
Clickers aid ‘Peer Instruction’ pedagogy Clicking makes learning the principles of physics easier to understand for Georgia College science students. Students use remote control clickers to lock in responses to classroom discussions, quizzes and testing, and to receive instant feedback in Dr. Hauke Busch’s introductory physics course. “Clickers give real-time assessment,” said Busch, assistant professor and physics lab coordinator in the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy. “The moment students punch in their answers to multiple choice quizzes and numerical choices for tests, the information is graded immediately. With this method I also can direct and adjust my lectures to correct any misunderstanding of the material.” Clickers, also known as Student Response Systems or Classroom Response Systems, aid students in answering questions during a custom-designed PowerPoint presentation. “These devices fit in well with our method of teaching called Peer Instruction, which involves students actively engaging in their own learning during lectures,” said Busch, who has used clickers for nearly
two years at Georgia College. “The clickers promote alertness and engage students. Also, this technology increases students’ retention and knowledge of new material.” In fact, Dr. Carl Wieman, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and associate director for science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, conducted a recent study that shows students learn more with interactive tools like clickers than through traditional lectures. His study was published in the journal, Science. Georgia College senior Stephen Higgins finds clickers allow students more opportunities to participate in classroom discussions. “You’re able to interact with the professor and your classmates without being put on the spot,” said the physics major and first-time clicker user. “Clickers allow us to give our answers fast and with anonymity.” “Clickers are flexible,” Busch said, “It’s a tool most professors and students can use to make teaching more engaging and to keep students interested in the course material.”
GEORGIA COLLEGE | ENGAGED LEARNING • 13