Tech Tips & Question WritingStephanie V. Chasteen

University of Colorado at Boulder

A)Yes, and tried them in classB)Yes, and discussed with colleagues

C)Played with a few ideasD)Tried but got stuckE)I barely had time to sleep

Did you write any clicker questions?

Take a clicker & turn it onIf the green light flashes,

your vote has been counted

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Today’s agenda

• Quick discussion from last week• Technical tips and walk-through• Discussion of clicker questions

• Practice writing and revising clicker questions

• If there’s time… discussion of ways toimplement peer discussion and question wrap-up

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Benefits of clickers

“Anonymous” responsesInstant feedback to teacher and studentsFocuses class on a question and forcesthem to commit to answerCatalyzes discussionMakes your student’s thinking visibleModels reasoning and oral presentation

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Basic use of clickers...

•Only for quizzes or testing•Only occasionally or at set times•To check for basic comprehension

Better use of clickers...

•Frequent and integrated into class•Require or encourage peer discussion•Mix of difficulty•Use results to direct instruction

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Brainstorm

• What are some problems/challenges inusing clickers in the classroom?

• Think - pair - share

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Technical interlude

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The clickerquestion

cycle

1.Learning goals

2.Ask question

3.Peer discussion

4.Vote

5.Whole class discussion

6.Interpret & use results

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Quick video break

• 1:49-3:01

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A note on the “wrong” answers

• Distractors should be tempting• And based on common student

misunderstandings• Don’t forget options like “more than one”

or “none of these”

What does each answer tell you about student thinking?This is important part of *formative* assessment.

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Take a stab…

• On your own, take a few minutes to trywriting a question for a topic you will beteaching this month.

• If you have brought a question, eitherwork on revising it, or try a new approachto that same material.

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E.g. Communications

• You are an editor at the Washington Post, and theUnabomber has demanded that you print hismanifesto or he will continue sending mail bombs.

• As Post editor, which would you value most?• Upholding 1st Amendment independence from gov’t• Increased readership• Maintaining credibility• Possibly help save lives• Informing readers

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E.g. Communications (cont.)

• Followed up with question of who you owe themost loyalty

• Then ask students which ethicist they wouldthus follow:

• John Rawls (print the manifesto)• John Stuart Mills: Greater good for greatest

number (don’t print)• Aristotle: Golden mean (print excerpt and

publish online)

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E.g. Language

• Show students pictures of artwork, etc.• Ask to label certain statements as correct

or incorrect• Can be test of vocabulary, grammar, etc.• Be sure to use student discussion with

true/false questions

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E.g. Language

• Is the following a run-on sentence?• “The sly fox sometimes jumped over the lazy

dog unless it was Thursday.”• A. Yes• B. No.

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E.g. Medicine

• Present case studies• Answer series of clicker questions about

the case• Require student teams to come to

consensus

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E.g. Chemistry

• Demonstration predictions. For example,show that a lightbulb is lit when running acurrent through a weak acid solution.“Will a 100% acid solution make thelight bulb brighter or dimmer?”

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E.g. Psychology

• Play students the “Jaws” theme after abreak.

• Is this an example of classical orinstrumental conditioning?

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E.g. Biology

• Which of the following are alive (can be morethan one)?

• A seed• A leaf on a tree• A leaf that has just fallen• A tree in spring (no leaves)• A tree in summer (lots of leaves)• A tree in fall (leaves not green)• A tree in winter

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E.g. Physical education

• To what position do your hands returnafter throwing an offensive punch?

• Guard• Pyramid• Resting

Recall questions check student understanding;build confidence but not deep learning

Recall

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E.g. Law• Based on the facts of problem 7 in thetextbook, in the lawsuit by the studentagainst Mountain Law School, a courtwill likely find in favor of the:

• Student, if the court finds that the termsof the catalogue are complete, definite,and certain

• Student, since catalogues are usuallyconsidered ads, and ads are always offers

• Law school, since catalogues can neverinclude all the necessary terms to bedeemed definite and complete offers

• Law school, since the student could nothave been expected to be taught all theterms in the catalogue

Application

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E.g. Literature

• Shown a passage from Chaucer, thenasked:

• Do you think Chaucer’s portrait of thePrioress’s “conscience” and charity ismeant to make us:

• Sympathetic toward her love of animals?• Critical of her misplaced priorities?• Aware that women are more tender

hearted than men?

Criticalthinking

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E.g., Medicine• RR is a 22 year old Mexican american

newly diagnosed with type I diabetes. Heweighs 68 kg. He has no insurance andspeaks limited english. What is the bestinsulin regimen to start him on?

• Gliargine 15 units at bedtime• NPH 30 units twice daily• Mixed insulin 70/30, 20 units in the

morning and 10 units at bedtime• Glargine 15 units at bedtime and lispro 5

units with meals• Levemir 15 units twice daily

One bestanswer

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E.g. Environmental Science

• Students watch section of The Day AfterTomorrow. Then are asked

• Global warming could lead to the shutdownof the North Atlantic’s ocean circulationpattern causing global cooling

• Strongly agree• Moderately agree• Moderately disagree• Strongly disagree

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Types of clicker questions

• Brainstorm: What are some differentTYPES of clicker questions? (E.g.,“student opinion poll.”)

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Types of questions

• Student surveys• Review assigned reading• Homework quiz• Recall• Reinforce conceptual understanding• Encourage participation in lecture demos• Help visualization skills• Reinforce problem solving skills• Enter responses from timed test

Formative &summative

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What makes a “good” question?

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Writing questions

Now, take the question you started before.

Work witha buddy

A)Still workingB)Nearly thereC)Done!

ARE YOU DONE? Take a few minutes to

make any revisions, or tryanother approach. Then work with your

neighbor to improve yourquestions.

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Challenges?

• Be patient, it gets easier!

“students learn better when I use (clickers),but I don’t have time because I have to getthrough so much content”

When I think learning is happening is usuallywhen it’s most chaotic.

When the kids behave it [question-orientedlearning] works so well… and whenthey’re naughty it’s soooo frustrating.

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It’s not about our teaching,

it’s about student learning.

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The clickerquestion

cycle

1.Learning goals

2.Ask question

3.Peer discussion

4.Vote

5.Whole class discussion

•Interpret & use results

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Peer discussions

What are the practices that the instructorcan change during peer discussion?

role play &discuss

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Class discussion/wrap-up

What are the practices that the instructorcan change during class discussion?

role play &discuss

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Giving the answer stops student thinking

Do not reveal answer immediatelyGet students to share reasoningUnderstanding why wrong answers arewrong is as important as why the rightanswers are rightValue reasoning above the right answer.(The right answer for the wrong reason isuseless).

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The message:

The answer is NOT asimportant as the strategy for

getting TO the answer

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Common problems & pitfalls

Writing good questionsFacilitating quality student participationConcerns about time to cover curriculum(depth vs. breadth)Technical troubleStudent misbehavior or resistanceClash with teaching style

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Teacher struggles

“students learn better when I use (clickers),but I don’t have time because I have to getthrough so much content”

When I think learning is happening is usuallywhen it’s most chaotic.

When the kids behave it [question-orientedlearning] works so well… and whenthey’re naughty it’s soooo frustrating.

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Tips for success

Be clear (to students and yourself) why you’reusing clickersUse them frequentlyAsk questions at a variety of levels of difficultyEncourage discussion and listen to studentsUse a variety of techniquesStart small

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It’s not about our teaching,

it’s about student learning.

STEMclickers.colorado.edu has videosand resourcesMany handouts and additional resourceson TIE wikiWe are available to do workshops in yourschool

Stephanie.Chasteen@Colorado.EDU

For more information...

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