Creating clicker questions

CREATING GOOD CLICKER QUESTIONS

Peter Newbury Center for Teaching DevelopmentUniversity of California, San Diego

[email protected] @polarisdotca

#ctducsd Cynthia HeinerDepartment of PhysicsFree University of Berlin, Germany

[email protected] and Learning Weekly Workshop, November 8, 201212:00 – 12:50 pm, Center Hall Room 217B

slides available at ctd.ucsd.edu/2012/10/writing-clicker-questions/

Creating good clicker questions

Typical Peer Instruction Episode1. Instructor poses a conceptually-

challengingmultiple-choice question.

2. Students think about question on their own.

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

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

2


In effective peer instruction students teach each other immediately,

while they may still hold or remembertheir 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

3


Effective peer instruction requires1. identifying key concepts,

misconceptions2. creating multiple-choice questions

that require deeper thinking and learning

3. facilitating peer instruction episodes that spark student discussion

4. resolving the misconceptions

beforeclass

duringclass

4


What makes a good clicker question?

clarity Students should waste no effort trying to figure out what’s being asked.

context Is this topic currently being covered in class?

connection to learning goals

Does the question make students do the right thing to demonstrate they grasp the concept.

distractors What do the “wrong” answers tell you about students’ thinking?

difficulty Is the question too trivial? too hard?stimulates thoughtful discussion

Will the question engage the students and spark thoughtful discussions?Is there potential for you to be “agile”?

(Adapted from Chasteen, CU Boulder)5


Clicker question (History)In your opinion, which had the most positive impact on the modern world?

A) coffeeB) teaC) chocolateD) spiceE) sugar

clarity context learning goals distractors difficulty discussion6


Clicker question (intro Astronomy)Which of these are reasons for the seasons?

i. the height of the Sun in the sky during the dayii. Earth’s distance from the Suniii. how many hours the Sun is up each day

A) ii onlyB) iii onlyC) i and iiD) i and iiiE) i, ii and iii



Clicker question (intro Astronomy)How many of these are reasons for the seasons?

the height of the Sun in the sky during the day Earth’s distance from the Sun how many hours the Sun is up each day

A) none of themB) oneC) twoD) all three



Clicker question (Calculus)Evaluate:

A)

B)

(adapted from Bruff)

4

0

32 1 dxxx

23)65(16

9

16C.

)165(9

2 23

9

clarity context learning goals distractors difficulty discussion

3

1022


Clicker question (Calculus)Which of the following is an incorrect step when using the substitution method to evaluate the definite integral

A)

B) (Bruff)

4

0

32 1 dxxx

31 xu

dxxdu 2

3 C. none of the above

4

03

1duu

10


Types of questionsand when to ask them


11


Clickers help students learn...

BEFORE DURING AFTER

setting upinstruction

developingknowledge

assessinglearning

Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen

t h e l e a r n i n g c y c l e

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BEFORE DURING AFTER


developingknowledge

assessinglearning

asse

ss p

rior

know

ledg

e

prov

oke

thin

king

pred

ict

mot

ivat

e

disc

ove

r


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BEFORE DURING AFTER


developingknowledge

assessinglearning

asse

ss p

rior

know

ledg

e

prov

oke

thin

king

pred

ict

mot

ivat

e

disc

ove

rpr

obe

misc

once

ption

synt

hesi

s

exer

cise

skillev

alua

tio

n

analys

i

s

chec

k

know

ledg

e

real w

orld

appl

icat

ion


14


t h e l e a r n i n g c y c l e de

mon

stra

te

succ

ess


BEFORE DURING AFTER


developingknowledge

assessinglearning

asse

ss p

rior

know

ledg

e

prov

oke

thin

king

pred

ict

mot

ivat

e

disc

ove

rpr

obe

misc

once

ption

synt

hesi

s

exer

cise

skillev

alua

tio

nre

view

/

reca

p“b

ig p

ictu

re”

exit

poll

analys

i

s

chec

k

know

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real w

orld

appl

icat

ion


15


Clickers help teachers teach...

BEFORE DURING AFTER


developingknowledge

assessinglearning


16



BEFORE DURING AFTER


developingknowledge

assessinglearning


Do they care about this?

Are they ready for the next topic?

What DO they care about, anyway?

What do they already know?

17


Did they notice key idea X?

Where are they in the activity?


BEFORE DURING AFTER


developingknowledge

assessinglearning


Are they getting it?

Do I need to intervene?

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How did I do?

Did they get it?


BEFORE DURING AFTER


developingknowledge

assessinglearning


Can I move to the next topic?

Did that activity work?

19


Clicker questionA ball is rolling around the inside of a circulartrack. The ballleaves the trackat point P.

Which pathdoes the ballfollow?

P

AB

CD

E

(Mazur)

predict

20


What do you think is mostinteresting about this picture?

A) lunar eclipseB) solar eclipseC) cloud

blocking the Sun

D) sunspotsE) other

Astronomy Picture of the Day 2011 January 5

discover

(Newbury, Richer)21


real-world applicationClicker question

An ice cube is floating in a glass of waterthat is filled entirely to the brim. As the icecube melts, the water level will

A) stay the same, remain at the brim.B) rise, causing the water to spill.C) fall to a level below the brim.D) cannot say without knowing the density

of ice.

predict

22


Clicker questionIf this is the phase of the Moon when it rises:

what is the phase of the Moon 12 hours later?

(Prather)

A B

D

C

E

probe misconception

23


Clicker questionSusan throws a ball straight up into the air. It goes up and then falls back into her hand 2 seconds later.

Draw a graph showing the velocity of the ball from the moment it leaves her hand until she catches it again.

time

velocity

2 sec0

exercise skill

(CWSEI UBC)24


time

velocity

2 sec0

Atime

velocity

2 sec0

B

time

velocity

2 sec0

Ctime

velocity

2 sec0

D

E) some other graph

Which one is the closest match to your graph?exercise skill

(CWSEI UBC)25


Clicker questionJohn is walking to school. This graph shows his position as a function of time. When is John moving with the greatest velocity?

time

position

A B C D E

analysis

(CWSEI UBC)26


Clicker questionWhich of the following is an incorrect step when using the substitution method to evaluate the definite integral

A)

B)

(Bruff)

4

0

32 1 dxxx

31 xu

dxxdu 2

3 C. none of the above

4

03

1duu

evaluation

27


Clicker questionFor 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)

check knowledge

28


Clicker questionIn your opinion, which had the most positive impact on the modern world?

A) coffeeB) teaC) chocolateD) spiceE) sugar

“big picture”

29

(Herbst)


Clicker questionWould you like to learn more about MOOCs next class?

A) yesB) no

exit poll

30

(Newbury)


Clicker question (at driving school)

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Learning outcome: [after this lesson, you will be able to] change lanes from a slower lane into a faster lane. While you’re writing it, think aboutwhat type of question is it? (predict, assess...) when would you present it? (before, during, after)critique your question for



Resourceswww.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/clickers.htm

links to collections of peer instruction questionsctd.ucsd.edu/2012/10/writing-clicker-questions/

CWSEI Eric Mazur(1996)

Derek Bruff(2009)

Doug Duncan(2004, 2005)

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Education

Creating clicker questions