Part D- Findings and Implications (CEP 812)

For my CEP 812 project I used the CPS clickers that work with my SmartBoard. This is the review that I did at the end of the project. 

Implementation of the Plan-

Using clickers for my WPP project has been a great experience. While not all of the things that I had planned to implement panned out, the overall project was a success.

For this project I had planned to utilize clickers more to help inform my instructional decisions. As I reported earlier in this post, I was able to adequately implement half of my plan.  I had hoped to inform my teaching using both predefined questions and instant questions through the Smart Response software. In the five sessions that I taught during this two-week period, I found that I struggled to utilize the instant questions in an effective manner. They were slow to add on my computer, and I found myself dreading adding them. Because of this, I often chose not to include them in my lessons. I believe that my students missed out on powerful learning experiences because of my inability to add these questions. The predefined questions, however, were implemented successfully. I was able to take responses from the multiple-choice questions that I provided to highlight certain topics that my students were struggling with. In the end, I am fairly certain that this modification to my teaching was beneficial and effective.

Summative Results-

When looking at the results of my classes, I believe that my students were successful. Throughout my religion unit I assessed my second class using the clickers. My first class did not use receive instruction using them. This process slowed down my teaching and made it hard for me to keep both classes on time. When assessing both classes, I did so with a traditional written quiz. Within my course, there are very few assessments that use multiple-choice questions, and I wanted to make this assessment as authentic as possible.  An example of this document can be found here.

When looking at the data, I found that the students in my second class performed slightly better than those in the first (the one without clickers). Each question on the quiz was worth two points. Students received one point for a basic understanding of the question and an additional point for mastery of the question. Most students in both classes did exceptionally well with the first point. However, there were some differences between the students in my classes based upon the second point. Those that were taught using the clickers, seemed to have a deeper understanding of the questions. My first section, which has 29 students, averaged a 15.2 on the quiz. My second section, which has a slightly smaller 24 students, averaged a 16 on the quiz.

There is an obvious correlation between the clickers and the improved quiz results. The question, however, is whether or not there is causation between the two. Based upon my classroom observations, I strongly believe that there is a correlation. The discussions that occurred because of my findings were great, and seemed to lead to better understandings of the topics.

Differences if Implemented Again-

If I were to complete a similar project in the future, I would make sure to put more time into planning each individual step of the process. While I had my questions prepared prior to each lesson, I was unprepared with the struggle that I would have adding instant questions. I am considering bringing in my laptop to use for future lessons. For some reason, it seems to add instant questions much easier and quicker. Also, I would make sure to think about the logistical concerns of a future technological implementation. While it was not overly problematic, it was time consuming at times for my students to initially log in and use the clickers. As the classes went on, however, students had an easier time doing so. The use of technology is ineffective if students cannot adequately use the software or hardware.

Recommendations for Uses of Clickers in the Classroom

• Create logins for each student. Doing so, allowed my students to streamline the process. After the first few classes, students logged in quite quickly.

• Make a concerted effort to add instant questions. While my preplanned questions were helpful, I believe that the instant questions would have been more beneficial. Regardless of the struggle that you may have adding instant questions, DO IT!

• Be willing to alter your instruction! Teaching isn’t helpful if the students struggle to understand what you are talking about! You can always modify your lessons later if time is needed. YOU MUST TEACH FOR UNDERSTANDING!

Future Uses of Technology

If in the future I complete a similar activity, I will make sure to focus on the educational needs of my students. I chose not to implement a portion of my plan because it was slightly inconvenient and because it would take more time out of my plans. I must focus on being more fluid with my instruction. That was the overall goal of this project, and I was in part unsuccessful. No matter the technology, I must be willing to change my instruction to meet the needs of each of my students. Student understanding is the most important thing.