Of course, clickers are not the pedagogy (in this specific math example), but what do they add?


Description of Teaching Differences 

The contribution of clickers is more on the teach- 
ing side than on the learning side of the educational 
equation. (meaning what?  if the teacher is able to use class time more effectively, and class data more easily, won't the teaching, and therefore the learning, be positively affected?)

For instance, whereas flashcards require  
taking class time to tabulate responses or estimate  
answer distributions, clickers allow instructors to 
automatically get precise real-time student feedback. 
A few other differences can be identified between 
clickers and flashcards such as: the ability to archive 
student responses, the appeal of technology, and insti- 
tutional expense. 


Previous users of clickers in university classrooms have reported 
benefits such as increased rates of attendance and 
decreased rates of attrition.4 However, no data were 
found in this study to support the claim that clickers 
increase conceptual learning or exam performance.