Southern Miss Clicks in Class with i>clicker

After careful study and research, The University of Southern Mississippi has decided on a standard classroom response system. Often referred to as “clickers,” classroom response systems function to electronically record student answers to questions posed by faculty.

Clickers will provide the students with an interactive technology solution to become more engaged in classroom lectures. It will also allow faculty to enhance their learning atmosphere and teaching styles with interactive ways to connect with students in the classroom.

 “It is our vision for Southern Miss to stay on the cutting edge of technology for the advancement of our education atmosphere for students,” said Dr. Robert Lyman, provost at The University of Southern Mississippi. The overall goal in the classroom is to provide a high level of expectation for students and faculty to stay focused and interact easily with the simplicity and convenience of i>clickers, which will add more energy to the classroom and spur discussions.

The university was committed to adopting one, campus-supported system so students would not have to purchase more than one i>clicker technology. The same i>clicker can be used in any class at Southern Miss using this technology. This will provide an affordable solution for students to utilize their i>clickers in multiple classes over their course of study. Additionally, having just one system on campus simplifies technical support and eliminates conflicting software on a classroom computer.  i>clicker will be supported by iTech’s equipment services. For technical assistance, contact equipment services at Equipment.Services@usm.edu.

“First and foremost, the technology is extremely easy to use, for the instructor and the student,” said Valerie C. Simmons, instructor in the School of Accountancy at Southern Miss. Some of the ways that Simmons used i>clickers was to initiate discussion, reinforce concepts and test students' knowledge of the subject matter. “The i>clicker is very helpful in that it verifies for the instructor and the student whether or not the students are comprehending the material. It is a great way to enhance student participation and encourage class attendance, as well,” said Simmons.

Simmons also stated that the student response has been overwhelmingly positive:  

“I e-mailed the students that were in the classes with i>clickers at the end of the first semester that I utilized the technology in the classroom. I have a lot of quotes from students if you would like them. Here are a few: ‘I thought the i>clickers were a great way to get everyone involved in class. It really helped me pay attention and learn;’ ‘It kept people involved and paying attention, as well as enforce the material;’ ‘It made me not want to miss class;’ ‘It gave us automatic feedback if we were working the problems in class correctly;’ and ‘It added an overall more fun atmosphere to the class, which made the learning environment better.’” 

i>clickers will be available for purchase by students through the Bookstore. Faculty must specify that students in their course are required to purchase an i>clicker using the same procedure used for text books. The bookstore will buy back used clickers just as they do with textbooks.

i>clicker representatives will be on campus Oct. 28-29 for multiple demonstrations and training sessions. Faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up for these sessions at www.usm.edu/lec/workshops/ . For questions on these sessions, please contact iTech Business Analyst Matt Burton at 601.266.-6864 or Matthew.Burton@usm.edu. Ongoing training for faculty and staff will be provided on site once per semester by i>clicker. Daily demonstrations are available through their Web site at http://www.iclicker.com.

About i>clicker:

i>clicker is one of the most widely used classroom response systems in higher education, adopted at more than 700 educational institutions in North America and used by almost 1 million students. Invented in 2003 by four University of Illinois professors, i>clicker’s current design was made available for adoption in 2006 and continues to be recognized for its superior reliability, intuitive software, and focus on formative assessment and pedagogy. Together with a team of faculty advisors and reviewers, Inventors Tim Stelzer and Mats Selen continue to play lead roles in product development – with a focus on ease-of-use and pedagogical research. i>clicker is a division of Macmillan, a global publishing company with a long history in education. For more information, visit www.iclicker.com.