Clickers in the classroom

Wireless clickers have recently been added to classrooms across the nation. These electronic tools provide a way for teachers in large classrooms (such as lecture halls) take attendance, evaluate their students, and get their students involved. Each clicker is equipped with a radio ID, picked up by the teacher's computer. The teacher can poll students, ask them questions, and test them on their knowledge in a multiple choice format. They encourage all students to participate without the fear of being embarrassed. Because all answers are displayed anonymously, students can feel safe sharing their answers. Clickers gather information that can track a student or classes progress, and display needs for improvement.