CUClickers / iClickers - FAQ

We have tutorials for both instructors and students:

• Set up iClicker Cloud for instructors
• Set up your iClicker student account tutorial

If you didn't register your clicker during account creation (see Set up your iClicker student account), then refer to our Add an iClicker remote ID to a student account tutorial.

Follow the instructions on our UCB Wireless page to troubleshoot your Wi-Fi connection.

Note: After you click Continue to log in, wait for the confirmation page to load before you close it.

If you still need help, please contact oithelp@colorado.edu.

First, turn off Wi-Fi on your device, count to 10, and then turn Wi-Fi back on.

If you still can't access the web:

1. Open your network settings.
2. Find UCB Guest and UCB Wireless and "forget" them both.
3. Select UCB Wireless from your available wireless networks.
4. Open a web browser and, if not automatically redirected, go to https://neverssl.com/online/.
5. Agree to the Acceptable Use Policy.
6. Register using your IdentiKey and password.
7. Wait for the confirmation page to load before you close it.

Still having trouble? Set up an appointment with the Buff Techs.

First, make sure your mobile device's location services are enabled for the iClicker app.

Next, turn off Wi-Fi on your device, count to 10, and then turn Wi-Fi back on.

If you still can't join, refer to iClicker's attendance geolocation tips:

• Web browser geolocation tips
• iOS geolocation tips
• Android geolocation tips

If you still need help, please contact oithelp@colorado.edu.

You need to set the iClicker remote frequency. View our Set remote frequency tutorial.

If you still need help, please contact oithelp@colorado.edu.

If you've already set up Roster and Grade Sync and integrated your class with Canvas, then the student probably created their iClicker student account or registered for your class after you last synced the roster.

Resyncing the roster should take less than a minute, so you can do it during class. Simply log in to iClicker Cloud, select your class, go to the People tab, and then click Sync Roster.

Once the sync completes, you'll be able to see which students still need to set up an iClicker student account.

If you haven't set up Roster and Grade Sync yet, contact oithelp@colorado.edu to set up a consultation outside of class.

If all of your students are having the same issue, then you probably need to set up your clicker base. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to iClicker Cloud.
2. Go to Settings, then Devices.
3. Set your frequency code to match the sign on the classroom's wall or our room frequency assignments list.
4. Confirm that the base's USB cable is plugged in to your laptop.
5. Start your iClicker class session (see the iCloud course tutorial).

If you still need help, please contact oithelp@colorado.edu.

According to EDUCAUSE's 7 Things You Should Know About Clickers, "The system allows for active participation by all students and provides immediate feedback to the instructor—and the students—about any confusion or misunderstandings of the material being presented."

There are many pedagogical uses for a student response system. Occasionally, OIT sponsors training sessions that cover classroom use. 

Check out the first day of class slides for iClicker Cloud to assist students getting started with iClicker, as well as the instructor resources page, which has documents provided by CU Boulder faculty.

A faculty committee evaluated several clicker systems and found iClicker to be the system of choice. A subsequent online forum also indicated that iClicker is favored by the majority of those who participated in the discussion. Based on this input, the campus chose to build CUClickers around the iClicker system.

The iClicker student app and iClicker Cloud were selected based on their compatibility with the iClicker remotes and bases already in use on campus.

Receivers can be found in the media cabinet of most classrooms across campus. View the list of classrooms with receivers.

If your room does not have a receiver, you may request an instructor kit from the IT Service Center.

CUClickers is the name of the OIT service that utilizes the iClicker system. While iClicker is certainly at the center of the service, CUClickers includes centralized support, faculty training, integration with CUConnect, and other features.

iClicker Cloud is the software faculty use to poll students and manage clicker grades. The iClicker student app is the software students can use to review clicker questions and their answers, as well as to vote when in a remote learning environment.

Instructors and students can purchase iClicker remotes at the CU Book Store. A limited number of iClickers are also available for checkout from the technology desk at Norlin Commons.

Students need to register remotes in iClicker. See our Add an iClicker remote ID to a student account tutorial.

First, communicate in multiple ways that your students will be required to use the iClicker student app. Try using Canvas Announcements, email and assignment descriptions to make your expectations clear to students.

Second, practice using clickers in class to ensure that everyone's clicker and/or student app is working correctly, and that students understand how to use them.

For additional guidance, refer students to our CUClickers student resources.

Currently, the cost of the iClicker student app is covered as a university common-good service.

You can use iClicker on your mobile device whenever your instructor permits it.

Yes.

Connect the iClicker receiver to your computer with the included USB cable. The receiver should immediately power itself on. (Note: The receiver draws power from the computer's USB port. Please make sure the computer has sufficient battery power or is plugged in.)

The computer would typically be connected to a data projector to allow students to see questions and responses. However, the system functions without this connection.

The iClicker remote takes two AAA batteries. To remove the battery cover, push down the small tab next to the battery compartment.

Use tweezers to readjust the spring.

Once you remove your iClicker from its packaging, you will need to pull the tab on the back to activate the batteries.

On the front of your clicker, you will see six options: A, B, C, D, E and On/Off. 

Use the On/Off button to turn the clicker on (indicated by a solid green light near the top of your clicker) or off (indicated by the light going dark).

Students need to create an iClicker account and link their clicker to that account. Students can use the iClicker student app on their mobile device or computer, and in the classroom students can use an iClicker remote.

Download iClicker Cloud.

iClicker functions on current Windows and Macintosh computers.

By default, once a session is started, the iClicker software is visible as a very small toolbar in the upper-left corner of the screen. The small size is intended to allow the toolbar to appear in front of other presentation materials, such as PowerPoint slides, without getting in the way. You can use the small toolbar to bring up other pop-up displays, such as a chart of current results, which will take up more space.

You can't. The iClicker program only controls the reader and collects student responses. It doesn't have a way to present questions or polls. Since the main iClicker window is just a small toolbar, though, it's designed to be used with another presentation method, such as PowerPoint.

As one of our emeritus instructors (Doug Duncan) said, "Even in a class of five, students can hide." Thus, we consider the general pedagogical technique – asking students to discuss challenging questions with one another – to be valuable in any class size.

Additionally, research by Angel Hoekstra at CU Boulder showed that the largest impact of the use of clickers is in the whole-class discussion following the individual voting. This discussion can be a part of a class of any size. In an extremely small class, the clicker technology may be redundant. However, in classes of at least 25–30 students, we find that the addition of clicker technology can be a valuable way to allow students to check their understanding and break up a lecture.

Doug Duncan (CU Boulder) said: "In my science seminar class of 10 students they didn't speak out as much as they should have, because they overestimated what they knew. If one student did something on the whiteboard, they often thought, 'Yes, that's what I would have answered.' But on an exam, they weren't as good as they thought. For that class, I adopted "clicker methods" without the clickers. That is, I often asked questions, had everyone write the answer on paper, exchange the papers and critique each other, then have class discussion. Exam scores went up 15%."

Adapted from iClicker discussion forums.

We had several examples of instructors who began using clickers in large introductory courses and then tried them in smaller upper-level and even graduate courses. They were very enthusiastic about the results, and students in upper-level clicker courses strongly supported this use on our surveys.

Additionally, a growing number of studies on instruction in the upper division indicate that the effective use of clickers create learning gains for students in those courses. Even in the more intimate settings of an upper-division course, students can still have trouble speaking up. Clickers can be used to help students identify where they are struggling, and show students that they are not alone in these difficulties. Clickers can also help elicit discussion points that don't come out as easily without the support of clickers, and can give the instructor insight as to where the students are struggling in the class – which can sometimes lead to surprises!

Of course, students are more sophisticated learners at the upper division, but clickers can be used to address particularly complex ideas that it would be difficult for students to learn on their own from the book.

Adapted from the Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching (PDF) by the CU Science Education Initiative and the UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative.

Reflecting on research that has been done on clickers in the introductory classes, the research consensus seems to be that students really like clickers when they are being used as a learning tool. They don't like clickers if they think they are just being used for attendance or for testing. 

Explaining to students why you are using clickers and how it will help their learning, and focusing on using them as a tool to increase active learning and student–student discussion, will almost certainly lead to student enjoyment of clickers.

Adapted from iClicker discussion forums response by Kathy Perkins.

It is important to discuss the answers to the question at the end of the process. Even if most of the students got the answer right, a quick discussion of why the right answer is right and why the wrong answers are wrong is valuable to help clarify the reasoning behind the question and clear up lingering misconceptions.

We recommend waiting to show the histogram of student responses until after class discussion. If there is a clear majority vote, then showing the histogram too early could lead students to think that they know the answer, and thus be less willing to engage in discussion.

We find that asking several students to share their reasoning about each answer choice helps to bring common ideas to the table so they can be discussed as a class. A helpful wording that we use to make this less intimidating is to ask students to explain the reasoning behind different answers, even if they didn't vote for that answer: "Even if you didn't vote for A, why might someone have chosen A? What is tempting about A?" 

If students start explaining why they think a different answer is correct, halt their explanation – you want to hear the reasoning behind the other answer, even if they don't believe it. This emphasizes the importance of reasoning in the questions.

A focus on reasoning can also make the peer discussions (before the whole-class discussion) more productive, since students know that they will be called on to share their reasons.

A good signal that students are finishing their discussions is when the voting gets up towards 75% of the class. We recommend having an established signal for when discussion needs to end, such as a gong tone, whistle or switching off the lights.

Adapted from the Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching (PDF) by the CU Science Education Initiative and the UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative.

Achieving good discussion between students is often the hardest but most important part of maximizing the benefit of clickers. This is a change in the culture of the class, so you should not expect it to happen automatically. Instead, actively encourage it, and explain and model scientific discourse for them.

First, help students buy in to the importance of discussion by making it clear that you are using this technique to help them learn the material. After all, discussing questions with one's neighbors takes extra work on the part of the student, and so it needs to be clear that it is worth their while. 

Instructors can promote this by explicitly informing students of what they expect and why the interactive/discussion approach helps students learn. This should be done repeatedly during the term as opposed to just at the beginning. For an example speech you might give to students, watch "Explaining to your students why you're using clickers" (timestamp: 1:21).

Also, on the first day and a couple of subsequent days, encourage the students to learn the names and shake hands with everyone around them (in front and behind included). Also giving the students permission to ask names they've forgotten can be surprisingly helpful. We may not be able to learn the names of the whole class, but students appreciate knowing someone knows their name.

Find ways to remove the social barriers to discussing content with one's neighbors. Some instructors make it clear that if they don't see students actively discussing, then they will be asked first to share their reasoning with the class. Thus, reluctant students have an excuse to talk with their neighbors ("Hey man, guess we better talk so we don't get called on.").

Students also need to know that the results of their discussions will be used later. We recommend that you also tell students that you'll be asking them to share their reasoning about the answer so they should discuss it, and then have them share their reasoning at least some of the time in the follow-up whole class discussion. Students need to feel that the classroom is a safe place to discuss questions, and everyone can potentially be wrong without consequences.

Some techniques for directly encouraging discussion are to require groups to submit consensus votes on a question. Calling on students to ask them what reason their group gave for why an answer is correct or incorrect can also help. Students find it less threatening to offer the reasoning for an answer if the answer is seen as coming from the group rather than them, individually. If possible, it's good to also require students to give reasons for answers on homework and exam answers.

Adapted from the Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching (PDF) by the CU Science Education Initiative and the UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative.

If the issue(s) can't be resolved quickly using the Basic Troubleshooting tips at the top of this page, reassure students that technical problems in no way impact any grading scheme you have implemented. Then pose the question anyway and have discussions as originally planned, and ask for the show-of-hands approach to answering. Results can be tallied (even if roughly) on paper, the blackboard or an overhead projector.

Adapted from the Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching (PDF) by the CU Science Education Initiative and the UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative.

First, it is important to use questions that target key, important ideas in the course. Often, students will walk out the door with a firmer grasp of the material in the clicker questions than of other material – so the clicker questions should be focused on the most important ideas, rather than peripheral topics. Additionally, the clicker questions frame for students what you feel is important in the course, and will often guide what they think is important to study for the exam.

It is important to use questions of a mixture of difficulty. Students will learn the most from challenging questions, maximizing the benefit of the time spent on them. However, we also find that students benefit from review of basic concepts, and their confidence is improved when they see that they are successful at answering some questions.

One challenge is to write tempting distractors – the "wrong" answer choices. If a student can easily pick out the right answer among the choices, the question will generate less discussion and be less useful in student learning. Good distractors can often be found by looking over student responses to open-ended questions, such as on homework or exams. Some instructors might give a question as an open-ended question to the class first, and generate distractors from student responses. Research literature on common student misconceptions is also a helpful place to start.

While clear wording on a question is important, sometimes deliberately ambiguous questions with more than one right answer can be useful in generating rich discussion. A "bad" question can illustrate that the correct answer depends on the assumptions not presented explicitly in the question, for example.

It's always easier to start with someone else's questions – whether you use them verbatim, or modify them for your purposes. So chat with other instructors or look for good questions on the web.

Most instructors find that between three and six questions in a 50-minute class period works well. This matches with studies on student preferences. These should be distributed throughout the lecture rather than all clumped at beginning or end.

In general, students' attention often starts waning after about 10 minutes of straight lecturing, so a good rule of thumb is to ask a clicker question every 10 minutes.

Avoid going too far the other way – all clicker questions, all the time is not necessarily better (and in our experience has resulted in lower learning gains and poor student evaluations). If one is using other active learning techniques in a lecture period, the number of clicker questions will likely be lower. 

For a review before an exam, it can often be more effective to fill the lecture period with many clicker questions rather than using other types of review.

Adapted from the Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching (PDF) by the CU Science Education Initiative and the UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative.

This depends greatly on the type and difficulty of the question. In most cases, it takes students between 30 seconds and a minute to process a question and be ready to answer individually or discuss. It then takes a few (1–4) minutes for productive discussion.

The level of student discussion and the number of votes submitted is a good guide as to when to move on. When ~3/4 of the students have responded, it is often a good time to tell them to wrap up, then sound a warning gong, count down out loud, or turn lights out to indicate that discussion should stop and students should "click in." 

Instructors who decide when to end the polling based on the discussion around them often wait too long. Nearby, discussion will continue to focus on the question simply due to the instructor's proximity; meanwhile, in the rest of the room, discussion has often moved on to non-class-related topics, making it harder to pull students back to class material.

It is useful to poll the class after several weeks to see if they feel you are giving them too little or too much time. Using the countdown timer available with most clicker system software is usually distracting to students and instructors, and can limit discussion. It is better to set the timer to the maximum countdown duration or use count-up mode and stop the timer manually when you think it appropriate.

Adapted from the Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching (PDF) by the CU Science Education Initiative and the UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative.

Most instructors make clicker questions a portion of the total course grade. Between a few % and 15% is common, although some advocate for using them as extra credit only, such that clicker points can help count against poor exam scores, up to a few % of the grade.

The important consideration is to make sure that students do not feel that clicker question grading is "high stakes," as any stress about getting the right answer tends to shut down discussion so that it's less productive.

The two most common grading schemes used are giving equal credit for correct and incorrect responses (participation only), and giving greater credit for correct than incorrect responses. Another approach is to give only participation credit most of the time, but occasionally grade individual questions for correct responses.

Giving credit for correct responses only is not recommended, as it distorts the discussion and student response strategies in undesirable directions and limits the type of questions that can be asked. For example, you cannot ask questions with multiple justifiable answers; yet such questions can generate the most educationally productive discussions.

Similarly, not having clicker questions count for any credit is not recommended. This sends the message that questions and answers are not important, and students will not take them seriously.

Although student responses will vary, our observations suggest the specific grading policies do not make very much difference to students as long as one avoids the extremes that result in undesirable outcomes listed above. As long as there are consistent implicit messages from the instructor that the questions matter, students seem to take the questions reasonably seriously.

Regardless of grading scheme, some clicker questions should not be graded for the "correct" response, but are very useful in promoting discussion, student learning, and instructor and student feedback. Examples of such questions are those with more than one potentially correct response, and those intended to elicit student misconceptions or students' prior knowledge. 

We also highly recommend that whatever grading policy is used, a certain number (2–3) of "free" days are allowed. These are days for which the student will get credit even if there are no clicker responses recorded for them. This greatly reduces the time student and instructor need to spend dealing with complaints/excuses about clickers not working or being forgotten, missing class due to any number of catastrophic events beyond students' control, etc. An alternative that is similar in concept is to set a certain percentage of questions students need to answer (e.g., 80 or 90%) and, once above that threshold, they receive "maximum clicker credit."

We have also seen that when clickers count for more than 15% of the grade, the amount of time spent dealing with student concerns about being sure they receive credit for clicker responses can get annoying.

Finally, at the beginning of the course, we recommend that you very clearly announce that use of another person's clicker, or allowing someone else to use your clicker, is considered cheating, and is subject to the same policies as turning in illicit written work.

Adapted from the Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching (PDF) by the CU Science Education Initiative and the UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative.

There are varying opinions about this and no data that indicates one way or another. However, one study shows that when people have an answer explained to them after thinking hard about how to answer the question, they learn a large amount from the explanation. On the basis of that research, our inclination is to post the answers.

Adapted from the Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching (PDF) by the CU Science Education Initiative and the UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative.