Instructors Learn Classroom Clicker Tips at Lunch Event April 20

Instructors are invited to learn how to use clickers in their classrooms from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 20 in Room 308 of the Arkansas Union. Instructors should RSVP to clickers@uark.edu by noon April 17 to attend. Lunch will be provided.

Most University of Arkansas students now use student-response technology — either a Turning Technologies clicker device or a ResponseWare application for smart phones, tablets and laptops connected to Wi-Fi. This technology is intended to increase student engagement and lessen the grading workload of instructors. Students use them in multiple courses, including the large lower-level courses in business, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.

More than 82 percent of undergraduate students in spring 2017 had a Turning Technologies (clicker) license, which is an increase from a small group of users six years ago and a seven percent increase over the previous year. Former Provost Sharon Gaber called for a campus-wide clicker standard in 2011 to prevent situations where students might be required to buy multiple devices (clickers) for different classes. Turning Technologies devices are the current standard.

The cost of a clicker device is about $75, which includes a license to use either the clicker or ResponseWare. If an instructor allows the use of ResponseWare instead of the physical clicker, students can choose to purchase just a license for one year at a cost of $30 with a mail-in rebate of $20.99. They also have an option to buy the license alone for 4 years at $54 with the same mail-in rebate.

Students, faculty and staff can get help with clickers and other learning technology throughout the year by contacting the Blackboard Learn Help Desk at 479-575-6804 or bbhelp@uark.edu. The Help Desk is available Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 6 to 11 p.m. Assistance is available in person at Gibson Annex Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.