Classroom Polling: About
The classroom polling service, which uses the i>clicker brand, is available to all Cornell instructors and staff in support of instruction. Faculty support staff may submit a request for i>clicker on behalf of the faculty member. Visit the Request Form for Instructional Services or email acadtech@cornell.edu. The site pollinghelp.cit.cornell.edu contains extensive information for faculty, including news, how-tos, tips, answers to frequently asked questions, and a list of known issues.
The i>clicker polling system has been shown to be an effective tool in increasing student engagement, participation and retention of course content. It provides periodic breaks in lecture for the students to focus on a specific item or concept. i>clicker also assists in collaboration and discussion among students, which can also enhance their comprehension of information. This instructional tool is appropriate for any discipline of study and for any class size.
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Watch how one professor uses in-class polling to engage students in meaningful and effective discussions. |
Polling is used in class while presenting course material. Power Point or KeyNote are popular choices, but any method of presenting course content can be used – MS Word documents, PDF documents, web pages, etc.
To collect student responses in class, the instructor poses a multiple-choice question that is projected onto a large screen from the instructor’s computer. Each student uses a “clicker,” a portable, handheld device that allows students to vote by “clicking” the appropriate button for his or her choice: A, B, C, D or E.
An i>clicker receiver base, which is connected to the instructor computer, collects votes sent by students’ clickers. Light and portable, the receiver base is powered through any computer’s USB port. A wireless signal (radio frequency) is sent immediately from each responding clicker to the receiver base. The receiver base, through i>clicker’s easy-to-use software, logs and stores the data of each individual student. The instructor can then display voting results in a graph to the class, including the correct answer, if desired. The results are also available for later analysis, grading, and exporting to any grade book software or course management system, such as Blackboard.
There is no fee for Cornell instructors and staff to use i>clicker for their instruction. Each student is required to purchase an i>clicker remote. The Cornell Book Store sells used and new i>clickers for between $28.00 – $41.00, just like a text book for a course. But unlike a text book, one student remote can be used by that student in multiple courses in a given semester and the same remote can be used in multiple semesters throughout a student’s time at Cornell.
Features
i>clicker offers the following features:
For Students:
- Simple-to-use remote clicker
- Anonymous polling of responses helps encourage honest answers
- Clicker can be used in multiple classes each semester and over multiple semesters
- Clickers can be purchased at the Cornell Campus Store just like a text book
- Online clicker registration system
For Instructors:
- Simple-to-use software
- Anonymous polling of responses helps encourage honest answers
- Software is cross-platform: Macintosh and Windows
- Ability to track individual responses for grading in participation and/or performance
- Instructor’s clicker can be used to manage i>clicker program and Power Point/KeyNote slides
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Would you like to discuss technology options for teaching & learning with a consultant? Visit the Request Form for Instructional Services or email us at acadtech@cornell.edu.
