Asking iClicker Questions "On the Fly"

[Natalie_Dougall]

iClicker gives you the freedom to ask questions whenever and wherever you need. You’re not limited to preset questions-and-answers, and if your lesson demands it, you can ask an iClicker question with no advanced notice. In this month’s blog post, we show you how to ask questions “on the fly” and give you ideas for how to use this feature in class.

Take the “Temperature” of Your Classroom

Not entirely sure what your class is thinking? Perhaps you explained a concept quickly or you are lingering over details. Use an on-the-fly iClicker question to see where students are and what they may need. You can set iClicker to multiple choice and ask them to hit A if they want more detail, or B if they are ready to move on. This quick step also re-engages every student quickly, encouraging self-reflection.

Use iClicker to Make Classroom Decisions

The best laid plans of mice and college professors often go awry. Deadlines need to shift or a new groups need to be formed. Use iClicker when these situations present themselves in class. You can open a word processing document, write out the choices, then use a target question to let students record their choices. Using iClicker ensures every student has a say in their classroom community and not just the more dominant voices. You also get an easy record of what students decided.

End Class with a Minute Paper

Sometimes the last minute of class zooms up without warning. Use iClicker on-the-fly to collect the last precious thoughts you students want to share. Simply set your iClicker poll to short answer and verbally ask students to spend the last minute of class time sharing their ideas in the iClicker student app. You can use the ideas from those Minute Papers when you meet as a class again, jump-starting discussion in an organic way.

Replace Images After Class

When asking questions on-the-fly, you might not have a screenshot ready to share with students. You can ask a question orally, then replace the image of your question after class by going to iClicker.com and logging in as an instructor. Once there, just click on the name of your course, then the polling session you wish to edit.