Features
Response systems, also known as “Clickers,” allow an instructor to query students in a classroom and test comprehension of lecture concepts. The use of clickers can provide several advantages to both the instructor and students. The instructor can adjust their lecture on the spot to best match student learning, and students can answer posted questions anonymously and not have to risk appearing incorrect in front of their peers. The use of clickers may also help students focus on lecture content by engaging them in a two-way interaction as opposed to the one-way format of a traditional lecture. Results of a query are available immediately to the instructor and can be optionally shared with the entire class via the projector.
iClicker Cloud vs. iClicker Classic
For most instructors, we recommend iClicker Cloud as it provides access to your data anywhere as well as an online grade book, and additional question types, and the College covers the cost for both faculty and student use. It does, however, require that students have phones/devices out in class.
| iClicker Cloud | iClicker Classic | |
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| Advanced polling question types Target/heat map, long answer (140 characters) |
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| Online Gradebook Access your grade book from any computer |
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| Demographics | |
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| Cloud Backup and Storage | |
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| Requires an Internet Connection | |
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| Classic iClicker remote | (with iClicker receiver) |
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| GPS attendance ** | |
** Please read the information below regarding iClicker preserving student privacy when they are checking into iClicker Attendance with geolocation technology enabled.
- The geolocation functionality in the iClicker Cloud Attendance module is only active when students are in the process of checking into a class session.
- Students must grant the iClicker student app permission to share their location the very first time they use the feature, and they can choose to turn this permission on or off as they see fit.
- The geolocation check does not happen silently in the background without the student’s knowledge or explicit action.
- The geolocation check only records the student’s distance from the check-in point designated in your location settings, not the student’s actual location.
- iClicker Cloud provides the option for students to use a clicker to check in if they prefer, which does not utilize any geolocation technology.
Online Polling with iClicker Cloud
The iClicker Cloud is an online version of the iClicker student engagement system for polling and quizzing. It is available to all faculty and students in a Michigan Engineering course at no cost under an institutional license. Instructors can use it to track attendance, ask target questions, administer quizzes, and analyze student performance using a web browser. Students can participate using mobile devices, laptops, or an iClicker remote.
Instructors who are teaching a Michigan Engineering course online and are interested in using iClicker Cloud can refer to the LSA Technology Services website for information on how to get started. Instructors can also review the iClicker Cloud video demonstration to see if it is right for their course:
Getting Started Using iClicker Classic
iClicker Classic is a flexible and user-friendly response system that is available at U-M and supported by CAEN for use in Engineering courses. iClicker receivers are installed in most Michigan Engineering classrooms, and instructors can connect to the system directly from their computers to capture responses from their students. Instructors will need access to a computer running Windows or MacOS to use the iClicker software, with an available USB port for their iClicker instructor remote:
- Instructor remotes are available for purchase from the U-M Tech Shop.
- The U-M-specific version of the instructor software can be downloaded from the LSA Technology Services iClicker page.
Further Help
If you are an Engineering instructor interested in using iClicker, we have some basic information for getting started in our knowledge base. You can also contact a CAEN consultant with questions, or for more information on using the system in an Engineering classroom.