The impact of individual and shared clicker use on students' collaborative learning

Abstract

Clickers have become common-place in university classes and are often used to foster collaborative learning. However, few studies have investigated learners' actual interactions during clicker activities to determine how often collaborative reasoning occurs. Therefore, the current study analyzed the interaction that occurred between students when using clickers. Undergraduate students (N = 44) enrolled in an English grammar course used clickers to complete practice activities during four 2-h classes. Students shared clickers in pairs and small groups for two classes, but had their own clickers for the other two classes. In all four classes, their interaction was audio-recorded. Analysis of their transcribed discussions (N = 498) revealed that students were more likely to engage in collaborative reasoning and select the correct answer during shared clicker activities. Exit questionnaires revealed that students preferred sharing clickers to having their own. Implications for teaching and suggestions for future research are discussed.