Useful interactive teaching tool for learning: clickers in higher education^†

†. A preliminary version of this article was presented at EDULEARN12, 4th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, Barcelona, Spain, 2–4 July 2012.

Abstract

Many university lecturers are encouraged to implement innovative teaching tools and methodologies such as clickers in order to create an interactive learning environment and improve student learning, but its performance must be evaluated. The aim of this paper is to test empirically the impact of the use of clickers on students' learning processes. The teaching experience applied to the subject of Financial Accounting is specifically described. The total sample size is 77 students from a Business Administration and Economics Degree, taught in English and in Spanish. The analysis, using multivariate techniques, of the questionnaire responses, students' grades and a reflexive experience of the lecturer conclude that learning with clickers is effective. There is a positive relationship between grades and intrinsic motivation through clickers. Consequently, the students' marks are related to its intrinsic motivation, feedback to understanding, students' discussion and its negative aspects but not gender nor age.

Keywords:

• clickers
• interactive learning tool
• students' motivation
• students' perceptions
• intrinsic motivation inventory
• higher education

Notes on contributors

Maria-del-Mar Camacho-Miñano, Bachelor in Business Administration and Ph.D. in Accounting. Assistant professor at the Financial Economics and Accounting Department at the Business School of the Universidad Complutense of Madrid. Main research areas: financial information and bankruptcy, and education. Director of the INIFCO Research Group UCM and member to the “Statistics and Accounting Education Research (SAER)” Group. Main publications: International Journal of Production Research, Journal of Small Business Management, International Review of Law and Economics, Spanish Journal of Accounting and Finance, Language and Education.

Cristina del Campo, Bachelor in Mathematics, M.Sc. in Statistics and Ph.D. in Computer Science. Assistant Professor at the Statistics and Operational Research II Department, Universidad Complutense of Madrid (Spain). Main research areas: Applied Multivariate Analysis, Fuzzy Implications, teaching strategies using ICT and education. Director of the UCM research group on Decision Analysis (INVESDE), member to the “Statistics and Accounting Education Research (SAER)” Group. Main publications: International Journal of Intelligent Systems, European Journal of Operational Research, Innovations in Education and Teaching International.

Notes

†. A preliminary version of this article was presented at EDULEARN12, 4th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, Barcelona, Spain, 2–4 July 2012.

1. Clickers are also known as Personal Response Systems (PRS), Student Response Systems (SRS), Electronic Response Systems (ERS), zappers and Automated Response Systems (ARS), among others.

2. The first and the last chapters had 10 and 12 questions, respectively, while the other chapters had, on average, 25 each.

3. In Educlick systems, there are three specific configurations to present the results: without data capture (anonymous), data capture by group (all the class together) and data capture by students (individually).

4. In accounting, the business type is a key aspect as it is not the same book-keeping for a manufacturer, a service company or a merchandise one. (For more information see Camacho, Akpinar, Rivero, Urquía & Escola, 2012).

5. In Spain exams are usually graded from 0 to 10. To pass students must achieve a minimum mark of 5, while to pass with honours the minimum mark must be 7.

6. This study survey and answers can be accessed by writing to [email protected].