Through the fifth and sixth weeks of instruction, students were given the opportunity to evaluate the instructional components of the course, and the use of clickers in an online "Learning Resource Survey" hosted by SurveyMonkey.com. Questions from section II are adapted from the Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) survey (developed by Elaine Seymour, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison), and questions from section III (III.1, III.3, III.5, and III.7) were adapted from a "Clicker Attitude Survey" (N. W. Reay, Lei Bao, and Pengfei Li, Physics Education Research Group, Ohio State University).
These are the complete survey results. Analysis will be forthcoming after more data has been compiled from future semesters. Values for the mean and standard deviations are given next to the modal response category for each question. Note that the order of questions within sections II and III were randomly scrambled for each student.
Learning Resource SurveyThe following are all of the student responses to this question, verbatim and unedited.
Cuesta College
Chemistry 210FL Fall Semester 2009 sections 72122, 72234, 70302, 70306, 71813, 72093
(N = 32)
I. In order to receive credit for completing this survey,
first enter your first and last name below:
____
II. How much did each of the following aspects of the class help
your learning?
II.1 Lecture by instructor.
1. Strongly disagree 0 :
2. Disagree 1 : *
3. Neutral 3 : ***
4. Agree 8 : ********
5. Strongly agree 20 : ******************** [4.5 +/- 0.8]
II.2 Working in groups on FAL (Facilitated Assisted Learning) activities.
1. Strongly disagree 1 : *
2. Disagree 6 : ******
3. Neutral 3 : ***
4. Agree 8 : ********
5. Strongly agree 14 : ******************* [3.9 +/- 1.2]
II.3 Using clickers to participate in class.
1. Strongly disagree 0 :
2. Disagree 4 : ****
3. Neutral 11 : *********** [3.7 +/- 1.0]
4. Agree 9 : *********
5. Strongly agree 8 : ********
II.4 Reading the textbook.
1. Strongly disagree 0 :
2. Disagree 1 : *
3. Neutral 5 : *****
4. Agree 13 : ************* [4.2 +/- 0.8]
5. Strongly agree 13 : *************
II.5 Demonstrations/videos in class.
1. Strongly disagree 0 :
2. Disagree 1 : *
3. Neutral 10 : ********** [3.9 +/- 0.9]
4. Agree 10 : **********
5. Strongly agree 10 : **********
II.6 Interacting with other students during class.
1. Strongly disagree 0 :
2. Disagree 1 : *
3. Neutral 4 : ****
4. Agree 15 : *************** [4.2 +/- 0.8]
5. Strongly agree 12 : ************
II.7 Interacting with other students outside of class.
1. Strongly disagree 1 : *
2. Disagree 3 : ***
3. Neutral 9 : *********
4. Agree 10 : ********** [3.7 +/- 1.1]
5. Strongly agree 9 : *********
III. Answer the following statements which may or may not describe
your beliefs about the use of clickers in this class.
III.1 I like using clickers.
1. Strongly disagree 0 :
2. Disagree 2 : **
3. Neutral 15 : *************** [3.5 +/- 0.8]
4. Agree 11 : ***********
5. Strongly agree 4 : ****
III.2 Clickers helped me understand lectures better.
1. Strongly disagree 1 : *
2. Disagree 9 : *********
3. Neutral 9 : *********
4. Agree 11 : *********** [3.1 +/- 1.0]
5. Strongly agree 2 : **
III.3 I would recommend using clickers in future semesters of this class.
1. Strongly disagree 0 :
2. Disagree 2 : **
3. Neutral 14 : ************** [3.5 +/- 0.7]
4. Agree 13 : *************
5. Strongly agree 3 : ***
III.4 I will avoid other classes using clickers in future semesters.
1. Strongly disagree 7 : ************
2. Disagree 13 : ****************** [2.2 +/- 1.5]
3. Neutral 11 : ***********
4. Agree 0 :
5. Strongly agree 1 : *
III.5 Clickers were a positive experience.
1. Strongly disagree 0 :
2. Disagree 1 : *
3. Neutral 13 : *************
4. Agree 15 : *************** [3.6 +/- 0.7]
5. Strongly agree 3 : ***
III.6 Too much time in class was spent using clickers.
1. Strongly disagree 5 : *****
2. Disagree 15 : *************** [2.4 +/- 1.1]
3. Neutral 8 : ********
4. Agree 3 : ***
5. Strongly agree 1 : *
III.7 Too many clicker questions were asked.
1. Strongly disagree 5 : *****
2. Disagree 17 : ************ [2.3 +/- 1.2]
3. Neutral 7 : *******
4. Agree 2 : **
5. Strongly agree 1 : *
III.8 Using clickers was difficult.
1. Strongly disagree 13 : *************
2. Disagree 15 : *************** [1.8 +/- 2.4]
3. Neutral 2 : **
4. Agree 0 :
5. Strongly agree 2 : **
IV. (Optional.) Please type in any comments you may have regarding
the use of clickers in Chemistry 210FL.
"The clickers were quite nice once they were working. I wish there wer a little bit more clicker questions on lecture examples."
"They are easy to use."
"I think that the clickers are a great idea and can be useful in class discussions. Although in the way that we are using them, simply to turn in answers without understanding the results or review the questions, they are not as beneficial as they could be."
"If we used the clickers as a statistical viewpoint only and spent more time reviewing the questions that were asked of us, then the clickers would become more helpful in an education way, opposed to the point/credit purpose they serve now."
"I believe that clickers are just another way to get money out of us. They can be useful, but you must buy the clicker and register it. It is too much money. We could have different kinds of quizzes and other kinds of participation in class."
"I could take them or leave them."
"I think having jump start questions were a good idea, since it made you read the next chapter and I also felt that it helped during lecture to have a 'heads up' on what we were going to cover next."
"I think now that we seem to have the clickers all working, that the program is very useful and is a creative way of learning."
"I think FALs should be an optional study groups. It is bad enough that we don't get the complete credit time for time spent in class(s). But on top of it, an extra hour is required to force us to work together. The idea of an FAL is great. but it would be much better to have Chemlab like Mathlab, leave it optional. People will work together anyway with friends they make in class during clicker quiz's or in lab. Demo videos are cool but with a lab they are not really needed. its cooler to see it for real in a lab then to see it in a video. I see a lot of interest is directed in the use of clickers. Clickers are fine. The way in which you chose to use them is good and time effective, you don't over use them. and the amount of class time consumed is about 10 minutes per week. so 7% of the in class lecture time is used to help you determine what is least understood. granted people will work together to get answers so the 100% correct may not mean 100% understood. but a low % would grantee confusion. I know there is debate over the effectiveness of clickers. I support them, they are not expensive and they help the teacher keep in touch with their classes progress between tests. 'Clickers helped me understand lectures better.' I agree with this because it adds to exposure and interactivity in the subject. I is like when your having a hour long conversation with someone and after while you kinda zone out. ahuh ahuh ahuh, you know. so this makes you think and apply what your doing. it breaks up the lecture a bit and makes the class more interesting. That said. I believe reading the textbook, being lectured and asking questions is adequate to learn the subject. Your a great teacher, and [the lab instructor] is a great lab instructor. both of you add alot of color and enjoyment to the subject. I feel fortunate to have a positive first exposure to learning the subject. I read a book in the past called Feynman's Rainbow. It was a terrible book by a terrible failed chemist, failed physicist and it turned me off to chemistry. But it turns out that chemistry is no so bad after all."
"I do like the option of working with other students for clicker quizes in clas"
"I have no questions, currently."
"This class is well balanced in time spent on lecture, demonstrations, using the clicker, and answering questions from students. I had a previous class that used the clicker and I felt that it hindered my ability. However, [the instructor] does an excellent job using the clickers in constructive ways that help the students and also allow her know if the students are understanding the concepts. The clickers are definitely an asset to this class."
"I am often at a neutral position with clickers because you can just as easily quiz students without them. This change in form would help the students with money because of the cost of not only the clicker but to sign up in the class as well. However it is much easier to link the clickers rather than print out 40 copies of a test, that is why I find myself at a neutral position."
"I find the clicker to be a nice tool and great time saver for instructors when grading and record student data, but it's just another material cost to have to afford when I am seem to be struggling already to pay for the textbook, FAL packet as well as chemistry lab booklet."
"I think the clicker quizzes are fun and challenging way to get the students to pre-read the course material."
"I do not mind the clickers what so ever, my only thing is i found it very expensive. This is the only class i have ever taken that has required the clicker an it was i thought i process. Buying it was thirty dollars, then another fifteen to register the thing. I find using the small ten point scantrons is easier. I can understand that the clicker is faster an better for the instructor, but also expensive for the students."
"The only comment I have is that the clickers would be more desirable if they were in the classroom ready to check out each time we use them. Carrying them around and buying them is the only inconvenience. Otherwise I like using them."
