Clickers in instruction: one campus, multiple perspectives

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine attitudes toward the use of clickers, as well as practicalities and pedagogical considerations that inform them. Drawing on interviews from a variety of viewpoints at one institution of higher education, this paper aims to situate a librarian perspective among those of teaching faculty, administration, and students.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a case study of a single institution of higher education in which the experiences of teaching faculty, an administrator, and a library faculty member are gathered using semi‐structured interviews. Student opinions are obtained through the use of a focus‐group interview.

Findings

This paper provides attitudes and experiences of nursing teaching faculty who use clickers in their instruction, an administrator who purchased clickers for his department, and a library faculty member who uses clickers in bibliographic instruction, as well as those of nursing students who used the technology in class.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the nature of the research method employed, reported results may not be universally generalizable.

Practical implications

This paper may help inform the choices of those deciding to use clickers in their instruction.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need to analyze reactions to clicker use in instruction among students, instructors, and other program participants, including librarians.

Citation

Keogh, P. and Wang, Z. (2010), "Clickers in instruction: one campus, multiple perspectives", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 8-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831011026661