iClicker Best Practices & FAQ

Source: https://ctei.jhu.edu/iclicker-best-practices-faq/ Parent: https://ctei.jhu.edu/piazza/

• Use iClicker for more than just attendance – consider taking attendance as part of a Welcome to Class question. We typically only recommend using the explicit Attendance feature if you also plan on using Geofencing.
• Ask meaningful, engaging questions; even quick, informal, formative feedback can be engaging and thought-provoking.
• If you are using iClicker as a component of students’ grades, be sure to explicitly mention it in your syllabus.
• Consider a buffer to achieve full points – for example, participation is worth 3% of a student’s grade, and students need to answer 85% of the questions to get the 3%. This buffer means that students can still achieve the full portion of their grade even if they encounter technical issues from time to time.
• Include, in your syllabus’ academic dishonesty policy, a disclaimer that voting on behalf of a classmate, or voting while not physically present in the classroom, is considered an ethics violation.
• Consider letting students work together on difficult questions. Or, ask a question, then allow discussion, then re-vote (Think-Pair-Share)
• Sync your iClicker grades to Canvas regularly – i.e., after each class session, or once a week – rather than waiting until the end of the semester to sync grades. This allows students to stay apprised of their academic standing, rather than being surprised at the end of the semester.

FAQ

• Do students need to pay for iClicker?
• iClicker is available at no cost to Homewood faculty and students.
• Is there an iPad version of iClicker Cloud?
• The iClicker Cloud iPad app is out of date and lacks some functionality; for faculty, we always recommend using the desktop software version of iClicker Cloud.
• What are the system requirements for iClicker Cloud?
• To install and use iClicker Cloud, your computer must be running either Windows 10/11, or MacOS 11 or higher.
• Can I use iClicker for formal assessments during class?
• The iClicker Quizzing feature can only be used asynchronously, and lacks many features compared to Canvas’ Quiz tool. For this reason, CTEI always recommends conducting formal assessments using Canvas’ Quiz tool rather than within iClicker.
• Can students purchase physical iClicker remotes?
• While iClicker still allows the usage of physical remotes (through the additional use of a physical iClicker Instructor Base), the Homewood campus does not sell them to instructors and does not support their use in the classroom. It’s generally always better for both instructor and student if students answer using their mobile devices.