Welcome to Clicker Questions, a wiki that aims to promote student engagement and stimulate higher-order learning through the use of clickers in undergraduate lectures. We warmly invite you to check out our clicker question bank, to suggest modifications and improvements, and to upload your own questions for others to use.

This wiki was created as part of a Victoria University of Wellington funded initiative: "Promoting higher-order thinking with effective clicker questions". The pedagogical advantages of using clickers and other interactive devices in the lecture theatre have been widely documented.  However, not all clicker questions are created equal. Indeed, the multiple-choice questions that are typically used in an exam setting are often less than ideal for clicker classes, being geared more towards testing student recall of content rather than the analytical, interpretive, and creative skills of an undergraduate.

Our project examined strategies for the design of clicker questions that specifically stimulate higher-order thinking (sensu Bloom's Taxonomy), and are therefore more likely to lead to class discussion and a deeper understanding of key concepts, their interrelationships, and applicability. The aim was to compile a repository of effective clicker questions, freely available online for lecturers to use, edit, and comment on as they wish. Each question posted on the wiki would be accompanied by an explanation of what the lecturer hoped to achieve. In addition, we provide general suggestions for the design of clickers questions for different pedagogical purposes, as well as best-practice guidelines for the use of clickers in teaching and learning.

Why a wiki?

A wiki is a website to which users are encouraged to contribute. Hosting this website as a wiki allows any instructor to upload content (e.g. one's own clicker question examples), edit the website's text, suggest possible improvements, and report on their experiences using the questions in a classroom setting.  As word of the wiki spreads, and the numbers and scope of the submissions increase, so we hope the wiki will become an invaluable instructional tool for academics across all disciplines.

And what's a clicker?

A clicker is the common name for a hand-held audience response system, which allows students to respond to multiple choice questions via a remote control device. Student responses are collated and projected onto a screen, providing immediate feedback for instructors and students alike.  Further information about clicker technology can be found here.

Navigating your way around the wiki

The Navigation Box to the right of this page provides direct access to the repository of clicker questions uploaded so far.  These are organised as folders representing the various academic disciplines.  The side bar beneath the navigation box has links to more general background information. You can also search, or browse all content by going to the Pages and Files tabs.

Who are we?

Kevin Gould is Professor of Plant Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington.  He coordinates the large introductory course, BIOL 113: The Biology of Plants.