iClicker Student Remote Features: Enhancing Engagement and Accessibility in the Classroom

iClicker is a student response system designed to enhance student engagement and assess learning in both in-person and online synchronous classes. It allows instructors to track attendance, administer quizzes, and analyze student performance using a web browser through iClicker Cloud. Originally conceived as a tool for large enrollment courses, iClicker is now increasingly utilized in smaller classes to promote active learning.

iClicker Cloud: A Versatile Platform for Interactive Learning

iClicker Cloud offers a range of features to create diverse student engagement opportunities. Instructors can present polling or quiz questions, and students can respond using either the mobile iClicker Student app or a physical iClicker remote.

Key Features of iClicker Cloud:

Attendance Tracking: iClicker enables instructors to efficiently track student attendance.
Polling and Quizzing: Instructors can create interactive polls and quizzes to gauge student understanding. When polling, instructors may award points for only participating, answering questions correctly, or both. Any courses that have a Canvas site and award points for iClicker polling or quizzing can be directly linked to the Canvas roster and grades.
Performance Analysis: The system provides tools to analyze student performance and identify areas where students may need additional support.
Integration with Learning Management Systems (LMS): iClicker Cloud integrates with LMS platforms like Canvas, streamlining attendance, assignments, grading, and more. To integrate with Canvas, create a course within your iClicker.com account, click on Settings, and go to the Integrations tab.
Asynchronous Quizzes: Facilitates student learning after instruction.

Cost Considerations:

While iClicker offers a free option for basic attendance tracking, utilizing its full potential for in-class polling and quizzes requires a paid subscription for students. Students will be charged $3 per semester for as many courses as needed.

Leveraging iClicker for Effective Pedagogy

iClicker is not merely a technological tool; it's a pedagogical instrument that can be strategically employed to enhance teaching and learning.

Strategies for Maximizing iClicker's Impact:

Boosting Student Participation: iClicker encourages participation from all students, not just the "front five" who typically raise their hands. This is especially beneficial in large enrollment courses, where it can be challenging to get feedback from every student. Instead of getting limited responses for what I call the “front five” students (the few students that always raise their hands), you are getting feedback from all students in the classroom. This really helps student participation in large enrollment courses.
Assessing Content Mastery: iClicker provides a quick and easy way to assess students' comprehension of pre-existing knowledge and measure their mastery of content covered in class or in assigned readings. iClicker is a quick and easy way to gauge student’s comprehension of pre-existing knowledge to help determine what you need cover in class and what you don’t. It’s also a great way to measure the mastery of content that you’ve gone over in class or in the reading.
Implementing Peer Instruction: iClicker facilitates peer instruction, a powerful technique for promoting deeper learning. One of the more impactful ways of utilizing iClicker in class is using it for peer instruction, typically using the Think, Pair, Share model. Students are asked to answer a question individually (Think). If the results are mixed and warrant more discussion, students are asked to pair up with a neighbor or two (Pair) and discuss the topic in small groups. The instructor visits the groups, providing some clarifying hints to lead the group toward the best answer. Finally, the students vote a second time and share their thoughts on the topics (Share).
Soliciting Honest Feedback: Anonymous polling allows students to share their personal experiences and opinions without fear of judgment, fostering a more open and honest classroom environment. Lena Hann, Kinesiology and Community Health, teaches a Human Sexuality course of around 300 students each semester. She relies on anonymous polling for students to share their personal experiences with the class.
Maintaining Student Attention: Since humans are typically only able to maintain attention for periods up to 20 minutes at a time, iClicker is a great tool to reset student attention, when used at different points of the lecture.
Confidence Rating Surveys: Instructors can check in with students using a confidence rating survey which allows students to reflect on their learning and provides instructors real-time insight into their understanding.

iClicker Student Remotes: Accessibility and Features

Students can choose to use either the iClicker Student app on their mobile devices or purchase a physical iClicker remote. If students opt for a physical remote, the classroom must have an iClicker base station for the remote to function.

Accessibility Features of iClicker Remotes:

iClicker is committed to providing accessible technology for all learners.

Large Buttons: iClicker remotes feature large buttons to promote easy navigation.
Braille Button Labels: Braille button labels are available on iClicker+ remotes and can be special ordered on iClicker 2 remotes to aid students who are blind or have low vision.
Haptic Feedback: Remotes can be ordered with a haptic feedback feature that provides vote confirmation through vibrations.
Visual Cues: iClicker+ remotes use visual cues, such as a steady green light to indicate a received vote and a blinking red light to indicate a missed vote. The variety of visual cues ensures that color is not the only way to convey meaning.

iClicker Web Experience Accessibility:

Compatibility with Magnification Tools: iClicker is compatible with external magnification tools and designed responsively to allow browser magnification up to 200%.
Screen Reader Compatibility: The most common and essential parts of the student experience can be accessed with a screen reader, including JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver.
Descriptive Links: Links are descriptive to aid screen reader navigability.
Keyboard Navigation: Students are able to use keyboard navigation on the iClicker browser.
Compatibility with Any Device: iClicker Student app can be accessed on a student’s preferred device (browser or mobile).

Instructor Desktop Application Accessibility:

Keyboard Shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts can be turned on in the instructor profile settings to control polling using a keyboard (Windows only).

Features for Improved Student Engagement

Beyond basic polling and quizzing, iClicker offers features designed to deepen student engagement.

Emoji Reactions: Students can express confidence, confusion, curiosity, or excitement in real-time using emoji reactions.
Focus Feature: Focus brings students’ attention back to learning if they navigate from the iClicker page or app. iClicker tracks student focus within the mobile app experience.
Group Polling: Group Polling facilitates peer-to-peer collaboration and consensus building through group-based learning.

Getting Started with iClicker

For Instructors:

Create a free instructor account.
Download iClicker Cloud software. To use iClicker, the presenter’s computer will need to be running the iClicker Cloud software.
Create a course within your iClicker.com account.
Integrate the course on iClicker.com with Canvas, if desired.
Set up iClicker Cloud for Canvas.

For Students:

Download the iClicker Student app or purchase an iClicker remote.
Create an iClicker account using their Student ID and OKEY credentials. Students will be charged $3 per semester for as many courses as needed. device and set up an account using their OKEY credentials.
If using a physical remote, ensure the classroom has an iClicker base station.

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