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What can electronic voting systems add to the classroom experience?

Thoughts and tips on the use of electronic voting systems (EVS – or clickers) in class, from the session presented by Penny Wiggins (Blended Learning Unit, University of Hertfordshire) at the UKCLE seminar on e-assessment held on 31 January 2008.

During the session participants used a handset to rate their level of experience using an EVS (at the start of the session) and the extent of its appeal as a teaching tool (at the end).


A range of different electronic voting system (EVS) products – also known as clickers – is on offer, each with different functionality, software needs and ease of use:

  • pods can be provided to students to bring with their pencil cases
  • they can be fixed in teaching rooms
  • or peripatetic – available from a central resource

Why use an EVS?

  • it is a quick and easy tool once the basics are understood
  • it permits instant feedback to students and tutor regarding level of understanding, however used
  • students enjoy it – when asked to rate use of an EVS against podcasts and seminar answers in terms of usefulness, an EVS was the most popular

Range of uses for formative assessment:

  • icebreaker at the beginning of a class – maximum of 5 or 6 questions only
  • in a lecture, checking understanding of the principles as the lecture progresses
  • at the conclusion of a class to check understanding
  • in a revision class covering a wide range of material or targeted at more difficult aspects of a topic
  • in seminars as an integral activity to check preparation, understanding and application
  • in all cases it can be used as the basis of pairs or small group work to allow a group consensus to emerge – useful where group work is being promoted and when there are insufficient handsets for the whole cohort, or with very large groups where distributing handsets is too time consuming
  • with identified handsets track individual student progress through the module

Range of uses for summative assessment:

  • handsets identifying student to member of staff though not to other students
  • multiple choice questions in class – can be timed to limit thinking time
  • can form part of assessment strategy over several sessions

Challenges of use:

  • familiarity with equipment in a class
  • reliability and technical support
  • some systems more complex though more functional than others, and most importantly slower for student use
  • ensuring use of technology does not interfere with the learning process
  • developing suitable questions – sufficient familiarity eases process and becomes an integral part of preparation

Benefits of use:

  • student engagement and participation
  • allows lecturer to identify common areas of confusion at the time
  • promotes discussion in class when students discuss the reasons for an answer
  • in group work results in a collaborative approach to learning and great excitement when one group has 100% correct answers
  • group work can be used to allow students to develop questions on aspects of the class to test their peers; students can be encouraged to conduct that element, developing oral presentation and explanatory skills

Range of products:

Last Modified: 30 June 2010