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The benefits of using clickers in small-enrollment seminar-style biology courses.

ABSTRACT: Although the use of clickers and peer discussion is becoming common in large-lecture undergraduate biology courses, their use is limited in small-enrollment seminar-style courses. To investigate whether facilitating peer discussion with clickers would add value to a small-enrollment seminar-style course, we evaluated their usefulness in an 11-student Embryology course at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Student performance data, observations of peer discussion, and interviews with students revealed that adding clickers to a small-enrollment course 1) increases the chance students will do the required reading before class, 2) helps the instructor engage all students in the class, and 3) gives students a focused opportunity to share thinking and to learn from their peers.

SUBMITTER: Smith MK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3046883 | biostudies-other | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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The benefits of using clickers in small-enrollment seminar-style biology courses.

Smith Michelle K MK Trujillo Caleb C Su Tin Tin TT

CBE life sciences education 20110101 1

Although the use of clickers and peer discussion is becoming common in large-lecture undergraduate biology courses, their use is limited in small-enrollment seminar-style courses. To investigate whether facilitating peer discussion with clickers would add value to a small-enrollment seminar-style course, we evaluated their usefulness in an 11-student Embryology course at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Student performance data, observations of peer discussion, and interviews with students r ...[more]

PMID: 21364096

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