i-clicker Update for Students

June 24, 2009
Academic Resources + Bryan College Community

Bryan College is excited to announce that i-clickers are coming to campus this fall!  Your textbook list will be updated by August 1 to indicate whether your professors are requiring the i-clicker for any of your classes.  To ensure that you have the correct i-clicker and one that is in good working order and programmed correctly, please purchase yours at the Bryan College bookstore.

As with many new technology tools, you will need to experience using your i-clicker for yourself before you will fully appreciate its value.  In the meantime, here's some information to help you understand how your new i-clicker will enhance your learning experiences at Bryan.

What is an i-clicker?

The i-clicker technology, also known as an audience response system (ARS), was popularized with the 1999 debut of the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. One of the contestants' lifelines in that game show is to poll the studio audience via an ARS, the results of which are displayed on a bar chart for everyone to see. 

Even before that game show hit the airwaves, however, educators had already begun using CRS (classroom response system) technology to provide a more engaging, interactive college classroom environment. CRS usage gained momentum in more recent years after several manufacturers developed CRS products and formed partnerships with college textbook publishers who started offering textbook package options (for additional cost to students) that included CRS units.

Who uses i-clickers?

This fall Bryan College will join a long list of higher education institutions that have adopted this innovative technology tool that will enhance student learning.  In addition, hundreds of other colleges use this technology via other CRSs made by other manufacturers.


Why is Bryan College using i-clickers?

The use of classroom response systems (CRS) in higher education has more than a decade-long track record where research supports that incorporating their use into the classroom setting can significantly enhance the learning process.  Thousands of faculty members at hundreds of colleges and universities around the country are using CRS to engage students in the learning process and facilitate classroom discussion by, for example, polling students on their knowledge, opinions, viewpoints and then using the results to direct the discussion around the results.

Bryan chose to standardize the CRS for the entire campus so students wouldn't have to purchase different models for different courses.  The major criteria used in the selection of the i-clicker from a myriad of options were affordability, versatility, and ease of use (for both students and professors).

How much will my i-clicker cost me?

This $36 purchase is a one-time investment because your i-clicker will be used in all classes that use i-clickers throughout your entire time at Bryan.


Where do I purchase my i-clicker?

If listed on your list of required textbooks, please go to the Bryan College Bookstore before classes start to purchase your i-clicker.

How do i-clickers work?

If you're interested in a step-by-step nontechnical description of how the i-clicker system works on both your end and the instructors' end, check out this page.

As far as how i-clickers work to enhance the learning experience, they provide a means to
  • Capture and maintain your attention and interest in the classroom.
  • Generate more in-class discussions.
  • Assess your and your classmates' understanding of concepts or principles so that your instructor can spend more class time on what you do not understand and less on what you already know.
  • Automate your professors' tasks that affect you, such as maintaining a record of attendance, checking homework assignments, and administering class quizzes.
  • Allow you to easily compare and contrast your opinions, viewpoints, knowledge, and beliefs with your classmates.

Here's what your professors are saying about using i-clickers

"The i-clickers will be useful for quizzes, pre- and post-surveys on views about creation, and for generating discussion."   Dr. Roger Sanders, Associate Professor of Science and Assistant Director of CORE  

"I can envision using the i-clickers in my introductory Bible classes to poll the students on a variety of questions about students' views of the Bible.  I think it will aid getting students interested in the courses."  Dr. Ken Turner, Associate Professor of Bible

Other information resources