Considerations for Using Personal Wi-Fi Enabled Devices as "Clickers" in a Large University Class.

Interactive student response systems, commonly referred to as clickers, have increased in popularity in higher education classrooms as a means to improve engagement and enhance learning. Clicker systems come with handheld devices as well as a radio frequency receiver. A Wi-Fi connection to the receiver is possible, enabling students to use their personal smartphones, tablets, or laptops instead of the handheld device. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of students using their personal Wi-Fi enabled devices as clickers in a large university class. In addition, we sought to elicit student perceptions of clicker use in general. Overall, the majority of students preferred using their personal devices, thus saving several minutes of class time in distribution and collection. Students gave very positive feedback on the use of clickers; however, they did not like that clickers could be used to track attendance and participation.