EJMT Abstract

A virtual clicker system is a Classroom Response System where students respond interactively to instructor questions using their cellphones or other everyday electronic devices. Response is usually provided through simple texting or via a smartphone app. As almost all students have cellphones and texting packages, virtual clicker systems provide an inexpensive alternative to physical clickers for students to engage in the classroom using popular millennial devices. While physical clickers are mostly restricted to multiple choice questions, virtual clickers allow questions in a variety of formats as well as the facility to reuse questions. In this article, we provide an overall introduction to the best practices associated with the use of virtual clickers in a mathematics classroom, an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages associated with their use as well as a round-up of the currently available virtual clickers systems. We also announce the results of a study where student perception on the use of virtual clickers in mathematics classrooms in three college campuses is measured and the results are compared with the results of a similar study for physical clickers.