Comments on: A good multiple choice clicker question…? Help!?

By: sciencegeekgirl

sciencegeekgirl — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:03:25 +0000

Here’s my usual demo question:

Your sister-in-law calls to say that she’s having twins. Which of the following is more likely? (Assume that she’s not having identical twins.)

We're going to use this one for sure, Derek, thanks for sharing! It is a nice question, interesting, and anyone can figure it out. It took me and my co-presenter a few minutes of discussion, very nice!

By: sciencegeekgirl

sciencegeekgirl — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:58:25 +0000

Ooh, these are all good suggestions. A meta-clicker question… how fun. How Rhett.

By: Rhett

Rhett — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:43:03 +0000

How about a clicker question about clicker questions. Something like:

Which of the following would be the best type of clicker question to ask at a workshop on clickers?
a. Math question with a lot of numbers?
b. Science question
c. Estimation
d. Art appreciation

By: Derek Bruff

Derek Bruff — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:26:17 +0000

Here’s another query: What clicker questions would you ask a group of members of Congress?

http://is.gd/15vZi

By: Kenneth Finnegan

Kenneth Finnegan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:32:07 +0000

I can’t think of a good example, but I would try and take advantage of the fact that you aren’t talking to average Americans. You’re talking to a group of teachers, so maybe try and come up with something that would interest them. But at the same time, don’t make it teaching mentality questions that would just have people fall into their respective camps (ie more homework vs more in class work). I’m not a teacher, so I don’t know what’s controversial, but not encamping, in teaching.

By: Derek Bruff

Derek Bruff — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:33:22 +0000

Here’s my usual demo question:

Your sister-in-law calls to say that she’s having twins. Which of the following is more likely? (Assume that she’s not having identical twins.)

A. Twin boys
B. Twin girls
C. One boy and one girl
D. All are equally likely

It’s mathematical, but not too “mathy.” It almost always generates the distribute I want to see on a first vote–several popular answers, with the correct answer usually the second most popular. This usually leads to very productive peer instruction time.

An audience of mathematicians would find this question too easy. I tried asking harder math questions, but I’ve found that asking science questions (like the one about the source of a tree’s mass) work better. I think the key is for the question to have at least one intuitive but incorrect answer.

That’s all assuming your point is to demonstrate how clickers can enhance a class dynamic. If you’re point is to show how to write effective clicker questions, then examples from your audience members’ discipline work better.

My two cents.