There are many questions remaining to be answered about “clickers” on campus, but one thing seems certain: Clickers are here to stay in one form or another.

Iowa State is in the middle of a pilot program to determine how to best integrate new technology into the classroom, said Susan Yager, associate director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and associate professor of English.

Publishing companies began bundling personal response systems, commonly called “clickers,” with textbooks a few years ago. Some professors began experimenting with clickers at that time, although they were based on infrared technology, which proved unreliable.

“You had to physically aim the clicker at the receiver, and if there were obstructions, you were out of luck,” Yager said.

As the adoption of the technology became more prevalent, the need to standardize the brand of clicker used across campus led to the launch of a pilot program, which began this fall. A personal response pad sold by eInstructions, a Texas-based company, was recommended for all interested professors.

“An advantage of the eInstructions product is that it uses radio frequency,” Yager said. Radio frequency is more reliable than infrared signals, and can be picked up from different angles.

The adoption of the university pilot program was designed to save students money, said Rita Phillips, assistant manager of the University Book Store.

“At one point, there were three or four different kinds of clickers being used on campus. It was possible a student would have to buy more than one,” Philips said.

Student reactions about the devices have been mixed. Nathan Krohn, senior in elementary education, said the clickers could be a good addition to the classroom if used correctly.

“Its a good thing to get students to go to class, but if you have problems, it just wastes class time,” he said.

Student frustrations focus on two areas: clickers not working properly, and the registration fee charged on top of the cost of the clicker itself.

“There’s an additional $15 registration charge, which I wasn’t too happy about,” Krohn said.

Kathy Herr, administrator for Web-based initiatives for eInstruction, said there are three different registration options available to students: $15 for one semester, $40 for two years or $60 for lifetime registration.

“The advantage of the lifetime registration is, if you lose your clicker, you don’t lose the registration,” Herr said. “You can just purchase another clicker and have the same account.”

But students were not aware they had to register their response pad, and assumed it was defective.

“We didn’t realize that either, at first,” Phillips said.

She said most students having problems come to the bookstore first.

“We are the ones who sold it to them, so we’re the ones they come to if they have a problem,” she said.

Adding to student frustration, the bookstore has no way of testing the clickers and must send students across campus to the Instructional Technology Center. Once a clicker is determined to be defective, the bookstore can supply a replacement.

“eInstruction has been very good about taking back defects. The question is, for how long?” Phillips said.

As the pilot program moves forward, different brands of response pads are also being considered. Two other options include TurningPoint, a clicker that is more compatible with Microsoft’s PowerPoint presentation software, and InterWrite PRS, which includes an LCD display that provides students with a message confirming their response has been received.

“We are also developing a response pad with an LCD screen that is the same price as the current model,” Herr said.

Despite some of the disadvantages, some people think many benefits come with the clickers.

“Professors faced with large classes need to find a way to reduce the psychological size of that class,” Yager said. “Students that are active and engaged learn better.”

The instant feedback aspect of the technology is also part of its popularity.

“You can ask a question and see if the class knows what you’re talking about. You can immediately go back and clarify things,” Phillips said.

Despite their problems, most people seem to be adjusting to life with clickers. According to sales information from the University Book Store, 12 different fall semester classes listed clickers as a requirement, although eight classes list them for the current semester.

“A lot of faculty have sat back and said, ‘Sure, figure out the bugs and we’ll come onboard,'” Phillips said.

Yager agreed the technology has room to grow.

“This is the growing pains moment for this technology,” she said.

Ideas for future clickers include the possibility of integrating text messaging or instant messaging into the response system.