About the Blog

About Classroom Response Systems

Hi, I’m Derek Bruff, and this blog is all about teaching with classroom response systems.  These are instructional technologies that allow instructors to collect and analyze student responses to multiple-choice (and sometimes free-response) questions during class.  Typically, an instructor poses a question to a group of students, students submit their answers to the question using wireless handheld devices (often called “clickers”) that beam radio frequency signals to a receiver connected to the instructor’s computer, software on the instructor’s computer displays a bar chart showing the distribution of responses, and the instructor uses these results to make “on the fly” teaching decisions that are responsive to student learning needs.

About This Blog

I’m using this blog as a way to keep up with news about clickers, resources for teaching with clickers, and research exploring the impact of clickers on student learning and teaching practice, so expect to see posts about such things.  I’m also hoping that this blog will serve as a place where those interested in teaching with clickers can connect with each other, so please feel free to respond to my posts by leaving comments here on the blog.  Also, if you have any suggestions for topics for posts, please feel free to send them my way.  I’m always looking for news articles, resources, and research articles on classroom response systems.  You can reach me at derek.bruff@vanderbilt.edu.

About Me

For more information about me, please check out my home page and my other work on classroom response systems.