Use of Student Response Systems for Summative Assessments

Student Response Systems (Clickers) have been adopted by a number of instructors to increase interactions, student engagement and/or formative assessment and feedback especially in large group sessions. Clickers are well known as tools for active learning strategy particularly in formative assessments. However, they are rarely used in assessments that count. With the advent of clickers with a display screen, attempts are being made to use clickers in summative exams. We examined the feasibility of their use in high stakes summative assessment by piloting such an assessment in a simulated setting. Utilizing the lessons learned in the pilot study, clickers were used in formative and summative assessments in various iterations of a computer course taught by one of the authors (CC). At the end of the course, perceptions of students on the use of clickers for high-stake examinations were obtained using an online survey. The instructor was interviewed to identify factors that facilitated clicker use and the challenges faced. In general, students were accepting of the use of this technology in high stakes exams and found it engaging and satisfying, primarily because of instant feedback. The instructor found the process less time consuming and efficient, and more secure compared to scan sheets. Clickers are best used for examinations of short duration, with multiple-choice questions or questions with minimal text or mathematical entry.