ABSTRACT
Teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is challenging because of the combination of high content levels and specialized vocabulary that students have to learn to participate in class and complete assignments. This chapter describes the techniques that typically help STEM instructors achieve two important goals: facilitating the teaching and learning of content and eliciting student feedback to evaluate teaching and learning. It offers advice to other STEM and non-STEM instructors who are considering using clickers. The chapter also describes how much time teaching with clickers takes, the value gained from use, and specific examples of how clickers are used. The diversity of student backgrounds in STEM courses can be quite high. Clicker activities can be an efficient way to benefit all students, including ethnic minorities, students from other cultures, and female students who might be more vulnerable to low participation. Recent meta-analysis of STEM pedagogy literature clearly supports active-learning approaches.
