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It's a rare college student who will raise a hand in the classroom and say to the instructor, "Could you please repeat that? I don't understand."
More common are groups of students who, when asked if they understand material just covered, sit and stare back, neither nodding nor shaking their heads.
Faculty members tend to take no response as an affirmative, pass out tests, then find out who actually understood the material only after scoring the tests.
And with some classrooms seating several hundred students, knowing who gets it and who doesn't is as challenging for the professor as getting them all to show up.
But faculty at Purdue University think they're on to something that could answer the challenge.
Clickers-hand-held feedback devices-allow students to provide anonymous feedback and faculty to evaluate the comprehension level of their class in seconds.
The interactive system uses a radio-frequency receiver installed in the classroom. Up to 1,000 students can simultaneously send feedback.
Responses are instantly tabulated and converted to histograms that can be projected on a screen for everyone to see.
Students know right away whether they are in the majority or minority of those who grasp the material. And they never have to raise their hands and risk embarrassment to find out.
"They are a great learning tool for the students," said Harry Morrison, a chemistry professor. "It allows me to stop the class periodically...