Identifying Cognitive Processing Events during Clicker Exercises and Exploring Their Relationship with Student Learning

Abstract

The use of clickers in the classroom has been linked to student learning. However, studies that examine the effects of clickers on learning often conceptualize a clicker exercise as a single, homogeneous cognitive processing (CP) event. We offer a conceptualization of sequenced cognitive activities that unfold during a clicker exercise. An inductive approach is adopted to identify three CP events that occur during a clicker exercise: an investigation event, a confirmation event, and a ratification event. We then use data collected from a sample of 187 students in an undergraduate business capstone course to explore the relationships between the three CP events and student learning. Contrary to expectations, not all CP events contribute positively to student learning. We discuss the implications of these findings and offer directions for future research that advance the understanding of clicker‐enhanced student learning. These insights afford instructors new options for optimizing the contributions of clicker exercises to student learning in their courses.