High-Tech Versus Low-Tech Instructional Strategies: A Comparison of Clickers and Handheld Response Cards

Although the use of clickers (classroom response systems) has been widely investigated, fewer studies directly compared outcomes for clickers with other active response methods, such as handheld response cards. We measured students' test performance and their self-reported anxiety and hope for upcoming tests after attending review sessions for an introductory psychology course. Students alternated using clickers and cards across the semester. Using clickers did not generally enhance test performance, reduce anxiety, or increase hope. However, some students appeared to benefit from using clickers at different points during the semester. Students unanimously preferred clickers to response cards, particularly for the anonymity that clickers afforded.