Because You Don't Realize How Many People Have Different Experiences than You: Effects of Clicker Use for Class Discussions in Sociology

Sociology instructors have begun adding student response systems to support conceptual application in college courses. While little has been published about how these devices affect learning behavior in our discipline, research from other fields suggests clickers may enhance learning by encouraging engagement through collaborative talk. This paper presents mixed-methods data examining clicker use in two sociology courses (2007 to 2013). Survey, observation, and interview data suggest student response systems may enhance class discussions by supporting engagement, participation, and the building of empathy for diverse perspectives, but proper implementation is required.