Clickers in Medical Education – Boon or Bane?

Modern-day medical education has evolved to demand a lot from both the student and the educator. The medical teacher has to not only take a class but also keep the class fresh, relevant and interesting for the students. Despite the best efforts of the teacher to engage the students, the traditional didactic lecture may fall short in holding their attention. Classroom response system (CRS) like “clickers” provide an accessible means of assessing students and also provide immediate feedback.

The authors used the clickers during theory classes in the form of pre- and post-lecture tests, and as monthly exams of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology. Towards the end of their Forensic Medicine & Toxicology curriculum, the students were asked to give their feedback anonymously in the form of a 5 point Likert scale. Ninety-four students submitted the feedback, which was then analysed.

Although 77.7% of students agreed that the clicker-based tests were far less stressful than conventional written tests, only 49.9% felt that clicker-based tests were more convenient. 56.4% thought that the clicker-based tests removed variability between the examiners. 45.7% felt that adequate assessments were conducted over the duration of their course and 73.3% felt they had sufficient preparation time. From a technical standpoint, 69.2% students faced a glitch at least once during the clicker-based tests.

Clickers can be a useful teaching tool, especially when used to review performance and give immediate feedback