Last summer at Twitter Math Camp I learned about an incredible formative assessment tool. I’ve actually started using it fairly regularly now, so I figured I would get out a quick post about it.
It’s called Plickers. It’s essentially a poor-man’s Clickers (think Turning Point Technologies). They’re pieces of paper that you print off for free online and distribute to your class. Each student gets one Plicker. The teacher puts up a question and the orientation in which a student holds their Plicker determines their answer choice. Where the magic happens: download the Plickers app to your mobile device and you can “scan” the room with your camera and the app picks up all the student responses. Think exit slips, class polls, checks for understanding, and the like. It is remarkable. The first time you see it, you literally can’t believe your eyes. Here’s a video.
- Allows me to collect assessment data relatively easily
- The kids seem to love using it
- Easy to replace in case one comes up missing
- No software to install; it’s all web based and the app is user-friendly
- Requires preparing prompts ahead of time
- Cannot export data (or maybe I just I don’t know how to)
- Requires lamenating for long-term use
There are many things in educational technology that are impractical and overdone. This is not one. Plickers leverage technology in a way that’s simple, accessible, and useful.
In short, Plickers are game changers.
If you haven’t tried them yet and are interested in a slick formative assessment strategy, I would definitely check them out.