iClicker is an audience response system designed for instructional use. Students must purchase an iClicker remote for use with a dedicated iClicker base station (installed in all general assignments classrooms) or a paid subscription to use the web-based application instead of a remote. iClicker can be used both within and beyond the classroom, synchronously or asynchronously.

Instructors

Prepare students

Please refer students to this website for the most up-to-date instructions and related information. Make sure your students know if you will allow participation only using iClicker remotes, only using iClicker’s web-based interface, or if you will allow both options.

Depending on which participation options you will allow, students will need to purchase a physical iClicker remote or a subscription to the iClicker web-based service.

View current iClicker remote and subscription pricing

If any of your students are having technical difficulties, you are encouraged to have them contact us so that we can work with them directly to figure out what’s going on and make sure they have what they need to participate in your class.

Get started

iClicker Cloud is already installed on all general assignment classrooms. If you will be using a laptop or any device other than the installed PC in a general assignment classroom, be sure to download and install the iClicker Cloud application.

1. Download and install the iClicker Cloud application
2. Create your course

Configure Canvas

The iClicker Cloud integration with UCI Canvas allows you to sync your roster with iClicker to match students’ names to their registered iClicker Reef accounts, and sync iClicker scores with the Canvas gradebook.

Enable the iClicker Cloud integration and/or refer your students directly to https://app.reef-education.com/ to create their Reef accounts so that they can join your iClicker Cloud class.

Note: The “iClicker Registration” integration in UCI Canvas is only compatible with iClicker Classic. Do not enable the iClicker Registration integration in Canvas if you are using iClicker Cloud.

1. If you haven’t already done so, create your iClicker Cloud course
2. Open your iClicker Cloud course settings
3. Open the Integrations tab, and select Connect to Canvas
   
   
4. Select Go to Canvas
   
5. Select Authorize
6. Choose the appropriate Canvas course space and select Next
   
   
7. Choose the appropriate sections within the Canvas course space and select Connect
   
   

iClicker will now be connected to the appropriate course space and you can sync scores any time to update students’ iClicker records in your Canvas gradebook.

1. Make sure you have configured the Canvas integration
2. Login to https://instructor.reef-education.com/ and open your iClicker course
3. Open GradeBook on the left side of the screen
4. Select Sync Grades in the upper-right
   
5. Choose the session(s) to include and select Sync in the lower-right
   
6. The grade sync may take a little while depending on the size of the class, number of iClicker records to sync, and the speed of your internet connection; when done, you’ll see a success message to confirm that the sync is complete
   

Run activities

There are two primary ways to run iClicker Cloud polls: synchronous (during a live class session) or asynchronous (where students complete the assignments on their own schedules).

For instructions to run a synchronous iClicker Cloud poll during a live class meeting, see: iClicker – How to run a polling session in iClicker Cloud

For instructions to use the ‘assignments’ option for asynchronous iClicker Cloud assignments, see: iClicker – How to create and manage assignments in iClicker Cloud

Best practices

• Consider your goals: Are you interested mostly in encouraging attendance, fostering engagement and participation, or using the technology for scored quizzes?
  • This article from the Chronicle explains how one professor uses clickers for peer instruction: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Playing-With-Technology/242031/
• What level of attendance is expected or what percentage of a final grade would you assign for participation and/or correctness of answers? Do you have a participation threshold where you will award or withhold points?
• Plan ahead for handling absences, forgotten remotes, and technical issues. We recommend dropping a few of the lowest scores over the course of the quarter.
• Consider whether or not you will allow students to use the mobile application iClicker Reef and let your students know in advance.
• Create and publicize a deadline for students to register their iClicker remotes and/or iClicker accounts.
• Explicitly state that it is unacceptable for a student to use another student’s remote or account in order to submit responses on the other student’s behalf.
• We recommend iClicker for activities such as short, in-class quizzes. We do not recommend iClicker for high-stakes assessment activities for several reasons:
  • The potential for issues with hardware, software, batteries, input error, forgotten clickers, or other problems.
  • Students may worry about whether or not their answers are received; using clickers for something like a final exam may negatively impact their performance due to additional anxiety.
  • The higher the stakes, the more likely classroom management challenges are to occur.

Resources

• Division of Teaching Excellence & Innovation: Teaching with Technology
• iClicker Support Center

Students

Create account

Before you can participate in iClicker activities, you need set up an account.

1. Open the Canvas course space and click iClicker Cloud on the left side of the page (if your class isn’t using Canvas or doesn’t have the iClicker Cloud link enabled in Canvas, go to https://app.reef-education.com/#/login)
2. Login or create a new account
3. If you used the Canvas link, a message should appear to indicate that “Your iClicker Reef account is linked!”

If you’ll be participating in activities using the iClicker web app, you’re done! If you will be using an iClicker remote, add your remote to your account:

1. Locate your iClicker remote ID (for help, see: Where do I find my remote ID and what if it has worn off?)
2. Select the menu in the upper-left
   
3. Select Profile
   
4. Select Register Remotes
   
5. Press Register Remote and enter the unique ID found on your remote

Subscription options

Current subscription pricing can be found on iClicker.com.

Find & add courses

1. Open the iClicker app (or website at https://app.reef-education.com/#/login) and login
2. Click the + sign in the upper-right corner of the Courses screen
3. Verify that your institution is shown as UC Irvine or if you are prompted for your institution, type “Irvine” to bring up a menu where you should be able to select UC Irvine
4. Search by either the course title or instructor name
5. Confirm the course details (including start/end dates) and click Add this course

Complete activities

1. Make sure you have a good wifi signal
2. Open the mobile app on your phone or tablet, or visit https://app.reef-education.com/ from any web browser and find your class
3. Once your instructor launches the iClicker app, you should see a button to join the session.
4. You should see a checked-in screen until the instructor asks a Clicker question
5. Once the instructor asks a question, submit your response and make sure the app shows that your answer was received

Note:
If you turn off your phone between checking in and answering questions, or between questions, you’ll see a Reconnecting screen for a few seconds.

Wifi connection tips

Mobile devices tend to try to hold on to the connection to an access point as long as possible. To ensure that you have the strongest wifi signal in the classroom, we suggest that you toggle your device’s wifi off, wait 5-10 seconds, and then turn it back on so that you connect to the closest access point.