Ian Beatty
University of Massachusetts
Department of Physics

Detrivializing Classroom Response Systems:
A theoretical perspective on CRS practice, skill, and research

Classroom response systems (CRSs), a.k.a. "clicker" systems, have made 
inroads into K-16 education. Despite enthusiasm from some education 
researchers and innovators, however, they remain a relatively niche, 
underappreciated tool with limited penetration and slow adoption -- and 
risk becoming a passing fad. We believe a general tendency to trivialize 
CRSs, and a reluctance to study the details of how, when, and why they 
work, causes many missed opportunities for teaching, for proselytization, 
and for research.

Conversely, incisive thinking about CRS-based instruction can engender 
powerful and comprehensive pedagogical approaches, rich new lines of 
research, and more effective evangelization. We can progress in these 
directions by theoretically "unpacking" *teaching* with a CRS, *learning 
to teach* with a CRS, and *researching* CRS-based teaching.