Most basic use dynamics: instructors create and display (on classroom projection screen) interactive questions calling for student responses. Students enter answers and send them, via instructor's receiver, to software on classroom or laptop computer. Computer instantly tabulates and records all results, which instructor then can show class immediately, usually in chart form. All students must contribute, shy students can give opinions anonymously; record-keeping is done automatically, freeing instructor time for more challenging/important things.

 

Often-used things InterWrite clickers let instructors do:

• Take attendance
• Ask start-up questions at beginning of class, to check on / motivate students' understanding of the previous lecture or that day's assignment
• Break up class sessions with periodic concept-focused questions during lecture, especially after explaining an important concept, to let both instructor and students see if they are on track. Software lets instructor immediately show response results so students see how many voted for which answer (can do so without identifying which is correct). "Peer Instruction" technique lets instructors tell students to try to convince each other of which answer is right, then re-vote. Class discussion or instructor presentation can follow, depending on results.
• Ask student-o pinion questions to spark discussion (may work best to be anonymous)
• Periodically ask students "How'm I Doing?", allowing frequent anonymous student feedback on course effectiveness - lets them fine-tune classes as they progress

In addition, InterWrite also allows instructors to do many other things - short-answer homework / out of class surveys turned in, self-paced in-class short answer exams taken, group discussion answers entered, etc.