Student Response System - How to Use iClicker Classic (for Instructors)


Introduction

Using iClicker in large classes increases student attendance and interaction. 

  • Students use iClicker remotes or their mobile devices to answer quiz and survey questions during class. 
  • Instructors can save responses to their computers or on the cloud.
  • Instructors can import or sync grades with Canvas. 

iClicker is one of two real-time student response systems at Virginia Tech. The other is Top Hat. To see an overview of iClicker, see Student Response System - How to Use iClickers (for Instructors).

This article covers iClicker Classic instructions. We suggest you use iClicker Cloud and its Canvas integration instead of iClicker Classic, as iClicker Classic will be retired January 2024. For iClicker Cloud instructions, see Student Response System - How to Use iClicker Cloud (for Instructors).

For student instructions, see Student Response System - How to Use iClickers (for Students).

Contents

Instructions

Downloading iClicker Classic

  • Before you proceed with iClicker Classic, please consider switching to iClicker Cloud. You can access the instructions at Student Response System - How to Use iClicker Cloud (for Instructors).
  • Do not download iClicker Class from the iClicker website because it's not pre-configured for VT Canvas. Instead, download Virginia Tech's version, linked below. 
  • In the downloaded package, there are two PDF files (QuickStartGuide and UserGuide), which contain more information not provided on this page.

Windows

  1. Download the iClicker Classic software package configured for Virginia Tech and save it to the desktop of the computer you'll use with iClicker. 
  2. Unzip the downloaded file. It's ready to use.
  3. Go to the unzipped folder and open the iClicker application to start. 

MacOS

  1. Download the iClicker Classic installer with VT customization for Mac.
  2. Download the customization XML file.
  3. Follow the steps in this iClicker Classic macOS Setup video to install.

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Updating iClicker Classic

The iClicker software MUST be updated to the latest version for it to work correctly. 

  1. Run iClicker Classic. Double click the application file called iClicker. 

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  2. On the top menu, click Help ➜ Check for Update. Confirm the update.  

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  3. Click Update. It will download and launch the updated software. You won't lose student data. 
  4. iClicker Classic should update to the latest version. 
  5. Choose your language and click OK. 

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  6. You will be asked to register. Do so or click Remind me later. 

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Setting Up iClicker Classic

Setting Up the Class
  1. In the iClicker folder, double click the iClicker application to start it. 

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  2. Click +Create. 
  3. In the Create a New Course popup, enter a course name. Choose a name that will help you identify the course in future semesters; for example include the course code, semester, year, and CRN. 
  4. Click Create.

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  5. The course will be added to the list under Select a Course. Click on the course and click Settings.

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  6. In Course Settings on the Gradebook tab click Select Course. 

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    • If you see a screen with a drop-down menu for Roster Source, you downloaded the wrong version of iClicker. Use the links above to download and update the correct version. 
    • If you see a popup about browser compatibility, ignore it. 
  7. Log in to Canvas from within iClicker. Enter your PID and PID password.
    • If you see a popup about browser compatibility, ignore it. 
  8. Click Authorize. 
    • If you see a popup about browser compatibility, ignore it.

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  9. iClicker will sync with your Canvas account
  10. The Select your course window will open, which will list of your Canvas course sites.

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  11. Find the course you want to collect iClicker responses for. 
    • Courses are listed as [Course Code] : [Name] - [Course Section].
    • Course Code and Name are listed in the Canvas course's Settings: Course Details. 
    • Course Section is listed in the Canvas course's Settings: Sections. 
  12. Highlight your course and click Select.
    • If your course has more than one cross-listed section, click the version with just [Course Code] : [Name] to capture all sections. 

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  13. In Course Settings area, choose your preferences under the other tabs. These preferences don't affect grade upload to Canvas.  
    • In the General tab, if you have an instructor remote (comes base station kits), enter its remote ID.
    • In the Registration tab, choose to send diagnostic information to iClicker. 
    • In the Mobile tab, you can enable iClicker Student.  
    • In the Roll Call tab, choose your settings to use iClickers to take attendance. 
    • In the Toolbar tab, you can set your iClicker display settings and choose to automatically close any poll questions after a certain number of seconds. 
    • In the Scoring tab, assign points for responses and correct responses. (You can change point values after polls in the iClicker gradebook too.)
    • In the Results tab, choose how you want iClicker responses to be displayed (graphs, histograms, short answers).
    • In the Base Display tab, choose what data you want the iClicker base station to display.
  14. Click Save. A window will appear notifying you that your roster has not been found. Click OK.
  15. You need to take a poll before you can sync your roster.
Setting Up Polling with iClicker Remotes

Setting up the class automatically sets iClicker Classic up to take polls using a base station and student remotes. 

Setting Up Polling with Mobile Devices
  1. Set up an iClicker Cloud account. Go to Using iClicker Cloud Software: Set up iClicker Cloud and follow steps 1 and 2.
  2. Start iClicker Classic. 
  3. On the main menu, click the course and click Settings. 
  4. On the Mobile tab, click Enable. 
  5. Log into your iClicker Cloud account. 
  6. Click on your course. 
  7. A window will appear notifying you that your roster has not been found. Click OK. 

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Polling with iClicker Classic

  1. If you're using a base station, plug it into your computer.
  2. In iClicker Classic, click your course and click Start New Session. 

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  3. iClicker will begin running and the iClicker toolbar will appear.   

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  4. Choose the question type from the drop down menu.

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  5. Click the play icon to start collecting responses to that question type. 

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  6. iClicker Classic will switch to polling mode.
    • A timer shows how long the poll has been open.
    • You can choose to click the chart icon to open the Results Chart. 

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    • The Results Chart shows student responses in real time. 

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    • Click on an answer for iClicker to record it as the correct answer.

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    • Close the Results Chart by clicking the X at the top right or by clicking the chart icon. 

  7. Click the stop icon when you want to stop collecting responses.

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  8. Repeat for additional questions.
  9. When you're done with the poll, click the X to end the session. 

See the User Guide in the iClicker software folder for more details.

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Moving Grades to Canvas

Syncing Rosters

When you add a course, iClicker automatically creates a folder for the course in the Courses folder. Inside the course folder is a roster.txt file. Once students have registered their iClickers in your Canvas course site or or registered their iClicker Student polling app, you can sync the iClicker roster.txt file with your course roster from Canvas.

You must complete one polling session before syncing rosters. 

  1. In the iClicker folder, double click the iClicker application to start it. 

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  2. Open the Gradebook for your course by clicking on the course and clicking Open Gradebook. 

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  3. The iClicker Gradebook will open. It will show iClicker IDs for responses, but not student names. Click Sync Roster to sync your poll with iClickers that your students registered online. Note: you may have to log in to Virginia Tech again.

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  4. On the Sync Roster popup, click Close.

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  5. Students whose iClickers are synced will appear in blue. Student names and iClicker IDs that have not synced will appear in red.
  6. To resolve discrepancies, click a red iClicker ID in the Name column. The Unregistered Clicker window will open.

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  7. Use the drop-down list to assign that iClicker ID to the correct student and click Save. You can also remove incorrectly associated iClicker IDs.

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  8. Repeat until all student names appear in blue. If students add the course or don't register their clickers, you will need to sync your roster more than once. 
Uploading Grades to Canvas
  • Complete a polling session: You must complete one polling session before syncing rosters. 
  • Sync Rosters: You must sync rosters before syncing scores and uploading grades to Canvas. 
  1. In iClicker Classic, click the class and then Open Gradebook. 

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  2. Click Sync Scores.

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  3. You may be asked to sign in with your Virginia Tech account account. Do so. 
  4. The Upload Scores to LMS window will pop up. Click the session(s) you want to upload and click Next.

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  5. A window will pop up where you can customize your data. Choose upload options and click Upload. 
    • Performance points are whether or not the student got the answer correct.
    • Participation points are if the students answered or not.

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  6. iClicker Classic will notify you that Scores uploaded successfully. Click Close. 
  7. In Canvas, a new assignment of type iClicker polling scores will be added to the Assignments area. A column in the Gradebook will appear for the assignment, populated with student grades from the polling session(s).  
    • PR is the participation grade.
    • PF is the performance grade.

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  • You can upload iClicker grades to Canvas as often as you'd like, or just once at the end of the semester. 
  • You can edit the assignment name, assignment group, and weighting of iClicker polls. 

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Troubleshooting

Grades Won't Sync

  • Make sure you're using the VT version of iClicker Classic. See instructions:
  • Make sure you've updated the iClicker Classic software. See instructions:

Synced Wrong Class Section

If you have already synced with the wrong Canvas student roster or grades:

  1. Back up your data iClicker Classic folder.
  2. Create a new iClicker Classic course for the correct Canvas section.
  3. Sync the new course with the correct section.
  4. Delete the assignment and gradebook column for the wrong section. 

Ran Poll Through Wrong Class

Contact iClicker Support. They can move the grade file to the correct class.

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Getting Help

MacMillan Learning supports iClicker usage and syncing: 

Canvas supports Canvas Grades: 

  • Click Help on any Canvas screen for a list of 24-7 support options. 

For other questions: 

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