NOVEMBER
      8,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “NEWS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Clicker
      method
     
     
      introduced
      to
      student
     
     
      campuses
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sebastian
      Baglole
     
     
      Reporter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      years,
      it
      was
      all
      we
      could
      do
      to
     
     
      keep
      our
      hands
      off
      our
      pets
      when
      they
     
     
      got
      too
      excited,
      or
      didn’t
      pay
      attention
     
     
      to
      the
      command
      of
      their
      masters,
      or
     
     
      could
      not
      understand
      what
      they
      were
     
     
      being
      taught.
      It
      strains
      the
      nerves
      and
     
     
      ruins
      the
      effect
      of
      your
      teaching,
     
     
      doesn’t
      it?
     
    

    
     
      However,
      with
      the
      startling
     
     
      revelation
      of
      the
      clicker
      training,
      a
     
     
      hand-held
      plastic
      object
      needing
      only
     
     
      the
      effort
      of
      a
      thumb,
      a
      simple
      muscle
     
     
      twitch
      is
      all
      that
      was
      needed
      to
      show
     
     
      our
      mutts
      they
      are
      on
      the
      right
      track.
     
     
      The
      type
      of
      clicker
      we
      use
      in
      dog
     
     
      training
      is
      a
      simple
      version
      of
      the
      new
     
     
      handheld
      keypad
      that
      is
      becoming
     
     
      recognized
      by
      colleges
      and
      universities
     
     
      across
      North
      America.
     
    

    
     
      Now
      instructional
      technology
     
     
      may
      be
      taking
      a
      giant
      leap
      of
      faith,
     
     
      considering
      that
      these
      puppies
      are
     
     
      being
      introduced
      to
      regulate
      the
     
     
      teaching
      efforts
      of
      professors
      of
      major
     
     
      universities
      in
      Canada
      and
      the
      United
     
     
      States.
      So
      far,
      the
      feedback
      is
      piling
      in
     
     
      on
      a
      positive
      note;
      the
      University
      of
     
     
      Ohio
      had
      received
      a
      lot
      of
      support
      of
     
     
      the
      method
      from
      students
      and
      staff,
     
     
      and
      Wilfred
      Laurier
      University
      brought
     
     
      them
      in
      on
      a
      unanimous
      decision.
     
    

    
     
      The
      instrument
      of
      this
      new
     
     
      method
      is
      a
      remote
      control
      handled
      by
     
     
      students
      designed
      to
      respond
      their
     
     
      level
      of
      understanding
      of
      current
     
     
      material
      by
      pressing
      a
      button
      on
      the
     
     
      remote
      that
      correlates
      to
      an
      option
      on
     
     
      a
      screen
      at
      the
      front
      of
      the
      class.
      The
     
     
      design
      "made
      to
      make
      the
     
     
      schoolmasters
      aware
      of
      the
      effects
      of
     
     
      their
      teaching
      -
      what
      is
      not
      “clicking”
     
     
      with
      class
      members
      -
      and
      what
      work
     
     
      needs
      to
      be
      reviewed,
      a
      topic
      which
     
     
      may
      also
      be
      voted
      on
      by
      students.
     
    

    
     
      It’s
      true,
      there
      is
      nothing
     
     
      inherently
      wrong
      with
      clicker
      training
     
     
      students;
      it
      is
      cost
      efficient
      for
      them,
     
     
      easy
      to
      use
      for
      both
      pupils
      and
     
     
      professors,
      and
      it
      is
      easily
      compatible
     
     
      with
      many
      programs
      affiliated
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      student
      comprehension,
      including
     
     
      WebCT
      and
      software.
     
    

    
     
      The
      biggest
      flaw
      with
      the
     
     
      be
      seen
      when
     
    
   
   
    
     
      various
     
    
   
   
    
     
      instrument
      can
     
    
   
   
    
     
      comparing
      a
      classroom
      using
      the
     
     
      clickers
      with
      another
      without
      them:
     
     
      they
      simply
      are
      not
      necessary.
      Students
     
     
      may,
      and
      often
      do,
      chime
      in
      when
      they
     
     
      aren’t
      following
      the
      material,
      and
     
     
      deeper
      class
      discussions
      can
      ensue
      as
     
     
      a
      result.
     
    

    
     
      _
      The
      next
      issue
      that
      arises
      from
     
     
      the
      clickers
      is
      that,
      although
      they
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘usually
      provided
      “free”
      with
      certain
     
    
   
   
    
     
      textbooks,
      this
      reduces
      the
      chance
      of
     
     
      students
      buying
      used
      textbooks
      to
      ease
     
     
      the
      strain
      on
      their
      wallets.
      And
      after
     
     
      the
      monetary
      expenses,
      precious
      time
     
     
      is
      lost
      on
      installations
      of
      clickers
      and
     
     
      screens,
      frustrating
      hours
      spent
      trying
     
     
      to
      activate
      the
      things,
      and
      all
      the
      class
     
     
      time
      wasted.
      Inevitably,
      the
      semester
     
     
      progresses,
      and
      the
      debilitating
      effect
     
     
      of.
      the.
      clickers
      is
      realized.
     
    

    
     
      “There
      will
      hopefully
      be
      some
     
     
      co-ordination
      if
      we
      choose
      a
      company
     
     
      to
      go
      with,”
      says
      Professor
      Jason
     
     
      Doiron.
      He
      found
      that
      they
      were
      very
     
     
      simple
      to
      install,
      and
      believes
      that
     
     
      other
      faculties
      will
      come
      on
      board
      with
     
     
      the
      handheld
      devices.
     
    

    
     
      “An
      hour
      and
      15
      minutes
      is
      a
     
     
      long
      time
      to
      listen
      to
      someone
      talk.
     
     
      You
      can
      do
      a
      lot
      more
      with
      the
     
     
      problems
      and
      have
      a
      really
      good
     
     
      discussion,”
      Doiron
      said.
      And
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      amazing
      bit?
     
     
      “People.
      actually
      bring
      them
      to
     
     
      c
      a
      s
      s
      eS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      None
      of
      this
      can
      equal
      the
     
     
      merit
      of
      patience
      and
      skill
      of
      a
      strong
     
     
      faculty,
      and
      an
      eager
      bunch
      of
     
     
      students
      not
      afraid
      to
      raise
      their
      paws
     
     
      if
      something
      is
      troubling
      them.
     
    

    
     
      Professor
      Doiron
      admits,
      “If
      we
     
     
      use
      this
      all
      the
      time,
      it
      would
      certainly
     
     
      negatively
      impact
      teaching.
      We
      should
     
     
      use
      it
      only
      when
      it’s
      appropriate.”
     
    

    
     
      This
      begs
      the
      question
      of
      how
     
     
      useful
      these
      devices
      would
      be
      if
      they
     
     
      were
      applied
      to
      a
      field
      like
      philosophy,
     
     
      or
      English,
      subjects
      that
      demand
     
     
      further
      explanation
      than
      a
      projection
     
     
      on
      a
      screen.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Take
      a
      look
      for
      yourself;
      the
      system
     
     
      can
      be
      found
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      www.turningtechnologies.com.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      4
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Psychological
     
     
      phenomenon
      no
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stacey
      Murray
     
     
      Advertising
      Manager
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Imagine
      feeling
      so
      ill
      you
      can
      barely
     
     
      move
      while
      people
      pass
      by
      without
     
     
      giving
      a
      second
      thought
      to
      helping
      you.
     
     
      Candice
      McQuaid
      faced
      that
      situation
     
     
      at
      UPEI
      late
      last
      month.
      after
      going
      to
     
     
      her
      car
      in
      seatch
      of
      Advil.
     
    

    
     
      While
      she
      was
      only
      mildly
      under
     
     
      the
      weather,
      her
      state
      worsened
      in
      the
     
     
      parking
      lot
      —
      until
      she
      was
      vomiting
     
     
      on
      the
      ground
      beside
      her
      cat.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      had
      a
      hard
      time
      talking
      on
      the
     
     
      phone
      because
      I
      was
      just
      in
      so
      much
     
     
      pain
      at
      the
      time.”
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      lunchtime.
      the
      parking
     
     
      lot
      was
      busy
      and
      people
      were
      pulling
     
     
      up
      next
      to
      her
      car.
     
    

    
     
      At
      the
      time,
      she
      was
      just
      hoping
     
     
      for
      the
      intense
      pain
      to
      subside.
      When
     
     
      she
      recovered,
      however,
      McQuaid
     
     
      wondered
      why
      no
      one
      had
      helped.
     
    

    
     
      After
      researching
      the
      subject
     
     
      and
      hearing
      about
      it
      in
      class,
      she
     
     
      labeled
      it
      the
      bystander
      effect.
     
    

    
     
      Pyschology
      professor
      Sandy
     
     
      Macdonald
      said
      the
      effect
      is
      a
     
     
      phenomenon
      that
      occurs
      in
      groups.
     
    

    
     
      When
      more
      than
      one
      person
     
     
      witnesses
      a
      crisis,
      they
      wait
      for
      others
     
     
      to
      take
      action.
      They
      try
      to
      gauge
      the
     
     
      group’s
      reaction
      so
      they
      can
      match
      it.
     
    

    
     
      They
      also
      think
      that
      if
      no
      one’s
     
     
      helping,
      it
      must
      not
      be
      that
      serious,
     
     
      MacDonald
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “Many
      of
      us
      assume
      if
      there
      is
     
     
      a
      Ctisis,
      someone
      will
      intercede.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stranger
      to
      campus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      cited
      a
      famous
      example
      of
     
     
      the
      bystander
      effect
      involving
      a
      New
     
     
      York
      woman,
      Kitty
      Genovese.
     
    

    
     
      Genovese
      was
      murdered
      while
     
     
      people
      watched
      through
      their
      windows
     
     
      in
      neighbouring
      apartments.
      Her
     
     
      screams
      were
      enough
      to
      scare
      the
     
     
      killer
      away,
      but
      when
      he
      noticed
      no
     
     
      one
      helped
      her,
      he
      came
      back
      and
     
     
      finished
      the
      job.
     
    

    
     
      While
      McQuaid
      wasn’t
      facing
     
     
      death,
      she
      said
      someone
      may
      be
      in
      a
     
     
      similar
      situation
      some
      day.
     
    

    
     
      Someone
      could
      have
      an
      allergic
     
     
      reaction
      or
      a
      heart
      attack
      in
      the
      same
     
     
      parking
      lot,
      McQuaid
      said.
     
    

    
     
      She’s
      speaking
      out
      so
      others
      will
     
     
      think
      the
      next
      time
      a
      situation
      like
      this
     
     
      arises.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      think
      we
      can
      consciously
     
     
      change
      if
      we
      question
      and
      think
     
     
      critically
      about
      things”
     
    

    
     
      MacDonald
      said
      while
      it
      is
      a
     
     
      psychological
      phenomenon,
      a
      change
     
     
      in
      attitude
      can
      overcome
      the
      bystander
     
     
      effect.
      Overcoming
      it
      is
      a
      common
     
     
      theme
      in
      first-aid
      classes.
     
    

    
     
      McQuaid
      said
      overcoming
      the
     
     
      effect
      is
      as
      simple
      as
      stepping
      forward
     
     
      to
      help.
     
    

    
     
      “You're
      the
      one
      who’s
      going
      to
     
     
      have
      to
      decide
      and
      take
      charge
      of
      the
     
     
      situation.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      do
      you
      like
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      Cadre?
     
     
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      off?
     
     
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      ...?
     
     
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      out
      of
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      mind?
     
    
   
   
    
     
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