An audience response system (‘clickers’) was gradually incorporated into introductory physics
courses at Worcester Polytechnic Institute during the years 2011–14. Clickers were used in lectures,
as a means of preparing for labs, and for collection of exam data and grading. Average student
grades were 13.5% greater, as measured by comparing exam results with a previous year. Student
acceptance of clickers was high, ranging from 66% to 95%, and grading time for exams was markedly
reduced, from a full day to a few hours for approximately 150 students. The streamlined grading
allowed for a second test on the same material for the students who failed the first one. These
improvements have the immediate effects of engagement, learning, and efficiency, and ideally, they
will also provide an environment in which more students will succeed in college and their careers.