Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance

ISSN: 0730-3084 (Print) 2168-3816 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujrd20

Using Plickers as an Assessment Tool in Health and

Physical Education Settings

Lena Chng & Rachel Gurvitch

To cite this article: Lena Chng & Rachel Gurvitch (2018) Using Plickers as an Assessment Tool in
Health and Physical Education Settings, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 89:2,
19-25, DOI: 10.1080/07303084.2017.1404510

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2017.1404510

Published online: 16 Feb 2018.

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 USING
PLICKERS
as an
Assessment
Tool
in Health
and Physical
Education
Settings
Lena Chng
Rachel Gurvitch

E
ffective teachers are interested in measuring the traditional assessment tools at their disposal. They might em-
the learning outcomes of their lessons and units of ploy multiple-choice or true/false questionnaires and short-answer
instruction. They can only know if learning is taking items (Popham, 2008, p. 58). Written tests are the most common
place when they use some form of assessment. Assess- tools used to measure the cognitive and affective domains in physi-
ment is the process of collecting data from students cal education (Veal & Lund, 2013). Despite their popularity, there
to use as the basis for evaluating the effectiveness of instruction, are numerous challenges in using written tests or written surveys
as well as for assigning grades (Imwold, Rider, & Johnson, 1982). in physical education settings — with the lack of time to type,
Therefore, assessment becomes a critical component within the
learning process because it provides opportunities to communicate
expectations to students (Veal & Lund, 2013, p. 5). Lena Chng ([email protected]) is a doctoral student, and Rachel
Gurvitch is an associate professor, in the Department of Kinesiology and
When it comes to determining how well students have mastered
Health at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA.
a particular subskill or a body of knowledge, teachers have all

JOPERD 19
print and administer written tests being one of the most common. the Plickers card in a certain direction to indicate what they think
In addition, teachers must spend time grading tests or surveys af- is the correct answer. The teacher then scans their answers using
ter their administration, which means their students do not get the digital device. The Plickers program generates the response
immediate feedback. Teachers are unable to use the information immediately. With the generated results, the teacher can address
collected until after they have graded all tests and surveys. These the question, check for understanding, or decide to move on with
could be reasons why physical education teachers limit their use the lesson. The teacher can also download the results later to use
of cognitive or affective assessments. Teachers usually check for them as a form of summative assessment. The use of the Plickers
understanding and how students feel as a class or group by asking program gives all students the chance to participate and engage
questions at the beginning of the class or during closure. However, in learning without feeling self-conscious. Next is a step-by-step
simply checking for understanding without systematic documenta- guide on how teachers can get started with the use of Plickers.
tion of students’ performance does not constitute an assessment
(Veal & Lund, 2013).
If more states were to mandate the SHAPE America National Getting Started with Plickers
Standards for K–12 Physical Education, regular and frequent as- The following equipment is needed to use Plickers in physical or
sessments within the physical, cognitive and affective domains health education settings: a laptop with an Internet connection, a
would become basic teacher expectations. The challenge is to help screen projector, a screen or white wall, a handheld digital device
teachers find an easier, cost-effective, and time-effective way to as- (it can be an iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or a tablet) with an
sess their students’ cognitive and affective performance during an Internet connection, and a set of Plickers cards (one per student).
instructional unit and toward the end of the unit. Therefore, the Using the Plickers program for diagnostic, formative and summa-
purpose of this article is to introduce the use of Plickers, a class- tive assessment requires the teacher to follow eight steps.
room response system that has the potential to make the assess- Step 1: Download the App. The first step requires the teacher
ment of the cognitive and affective domain in health and physical to download the Plickers application (app), which is free and avail-
education easier (Krause, O’Neil, & Dauenhauer, 2017, p. 35). able through the Apple or Android app store. Only the teacher
needs to download the Plickers app on a handheld digital device
(phone or a tablet).
A Classroom Response System Step 2: Create an Account. After the initial app download the
A classroom response system is a combination of hardware and teacher is asked to sign up and open a formal account on the Plick-
software that facilitates teaching activities. A common example is ers homepage. The teacher is asked to provide their first and last
the use of “clickers,” where each student is given a handheld trans- name, email and a password to create an account on the website.
mitter that beams a radio-frequency signal to a receiver attached Users can then manage their classes and create a library of ques-
to the teacher’s computer. The students answer a multiple-choice tions on the website itself. This also allows teachers the flexibil-
question projected on the computer projector by selecting the an- ity to use the Plickers program on any device and with multiple
swer of their choice on the clicker. The receiver on the teacher’s classes, as all information is stored virtually.
computer collects the students’ answers and produces a bar chart Step 3: Print the Cards. The Plickers app can scan up to 63
showing how many students chose each of the answer choices. The responses at any one time. Depending on the number of students
teacher then makes instructional choices based on the responses of in the class, the teacher needs to print the number of cards that
the students (Bruff, 2017). Using this type of classroom response suits their instructional needs. Each card has a unique number that
system is possible during physical and health education. However, should be assigned to an individual student. Cards can be printed
it may not be ideal due to cost and the large number of students in from www.plickers.com/cards. Each side on the card represents
these settings. Schools and organizations are not particularly keen one of the letters A, B, C or D (see Figure 1). After the teacher
on forking out big bucks for clunky devices used only for answer- has presented the specific question and its four possible answers
ing multiple-choice questions (Wan, 2012). represented by A, B, C or D, each student is asked to hold his or
her own card so that the correct answer letter is at the top position.
It is recommended that the cards be printed on the highest-quality
What Is Plickers? paper or the heaviest card stock. This is to ensure the durability of
Plickers is an online software that works like a classroom re- the cards. If the teacher chooses to laminate the cards, he or she
sponse system, and it is free. It is simple to use, and it allows teach- should use only matte laminates because the reflection of a glossy
ers to collect real-time formative and summative assessment data laminate may affect the ability of the cards to be properly scanned.
without the need for any hardware devices. Plickers allows teach- These cards are also available for sale on Amazon.com. A deck of
ers to use response polling in class by giving each student a card 40 cards with matte laminates costs $20.
(instead of a clicker), and then using a hand-held device (such as Step 4: Add the Class and Students. After the teacher has es-
a phone or tablet) to scan the cards. Students’ responses are then tablished an account, classes can be added on the “Classes” page
automatically collected and saved to the company’s website (i.e., by entering the basic information of the class. A color code may
www.plickers.com). Teachers can use the data collected to check even be used for each class (see Figure 2). After the class is se-
for understanding and to determine whether they should progress lected, students’ names are added by just entering the names and
with the lesson or revisit certain concepts that were not mastered hitting “Enter” (see Figure 3). Plickers automatically assigns the
by most students. card numbers to students as their names are entered. The teacher
Teachers using Plickers set up the test questions prior to instruc- can create multiple classes by using the “Add New Class” icon.
tion. These questions can be projected on a screen, handed out on Step 5: Add Questions. Questions can be created in the Library
a paper, or communicated verbally. Then students who are individ- of the webpage, or on the mobile app using the “+” icon. Ques-
ually assigned a Plickers card at the start of the lesson will hold up tions can be in the form of multiple choice or true/false. Teachers

20 Volume 89  Number 2 February 2018

 Figure 1.
Plickers card representing the letter B as the correct answer
© Plickers. Reproduced by permission of Plickers. Permission to reuse must be obtained from the original rightsholder.

Figure 2.
Basic class information and class color
© Plickers. Reproduced by permission of Plickers. Permission to reuse must be obtained from the original rightsholder.

JOPERD 21
 Figure 3.
Entering students’ names
© Plickers. Reproduced by permission of Plickers. Permission to reuse must be obtained from the original rightsholder.

Figure 4.
How to organize questions
© Plickers. Reproduced by permission of Plickers. Permission to reuse must be obtained from the original rightsholder.

can also add images by clicking on the “Add Image” icon in the Step 6: Stay Organized. Before using it, the teacher must con-
question box (see Figure 4). The folders in the Library can be ar- sider the management aspect of distributing and collecting cards.
ranged by level, instructional unit, or game type. New folders and Since each card is unique to every student, it is important to make
subfolders can be created for easy access. sure that each student holds his or her own card only. However,

22 Volume 89  Number 2 February 2018

the teacher can reuse the same cards for different classes. A teacher
can use a card organizer for students to collect and return the cards
in an organized manner (see Figure 5). For health education classes
the teacher can print the Plickers cards on a piece of A4 size paper
and ask students to paste their own Plickers card onto their class
folder or health notebook. In that way, students have their card at
all classes and use it every time the teacher needs to implement a
quiz or survey. This minimizes the need to distribute the card every
time the Plickers program is used. Regardless of the method used,
it is recommended that each teacher come up with the plan that
best works for a particular class.
Step 7: Implement Real-time Assessment. The teacher projects
each question on the screen (see Figure 6). Students read the ques-
tion and select their response by holding the card in a certain direc-
tion to indicate their response. There are small letter markings on
the cards so that students know how to hold the card to indicate
their response. At the same time the teacher taps the camera icon
on the mobile app to scan the students’ responses (see Figure 7)
and instantaneously shows on the screen whose responses have
been captured. Students whose responses have been captured put
their cards down. The mobile app will also be able to indicate to
the teacher the students whose responses are not captured, which
is also helpful in determining attendance.
Scanning 60 students takes approximately 10 seconds. It is sug-
gested that the teacher stand at the front of the class where he
or she can see all the students within a small angle range to fa-
cilitate the speed of capturing the responses. A larger angle range
may mean more time needed to scan. The teacher does not need to
grade the answers; the application will provide a bar chart to tally
students’ responses and show the correct answer. Students receive
Figure 5.
immediate feedback, and their responses are recorded.
Card organizer

Figure 6.
Projection on wall
© Plickers. Reproduced by permission of Plickers. Permission to reuse must be obtained from the original rightsholder.

JOPERD 23
 Figure 7.
Scanning of responses

Figure 8.
Live feedback screen
© Plickers. Reproduced by permission of Plickers. Permission to reuse must be obtained from the original rightsholder.

Step 8: View Results. Teachers can also use the “Live View” tab go through the answer with the class, to correct any misconcep-
on the website to display classroom results for students (see Fig- tions. The use of the Plickers program allows the teacher to know
ure 8). Students will be able to see immediately the number of stu- immediately if the knowledge or concepts have been mastered and
dents who got the answers right. The teacher can at the same time to plan the next course of action in their teaching. All results can

24 Volume 89  Number 2 February 2018

also be viewed on the Reports page to identify concepts to review tallies the results immediately, and the teacher can save time (and
and celebrate skills mastered. paper!) on grading. This is especially true for teachers who have
many students in their physical education classes.
The Plickers software also automatically stores data for each
Applications of Plickers class. This documentation is important for both summative and
Like any classroom response system, Plickers can be used in formative assessments. The report can be easily viewed, printed
many scenarios. For example, a teacher can start the lesson by and analyzed. Since the Plickers cards are only readable by the
administering a pop quiz on the previous concepts taught and, scanning device, students next to each other will not be able to see
with the results collected, address any misconceptions and decide what their friends’ answers are. This not only minimizes the pos-
if the concept needs to be retaught or if the class can move on. sibility of cheating in a test, but students are less self-conscious if
In a physical education setting students do not usually carry with they are not sure about the right answer. A final advantage is that
them any writing materials to the gym. Teachers can also use the use of Plickers can also help a teacher to take attendance, espe-
Plickers to administer a cognitive test on the rules of the game, cially in a big class setting (60 students). Most of all, the Plickers
critical elements of a skill, tactics of the game, and so on, and software is available for use at no charge!
the results can be used as part of a summative grade. Teachers
can also set survey questions on how students feel toward the
lesson, their friend’s attitude, and their own effort. This will help Conclusion
in saving time to collate the results. The use of Plickers, or any Plickers has been used in different academic subjects such as
classroom response system, facilitates data collection. The value mathematics, science and even music. The authors of this article
of the data is still dependent on the reliability and validity of the recommend the use of this software to benefit health and physi-
assessment items. cal education teachers, especially when assessing the cognitive
and affective domains. This software helps teachers to document
students’ learning, which is an important aspect of assessment.
Challenges Teachers can use the data collected for reviewing and revising
Like every use of technology in educational settings, there are their instructional process and can provide feedback to students
some potential challenges that should be mentioned. The first is — both of which are critical elements of teaching and learning.
the dependability on app connectivity. The use of Plickers depends Teachers who have been using the software admit that the pros
on the connection of the app, and if the app is not operable, there outweigh the cons, and that the time spent learning to use this
may be a need to restart or reinstall it. This, however, is uncom- software was definitely worthwhile. The time invested in learning
mon. Another challenge is the time it takes to set up the program. and preparing for its implementation should benefit teachers in
It takes time initially to input student details and assign them to the long run.
a Plickers card number. Time is also needed to create a library
of questions to use during class. This may take between one to
three hours initially (depending on the number of classes and the Acknowledgment
number of students in each class), but this is a one-time effort. The The authors would like to thank Ms. Mandy Moreno and Ms.
third challenge is that Plickers cards need to be in good condition Jana Polk of Fulton County Schools for their contributions to this
in order for the scanner to read them. Laminating the cards may article.
help, but the reflection from the laminate can make it difficult for
the app to recognize the cards. Thus, as mentioned earlier, only
matte laminates are recommended. The use of Plickers, like many Disclosure
other innovative technologies, may also have a learning curve for The authors are not affiliated in any way with Plickers, and
teachers and their students. It takes time and practice to learn how there is no conflict of interest.
to use a new program, but once the teacher has tried it, he or she
will gain confidence using it.
References
Bruff, D. (2017). Class response systems (“Clickers”). Center for Teaching,
Advantages Vanderbilt University. Retrieved from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-
Despite the aforementioned challenges in using the Plickers pro- sub-pages/clickers/
gram, there are many advantages that make it worth considering Imwold, C., Rider, R., & Johnson, D. (1982). The use of evaluation in pub-
for health and physical education settings. First, health and physi- lic school physical education programs. Journal of Teaching in Physical
cal education teachers can use this program to perform formative Education, 2, 13–18.
and summative assessments of cognitive and affective domain per- Krause, J. N., O’Neil, K., & Dauenhauer, B. (2017). Plickers: A forma-
formances electronically without the need for individual students tive assessment tool for K–12 and PETE professionals. Strategies, 30(3),
30–36.
to have a personal digital device. Hence, there is no need for stu-
Popham, J. (2008). Transformative assessment. Alexandria, VA: Associa-
dents to wait for their devices to start up and log in. The Plickers
tion for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
program allows the teacher to provide students with immediate Veal, M., & Lund, J. (2013). Assessment-driven instruction in physical
feedback. There is no down time caused by students having to wait education. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
for their teacher to grade the test before they know how well they Wan, T. (Sept. 18, 2012). Check this out: A comparison of audience response
did. This is an advantage that teachers learn to appreciate, in that systems. EdSurge News. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/
they do not need to grade the test or tally the survey. The software check-this-out-a-comparison-of-audience-response-systems J

JOPERD 25