Teaching with iClicker

iClicker is ASU’s preferred student response system, designed to promote active learning and increase classroom engagement. It allows instructors to pose questions in real-time, providing students with a low-stakes way to participate and interact with course content, while giving instructors immediate insight into student understanding.

Table of Contents

• Why Use This Tool?
• Requirements
• Getting Started
• Using iClicker Activities
• Sync Grades from iClicker to Canvas
• Additional Resources

Why Use This Tool?

• Active Learning: Students actively engage with course material by responding to questions during class, viewing aggregated results in real time, and reflecting on their understanding. Instructors can also ask students to report their level of confidence in their responses.
• Community of Inquiry: iClicker supports social learning by normalizing uncertainty. When students see that others share misconceptions, it creates space for discussion and clarification rather than silent confusion
• Instructional Flexibility: iClicker works on top of existing content and presentation tools (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Zoom, Meet, etc.). You can poll over any content without needing to restructure your slides.
• In-the-Moment Feedback: Polling and quizzing results provide immediate insight into student understanding, allowing instructors to adjust pacing or revisit concepts during class.
• Study Support: iClicker automatically captures polling questions, which students can later use as flashcards and practice questions.

Requirements

What Instructors Need

• A free iClicker instructor account (ASU SSO required). You can sign in via browser or the iClicker Cloud desktop app. If prompted, select Sign in through your campus portal.
• The iClicker Cloud desktop application
  • Used to run polls, quizzes, and attendance during class
  • Installed on ASU classroom computers, but be sure to confirm that the application is installed and working before class begins.
• A stable internet connection (hardwired recommended)
• Polling or quiz questions embedded in your lecture slides (or created on the fly)
• Optional: iClicker Cloud Instructor mobile app

What Students Need

• A free iClicker Student account (ASU SSO required)
• A response device:
  • Mobile app (phone or tablet), or
  • Web browser on a laptop or tablet

Instructors should clearly communicate:

• No subscription or payment is required for ASU students
• Which devices are allowed
• How participation affects grades (if applicable)

Getting Started

Creating a Course in iClicker

1. Log in to iClicker at instructor.iclicker.com.
2. From the Courses homepage, click the Create New Course button.
   • If you plan to use iClicker for student interactions (polls, quizzes, or assignments), select the Full Course course type. Enter the course information.
   • If you're only using iClicker to track student attendance, select the Attendance Only course type. No additional course details will be necessary.
3. Click Create.

See How to Create a Course in iClicker Cloud for more detailed instruictions.

Connect iClicker to Canvas

1. Log in to iClicker at instructor.iclicker.com.
2. Select Settings from the course menu.
3. Open the Integrations tab.
4. Click Connect to Canvas. This must be done by a course instructor. Teach Assistants will not be able to complete this step.
5. If prompted, select Canvas as your LMS.
6. When connecting for the first time, click Go to Canvas to authorize the connection.
   • You will be redirected to Canvas to sign in and grant permission.
   • Once authorized, you will return to iClicker Cloud.
7. Select your Canvas course and click Next.
8. If your Canvas course includes sections, select at least one section and click Connect.

You can review or edit your integration at any time by returning to Settings → Integrations.

See iClicker Cloud Roster & Grade Sync with Canvas for more detailed instructions.

Sync Your Roster from Canvas to iClicker

Once your iClicker course is connected to your Cavnas course, you can sync the roster to import your student list from Canvas into iClicker.

1. In your iClicker course, select People.
2. Confirm you are on the Students tab.
3. Click Sync Roster.

If the sync is successful, you’ll receive a confirmation message. If some students do not sync, select View Details to see which students require action. Most issues occur because a student has not logged in using ASU SSO or is using a different email address. You can send students instructions directly from iClicker:

1. Check the boxes to select students.
2. (Optional) Check the box for Send me a copy of this email to receive a copy of the email.
3. Click Send Email. (You can only send an email to students once a day.)

You can Sync Roster again as needed if new students enroll in your Canvas course after the initial roster sync.

Review and Adjust Grade Sync Settings

Before syncing grades, review how scores will appear in Canvas.

1. Go to Settings → Integrations in your iClicker course.
2. Review Grade Sync Settings, including:
   • Single combined column (all iClicker activity scores combined), or
   • Individual activity columns (one column per poll or quiz)
3. Choose which scores to sync:
   • Total points
   • Participation points only
   • Performance points only
   • Participation and performance as separate columns
4. Choose what happens when students have no responses:
   • Receive a score of zero, or
   • Do not receive a score (recommended to avoid overwriting earned points)

You can change these settings at any time. Changes will not remove existing grade columns in Canvas.

Using iClicker Activities

iClicker offers three activity types each suited to different instructional goals. The key differences are when students respond (in class vs. outside of class) and how the activity is paced (instructor-paced vs. student-paced). Use the options below to match the activity to your teaching intent.

• Polls: Best for real-time, instructor-paced engagement during class. Polls are presented one question at a time and work well for discussion, peer instruction, quick comprehension checks, and just-in-time feedback.
• Quizzes: Best for low-stakes, in-class assessment where students answer multiple questions at their own pace. Quizzes are useful when you want more structure than polls but still want to supervise the activity in real time.
• Assignments: Best for student-paced work completed outside of class. Assignments support asynchronous practice, reflection, and formative assessment without requiring live facilitation.

iClicker: Polls

Polls are the most common way instructors use iClicker during class. Students respond to one question at a time as the instructor makes questions available. Polls are useful for real-time engagement and discussion, quick checks for understanding, and peer instruction/group work Polls work well in in-person, hybrid, and remote courses.

Key features:

• Support multiple question types (multiple choice, multiple select, numeric, short answer, target)
• Optional screenshots of slides sent to student devices
• Timers, confidence ratings, and anonymous mode

See How to Run Polls in iClicker Cloud Courses for more detailed instructions.

iClicker: Quizzes

Quizzes allow students to answer a set of questions at their own pace during class and are best suited for low-stakes, synchronous assessment. There are two ways to use Quizzes in iClicker:

Pre-Created Quizzes (Recommended)

Pre-Created Quizzes are built before class on the iClicker instructor website and launched during class. Pre-Created Quizzes are best when you want more control over question setup, grading, and accessibility.

Key features:

• Support multiple-choice and short-answer questions
• Created by uploading a PDF of question slides
• Allow instructors to:
  • Set scoring rules
  • Randomize questions
  • Add alt text for accessibility
  • Review responses and provide feedback after class
• Grades can be synced to Canvas
• Require students to use the iClicker Student mobile app or web browser (remotes not supported)

See How to Create and Manage a Quiz Before Class in iClicker Cloud (Pre-Created Quizzing) for more detailed instructions.

Quick Start Quizzes (In-Class Setup)

Quick Start Quizzes are created during class from the desktop software. Quick Start Quizzes are limited in their usability, but they can work for are well-suited for short checks-for-understanding when a pre-created quiz isn't available.

Key features:

• Support multiple-choice questions only
• Questions must be visible via slides or handouts; quick quizzes does not send screenshots to student devices
• Students answer questions in any order and submit when finished

See How to Run Quizzes in Class with iClicker Cloud for more detailed instructions.

iClicker: Assignments

Assignments extend iClicker engagement beyond live class sessions, allowing students to respond to a set of questions at their own pace outside of class. Assignments are useful for pre-class preparation, post-class reflection, or engagement with recorded lectures. For more complex or high-stakes coursework, Canvas assignments are often a better fit.

Key features:

• Support multiple question types (multiple choice, short answer, numeric, target)
• Created on the iClicker instructor website by uploading a PDF of question slides
• Allow instructors to set scoring rules for correctness and/or participation
• Grades can be reviewed and synced to Canvas
• Completed outside of class with availability dates and due dates

See How to Create and Manage Assignments in iClicker Cloud for more detailed instructions.

iClicker: Taking Attendance

iClicker can be used to take attendance either as part of a Full Course or as an Attendance Only course. Which option you choose depends on whether you plan to use iClicker for engagement activities in addition to attendance.

Attendance in Full Courses (Most Common Use)

In a Full Course, attendance is taken automatically as part of normal class sessions.

• Attendance is recorded when students join an active class session
• Students using the iClicker Student app are marked present when they join
• Students using iClicker remotes are marked present when they respond to a poll or quiz
• Attendance settings can be adjusted from the instructor website or desktop software
• Optional alerts highlight students who exceed a set number of absences
• Optional geolocation can require students to be physically present in the classroom
• Attendance totals can be synced to Canvas

See How to Manage Attendance Settings in iClicker Cloud for more detailed instructions.

Attendance Only Courses

Attendance Only courses are designed for instructors who want to track attendance without using polls, quizzes, or assignments.

• Attendance runs independently of class sessions
• Students check in using the iClicker Student app (no remotes)
• No polling or quizzing features are available
• Attendance can be set to auto-run based on scheduled meeting times
• Optional geolocation can restrict check-ins to the physical classroom
• Alerts can flag students with repeated absences
• Attendance data can be reviewed and managed on the instructor website

See iClicker Attendance Only Courses: How to Manage Attendance Settings in iClicker Cloud for more detailed instructions.

Sync Grades from iClicker to Canvas

To send grades to Canvas:

1. Select Gradebook in your iClicker course.
2. Click Sync Grades.
3. Select the activities you want to sync.
4. Click Sync.

You’ll receive a confirmation message showing:

• How many students synced successfully
• Any errors that need attention

Important notes:

• Syncing grades will overwrite any manual changes made in Canvas. If you need to make manual adjustments to scores, make changes in iClicker first, then sync to Canvas.
• Changing the name of a poll or quiz after syncing will not break the sync, but mismatched names may cause confusion for students. Try to maintain consistent naming between iClicker and Canvas.

Additional Resources

• TLC Video: Getting Started with iClicker (slides available here).
• TLC Guide: iClicker: Creating a Course
• TLC Guide: iClicker: Quizzes and Polls
• TLC Guide: iClicker: Taking Attendance
• TLC Guide: iClicker: Creating an Assignment
• ASU Learning Experience: iClicker
• If you need to have iClicker installed on a university computer, put in a support ticket here: Service Now Ticket - University Classroom Software

iClicker Resources

Search the official iClicker Knowledge Base:

• iClicker Knowledge Base

Common support topics:

• How to Practice Before Your First Class
• How to Run an Exit Poll and View the Responses to get feedback on your class
• iClicker Cloud Polling Question Types
• How to Grade and View Polling Results on the iClicker Cloud Instructor Website
• How to View Attendance with the iClicker Cloud Desktop Software
• How to View and Manage Attendance Data in iClicker Cloud
• iClicker Student App Attendance Geolocation Tips (Troubleshoot Student Issue)
• How to Archive or Unarchive an iClicker Course
• How to Delete an iClicker Cloud Course