Clickers in the classroom

Students click their way through a quiz using handheld devices that wirelessly relay responses to questions to an instructor's laptop. "Clickers," as they are becoming known, are appearing in hundreds of colleges and universities around the country as teachers try to appeal to a generation raised on computers and cell phones.

This student response system from the Interwrite division of GTCO CalComp uses the same technology as a TV remote control.

Another clicker made by eInstruction, a company in Denton, Texas. This one uses radio frequency to transmit responses and sells for around $12 at some student bookstores. The reciever for this particular device can gather up to 1,000 responses in seven seconds.