A new clicker is being introduced to students this upcoming semester. The clicker used to facilitate student participation and for the instructor to gauge student understanding of class material is being replaced by the new technology, iClicker.

“Faculty noticed a decline in student participation,” Mina Azim, vice president of University Affairs, said. “The results that were expected were not being seen due to complications with this technology.”

The new technology is expected to be easier to use and a more affordable option for both the students and school. The current hardware costs $54, but the new iClicker will be priced at $41.

Also, the SDSU bookstore is helping students who need to make the switch to the iClicker by giving students several discounts.

Students who bring in the old clicker at the time of the purchase will receive a $10 rebate, plus an additional $18 backback for the new clicker. One last perk that may encourage students to purchase the iClicker is an additional $10 coupon when spending at least $250 at the bookstore, which could reduce the cost of the iClicker to $3.99.

“I never had any troubles with the old clicker,” English sophomore Carina Luna said. “But if the change benefits me economically then I am happy.”

Although there are students who don’t have complaints about the current system, both faculty and students were involved in choosing the new option that will replace the clicker. With 53 instructors using this technology at the moment, the iClicker has the potential of a more obvious increase in student participation and class understanding when compared to the original clicker.

“Faculty doesn’t want participation to be a difficult process,” Azim said. “Even more when it is a big classroom and it becomes difficult to attend to every single student.”