Boston University Students Question Clicker Costs
Students have raised concerns over the necessity and mandatory $71 price tag for physical classroom clickers.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Higher Education
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Boston University students are pushing back against the requirement to purchase $71 PointSolutions ResponseCard clickers for participation grades. Faculty maintain that the dedicated hardware is essential for engagement in large lecture courses.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights the ongoing debate over hidden course costs and the pedagogical value of physical response technology versus mobile alternatives. Students argue that affordable third-party options are unfairly prohibited by department requirements.
The PointSolutions ResponseCard device retails for $71, significantly higher than the $29.99 found on third-party sites. While the department prohibits outside purchases due to a required $40 software license, it has donated 300 units to the library.
The players
Boston University
This private research university located in Boston serves as the primary institution where the clicker policy is enforced.
Binyomin Abrams
He is a professor at Boston University who has been a faculty member at the institution since 2008.
The details
Students are required to use these clickers to submit answers to in-class questions, with faculty using the data to track attendance and evaluate comprehension. The university chemistry department maintains that dedicated hardware is superior to mobile apps for minimizing distractions in lecture sections of 250 students.
Timeline
The chemistry department has utilized these specific devices for 15 years.
Professor Binyomin Abrams began his tenure at the university in 2008.
Data from the Fall 2025 chemistry course showed an average clicker score of 97%.
Freshmen expressed surprise regarding the mandatory equipment costs in September 2026.
Culture Shift
This dispute reflects a broader transition in higher education where students are increasingly questioning the necessity of proprietary hardware compared to mobile alternatives. The pushback contrasts with 30 years of academic research that once validated the use of clickers as a primary tool for student engagement.
Students facing these costs can utilize the university library, which currently provides clicker loans funded by 300 donated units. However, those unable to secure a loan must purchase the official device at the full $71 retail price to receive credit.
The takeaway
Students should investigate library loan programs early in the semester to avoid mandatory out-of-pocket equipment expenses. Departments relying on legacy hardware may continue to face pressure to adopt more cost-effective digital solutions.
Further reading
For more context on the evolving classroom technology landscape, visit the Higher Education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Free Press.
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Should universities mandate that students purchase specific proprietary devices for class participation?
