Clickers can promote fact retention but impede conceptual understanding: The effect of the interaction between clicker use and pedagogy on learning

•Two experiments explored the role of clickers on factual and conceptual learning.•One course emphasized fact retention and the other emphasized conceptual understanding.•Factual and conceptual clicker questions enhanced only fact learning in the didactic course.•Factual questions impaired conceptual learning in the problem-oriented course.•Clicker effects are mediated by pedagogy, learning strategy, and prior knowledge.