Audience Responders
Audience response systems (ASRs) have proven an effective way to gather student input, increase student involvement and encourage active learning. Also known as Clickers or Student Response Systems, they consist of software for polling the audience, a receiver for collecting the data, and wireless responders that allow students to submit their answers. Usually responses can be collected anonymously or tied to specific users, making them useful for both evaluation and assessment. Often questions are embedded in a presentation (e.g. a PowerPoint presentation), but new options allow polling in different programs or on the fly. Recent innovations also allow responses to be sent from PDAs, cell phones, laptops or other wireless enabled devices, or through the Web.
Selected resources are provided below. For a more extensive list of over 225 resources, including how Audience Responders have been used in specific disciplines, see
Derek Bruff’s:
Classroom Response System ("Clickers") Bibliography
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/teaching_resources/technology/crs_biblio.htm
Introduction to Audience Response Systems
and Best Practices
Classroom Response Systems: A Teaching with Technology White Paper
http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/PublicationsArchives/StudiesWhitepapers/
ClassroomResponse_Nov07.pdf
An introduction to audience response systems including an overview of their uses and a review of studies that examine their effectiveness.
Optimizing Learning and Retention Through Interactive Lecturing: Using the
ARS at CUMC
http://library.cpmc.columbia.edu/cere/web/facultyDev/ARS_handout_2004_overview.pdf
A brief overview of Audience Response systems including a discussion of some of the benefits of using them.
Effective Use of the ARS: A Primer
http://library.cpmc.columbia.edu/cere/web/facultyDev/ARS_handout_2004_tipsheet.pdf
Hints for planning, creating and delivering interactive presentations using audience response systems.
Twelve Tips for Using a Computerized Interactive Audience Response System
http://cidd.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/workshops/documentation/twelvetips.pdf
Practical tips for using audience responders effectively in the classroom.
Clicker Resource Guide: An Instructors Guide to the Effective Use of Personal Response Systems (Clickers) in Teaching.
http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/files/Clickers_Final_Version_04_08.pdf
A guide to creating effective questions and using audience response systems in the classroom.
Teaching with Clickers.
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no22.pdf
An discussion of the use of audience responders in higher education including recommendations on their use.
Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips
http://lifescied.org/cgi/reprint/6/1/9.pdf
A review of current research findings on the use of audience response systems including best practices for their effective use in the classroom.
Choosing and Deploying an Audience Response System
Clicker Evolution: Seeking Intelligent Design
http://www.lifescied.org/cgi/reprint/6/1/1.pdf
A comparative review of six current audience response systems.
Successful Clicker Standardization
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/
SuccessfulClickerStandardizati/162274
Describes four different institutions’ experiences with standardizing on a single audience response system. Discusses the criteria that each institution used to choose their systems and how they managed their deployment and support.
Clicker Picker
http://www.educause.edu/upload/presentations/E07/PS054/ClickerPickerHandout.pdf
Outlines the reasons four different institutions decided to purchase four different audience response systems.
Audience Response System Vendors
eInstruction
http://www.einstruction.com/products/assessment/index.html
“eInstruction offers a choice of systems to fit the needs and budgets of every type and size class, from K-12 to higher education and corporate and government training programs.”
H-ITT
http://www.h-itt.com/
"Hyper-Interactive Teaching Technology, or simply H-ITT was founded in 2001 as an electronic teaching system designed to make the learning environment extremely interactive. The system includes infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) student transmitters with unique identification numbers, an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) receiver which collects the student responses, and computer software which displays the responses and tallies them for grading purposes. H-ITT's software is free to use and runs on computers that use either the Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems."
i>Clicker
http://www.iclicker.com/
” With i>clicker, it’s all about your teaching. You don’t have to worry - or even think - about the technology. There is almost no learning curve - you can be up and running in front of hundreds or even thousands of students in a matter of minutes.”
iRespond
http://www.irespond.com/
"Our solutions of personal response systems (clickers) may be used in virtually any setting from a kindergarten in California to a board room in Boston. We even have a Web-based solution for those times when you and your audience are in different locations."
Meridia
http://www.meridiaars.com/
"Meridia Audience Response provides interactive audience response system services, using wireless keypads for audience participation during meetings, conventions, trade shows, and more."
Quizdom
http://www.qwizdom.com/
"Qwizdom's Award Winning Technology is designed to engage everyone in the classroom, whether you are a student or the teacher. Watch as your students become inspired, engaged, and motivated while using Qwizdom's Software, Data Collection Tools, and RF handheld remote systems.”
Smartroom Learning Solutions
http://www.smartroom.com/
"Beyond Question is an interactive student response system that provides the tools needed to actively engage every student in the classroom. By using wireless response devices, students are eager to participate in class discussions and surveys. Daily quizzes and subject matter reviews can be given to assure that the material is being learned. Automatic grading reduces the professor's workload, freeing up valuable time that can be better spent elsewhere."
TurningPoint
http://www.turningtechnologies.com/
"TurningPoint audience response system integrates 100% into Microsoft® PowerPoint® and allows audiences and students to participate in presentations or lectures by submitting responses to interactive questions using a ResponseCard® keypad or other hand-held/computer devices. ResponseWare allows participants to respond via the internet through any web browser and immediately transfers their selection to our award-winning student response software"