Missouri University of Science and Technology, The Center for Educational Research and Teaching Innovation

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The Center for
Educational Research
and Teaching Innovation
202 Norwood Hall
1870 Miner Circle
Rolla, MO 65409
(573) 341-7276
certi@mst.edu

Teaching with Technology

Best practices in education occasionally involve the integration of technology into the classroom. CERTI hosts demonstrations and workshops on the technology with the potential to make the most impact on the learning environment.

Smart Interactive Pen Display & SychronEyes Training

CERTI offers individual or small group training on how to the Smart Interactive Pen Display and/or SychronEyes software in the classroom. To schedule training, please contact certi@mst.edu.

Response System Training

CERTI offers individual or small group training on how to use response systems in the classroom. To schedule training, please contact certi@mst.edu.

	What is a response system?
	Is the technology really that good?
	What does this technology not do?
	How can I use this technology in my classroom?
	Is there a database of "good" questions that I can use?
	What are the potential pitfalls of incorporating this technology into lecture content?
	Can I use a response system if I also have distance education students in my class?
	Who is using this technology in their classes?
	What does the Missouri S&T research data reveal about this technology?
	How do I get started with using this technology?

What is a response system?
Personal response system technology consists of infrared transmitters (response cards) that are issued to the students, a portable or permanently installed classroom receiver(s), and presentation software (usually a PowerPoint or other Office software plug-in). The instructor poses a question to the students via PowerPoint and the students respond using the transmitters. The responses are collected and assimilated instantly into graphical data, such as a pie or bar chart, which can be displayed back to the students.

The quick compilation of data provides two immediate benefits--efficiency and assessment. The benefits to the instructor are obvious. Electronic responses eliminate paper waste, reduce the time required to grade quizzes and provide a mechanism for taking attendance all in the matter of seconds. The data provides the instructor and student with a powerful learning/teaching assessment tool. By providing answers to questions, the instructor and student can quickly identify critical insights to individual student learning and knowledge retention.

Response system technology gives the instructor a powerful assessment tool as well as a tool that positively impacts student attention and retention of the course material.

Is the technology really that good?
The technology provides for the instant collection and record large numbers of student responses in a very efficient manner. Success truly rests with how the instructor incorporates the technology into class content.

What does this technology not do?
Since only one question can be presented and answered synchronously by all students it is quite difficult to present a test with multiple questions using this powerpoint plug in.

Vendors are in the developing stages of a response card XL that would allow for the presentation and assimilation of multiple questions during one specific time frame.

How can I use this technology in my classroom?
Faculty have used this technology successfully to:

Save time by substituting for a paper test or quiz.

Save time when taking attendance.

Polling the class to check understanding of last night's homework with a question(s) over the key concepts.

Asking "muddiest pointâ€? questions.

Gain instant feedback on student understanding of presented material during lectures thus allowing the instructor to made adjustments to the material to be presented.

Have students grade peer presentations.

Facilitate debate sessions by providing group opinions or consensus data.

Is there a database of "good" questions that I can use?
The Forced Concept Inventory (FCI) are questions designed to measure conceptual instead of computational knowledge. Thirteen of these concept inventories exists online at the Foundation Coalition. They are intended for pre- and post-testing to encourage evaluation of different teaching approaches. To prevent student access, instruments are not posted on the Web site but may be readily obtained by contacting the developer.

What are the potential pitfalls of incorporating this technology into lecture content?
Faculty who have implemented this technology have provided information on the pitfalls they encountered and have also provided their solutions to these problems. In addition, student survey responses also provided great insight into potential pitfalls that if not adequately addressed could result in negative experiences.

Explaining Concepts after Quiz	Possible Solution
Failure to explain the concept posed on the quiz after the class has had a chance to respond.	Students really love to benchmark their knowledge with the instructors and appreciate the opportunity to correct their misconceptions. One suggestion for would be to allow group teaching to occur. Or if time prohibits to provide the questions and answers on Blackboard nightly.
Advanced Reading Assignments	Possible Solution
The presentation of quiz questions over reading material that was assigned in the previous week. Student surveys revealed their dislike for quiz questions that did not correspond to the nightly reading.	Students think of these quizzes as reinforcement of newly learned knowledge. The presentation of questions in direct correlation to the reading material helps to solidify shaky understanding.
Timed Questions	Possible Solutions
Time allotted for answering the question should be sufficient for the average student to read, comprehend, and develop a response without feeling undue pressure.	Students can sometimes be anxious about the timing on the questions. You can alleviate this anxiety by a couple of different methods. Try reading the question and response before starting the timer. This gives the student a chance to begin a mental framework from which to respond. Be sure to allow ample time for answering the question. You may discover that magical number only by trial and error. During the first few days of using the PRS system allow for several opportunities to quiz students and time their responses. Be cognizant of how many students have not responded by the time the timer expires. After a quiz you can ask students if they felt the time between questions was ample or needs adjusting.
Points Awarded for Daily Quizzes	Possible Solutions
Absences can negatively affect student grades. Some students have complained that points assigned for daily quizzes unnecessarily penalizes them and results in them feeling like they were in high school.	One idea to help alleviate the situation is to set the expectation that only a certain percentage of student quizzes and knowledge checks will be counted toward the final grade.
Pace of Class	Possible Solutions
There was a tendency for the instructor to move quickly ahead onto new material before students were comfortable.	Moderating the pace of the class.
Cheating	Possible Solutions
Some students were concerned about cheating issues since it was easier for their neighbor to see the push of a button.	Communication to the students should include a clear demarcation between group learning techniques and cheating. In group activities, it could be appropriate for two or three students to develop a "group answer." However, when it is not appropriate, students should be reminded.
Screen Contrast	Possible Solutions
Color contrast on the screen between answered and unanswered questions are not always distinguishable. Students were unsure if their answer was accepted by the receiver causing them to doubt their grade.	Adjust lighting in room or choose strongly contrasting color when creating the question in Power Point.
Receivers	Possible Solutions
Receivers did not always pick up IR signal.	If the receivers are not mounted in the room you may need to slightly adjust the receiver to the left or right. It may be useful to pre-assign which receivers the students should point to when making their responses.
Low Batteries	Possible Solutions
Batteries usage expires during class.	Always have extra batteries on hand and have students test usage with an attendance check.

Can I use a response system if I also have distance education students in my class? Unfortunately, it is not possible for off-site students to register their answers at a receiver that is located in the classroom.
Who is using this technology in their classes? The following instructors have used this technology in their classroom for at least one semester and are willing to answer any questions you might have. Ron Frank, Biological Sciences Douglas Ludlow, Chemical Engineering Kimberly Henthorn, Chemical Engineering Harvest Collier, Chemistry Klaus Woelk, Chemistry Yinfa Ma, Chemistry Lia Leventis, Chemistry Pericles Stavropoulos, Chemistry Ekk Sinn, Chemistry Martin Bohner, Calculus Elvan Akin-Bohner, Calculus Robert Roe, Calculus Wlodzimierz Charatonik, Calculus John Hogan, Geology Bih-Ru Lea, Business Alan Pringle, Physics Leslie Gertsch, Geological Engineering Craig Adams, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Jianmin Wang, Civil Engineering Ilene Morgan, Mathematics Charles Morris, Civil Engineering Jeff King, Nuclear Engineerng Richard Bryant, Economics and Finance Thomas Schuman, Chemistry Klaus Woelk, Chemistry Terry Bone, Chemistry Neil Book, Chemistry Dave Westenberg, Bilogical Science
What does the Missouri S&T research data reveal about this technology? Read a concise report on Missouri S&T research surrounding personal response systems. Read a peer-reviewed publication by Dr. Richard Hall, Associate Dean, School of Management and Information Systems.
How do I get started with using this technology? Decisions to use this technology should be made in the prior semester. Optimally, a 6-week lead time is necessary. Contact the CERTI office once you decide to use clickers. CERTI will help schedule training, organize the installation of the software and hardware, work with the Registrar's office to ensure a classroom is available (provided that CERTI was notified 6 weeks in advance.)


Sample Questions to Survey Students 1. I prefer to attend classes where the instructor uses clickers more often than I would the more traditional lecture classes. 2. I pay more attention in traditional lecture classes than I do in this class. 3. I tend to read the lesson materials ahead of time more often in this class than in traditional lecture classes. 4. I do more thinking in this class than in traditional lecture classes because of the clickers. 5. The instructor encourages open discussion of the quiz questions with my classmates before making a response. 6. Discussing the quiz questions with my classmates before answering helps me learn. 7. Knowing how my classmates respond to questions in class increases my interest in the subject matter. 8. I often find the quiz questions challenging. 9. The quiz questions make me work harder to understand the lesson. 10. Occasionally taking a quiz helped me to finally grasp the lesson concept. 11. PRS helps me to learn the subject matter of this course in greater depth. 12. I prefer the more traditional lecture class instead of this type of class. 13. The amount of time given to answer the quiz questions was sufficient. 14. I prefer the quiz questions to directly correspond to the nightly homework assignment.