ITaP Teaching & Learning Technologies Purdue's System-Wide Deployment of a Classroom Response System Presented by: Francoise Bachelder Steven Lichti Robert

ITaP Teaching & Learning Technologies

Purdue's System-Wide Deployment of a Classroom Response System

Presented by:Francoise BachelderSteven LichtiRobert FrenchPurdue University


Opinion Survey


Lack of Communication and Interaction in a Large Classroom

• In a large lecture hall the only means of communication for an instructor is to lecture hoping that his students will follow his explanations and not fall asleep


No communication

• Sometimes the instructor will ask questions and some students will raise their hands, but who wants to be noticed in a large classroom by the instructor (or worse by the other students!).


Passive learning

• There is no communication between the instructor and the students. The process of passive learning is in place and even a very talented instructor finds it difficult to know if the students understand the concepts he is presenting to them.


Create interaction

• What is necessary in a large classroom is to create an interaction between the students and the instructor. The CPS system creates a new way of communication that facilitates active learning.


Using clickers

• By using clickers, the students do not have to raise their hand to answer questions. They just press on a button and automatically the instructor can see if the students understood or not.


Professor Elmore in his Physics classroom


Advantage for the students

• It is an advantage for the students because they are not singled out in the class.


Advantage for the instructor

• It is an advantage for the instructor because it is a way of getting a diagnostic on the overall understanding of the class (histogram).


Histogram


Group discussion

• It is up to the instructor to decide if he wants to use the system with the students using the clickers individually or have group discussions before using them.


“Acting” an answer

• If the students “act” on answering a question even if it is only pressing a button it is making them do more than “think” about a possible answer.


Feedback for the instructor

• The system also provides an instructor with a powerful knowledge of the classes general knowledge, the weaknesses that need to be cover again and the new concepts that can be approached.


Diagnostic the knowledge

• By using the clickers at certain periods during the class the instructor can stay in tune with the understanding and move on or go back.


Active learning

• Many students may see the use of clickers as only to be tested and get a grade, it is important to change this perception and show them that the main advantage of using the system for them is to be active in their own learning process.


Engagement

• Learning occurs when the students instead of answering automatically a question without thinking, engage in reasoning and talking the answer.


New Teaching Model

• When using group discussions and using clickers the focus changes but the interactions among the students and the instructors can be more creative.


Learning Tool

• The students realize that it is not another way of being tested but it is designed to help them understand difficult concepts and participate to their own learning process.


Success

• Participating in the learning process is an achievement that technologies like response systems offer, and will make a learning system a success.


Quiz!


Testimonial


Terminology

• eInstruction – a company headquartered in Denton, Texas

• CPS – “Classroom Performance System,” the audience response system made by eInstruction

• CPSOnline – the online component of CPS.


Components

• Hardware

• Software

• CPSOnline

• TIC – Technology in the Classroom

Response Pad

CPSRF Receiver


Standard Purdue Classroom

• Computer

• Wireless Mouse

• Single or Dual Projection

• USB Extension Cable

• CPSRF Receiver capable of supporting 1000 simultaneous users


System-wide Deployment

• Adoption of a single system– Minimize student costs– Minimize barriers to faculty use– Maximize the ability of ITaP to support classroom

response systems


Current State of Deployment

• ~50 Instructors• ~11000 Students• 207 TIC Sites (Classrooms w/Technology)• WebCT Vista Integration

– CPSOnline class creation and student signup– Gradebook integration: one-click upload of

grades into Vista Grade Book– For the future: integration with question database

& Blackboard


System Architecture

Students logon to WebCT Vista class or eInstruction web site, register their pad, and sign up for a CPSOnline class

Students pad number and CPSOnline username and password registered on eInstruction database and student is enrolled in CPSOnline class

Instructor imports CPSOnline class containing students into CPS software


Future Developments

• New Response Pads in Fall ’06 – LCD screens, auto-join

• New software version (4.0)


CMS Integration

• Single point of contact

• Setup of testing environment– WebCT server code must be tested in dev, qa and

production environments• Testing area on eInstruction servers

• WebCT Vista and eInstruction have different architectures


Student privacy issues

• CPSOnline stores student data– Username, personal info– Grades (if uploaded outside WebCT)

• Eventual goal: bypass CPSOnline and have communication only between client software and WebCT– Make eInstruction at Purdue available only via

WebCT


Quiz!


Training

• Workshops– Initially demo only– Move to include more hands-on and advanced

features– Hands-on is desirable, but no receiver is

available at attendee workstation• Create sample databases and distribute

• Install on laptops


Training

• Manual– Had to make our own.

• Separate manuals for CPS software, reports & gradebook

– Include WebCT Vista and non-WebCT procedures– Next rewrite to include research procedures

(anonymous polling, IRB, disclaimer, release forms, CPS 4.0 direct export to SPSS)


Training

• Handouts– Must have User’s Manuals for Vista and non-

Vista versions– Student pad registration– Pad replacement– Pad usage

• Handouts and manuals posted online for download


Training

• Link to version of CPS software currently running in labs and instructional sites– Software is not always backwardly compatible –

databases will be updated– Discourage downloading from eInstruction web

site– Must communicate software upgrades

– Troubleshoot problems from failure to upgrade


Instructor Concerns

• Learning Curve

• How to use effectively in class– Can slow teaching, especially in the beginning– Technical problems kill enthusiasm


Typical Consulting Issues• Vista class creation

– Registration link title is not name of CPSOnline class

– Additional signup links in the same Vista section point to the same CPSOnline class

– If instructor has previously created a CPSOnline class via the web using his/her Vista username, that username will be incremented when using Vista


Typical Consulting Issues• Students in multiple sections of the same class

that share one WebCT Vista section will be enrolled in one large CPSOnline class when registering via Vista

• Non-Vista student ID’s - If entered incorrectly, students themselves must change!– Instructors can change in the software, but time

consuming!

• Student passwords – can’t change in Vista


Typical Consulting Issues

• Loaner Pads – no provision for “dummy” students in Vista. – Instructors have to add them in themselves online– CPS v. 4.0 (beta) will not accept loaner pads not

registered in Vista!

• Pad replacement– Instructors need to be reminded to sync the class


Quiz!!


Opinion Survey


End and Questions

Thank you for attending!

Documents

ITaP Teaching & Learning Technologies Purdue's System-Wide Deployment of a Classroom Response System Presented by: Francoise Bachelder Steven Lichti Robert