The InterWrite PRS User’s Guide - Banxia · that would impact the instructions in the InterWrite PRS User’s Guide . ... after the Question’s Countdown Timer has ... tool is

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The InterWrite PRS

User’s Guide

ii

We at GTCO CalComp are proud of our InterWriteTM family of prod-

ucts. We strive to continue to bring you the best the technology has

to offer. We urge you to visit our Web site, where we will post the

latest information regarding any updates and changes we have made

that would impact the instructions in the InterWrite PRS User’s Guide.

www.gtcocalcomp.com

Support/InterWrite PRS/Downloads

Support/InterWrite PRS/Documentation Library

iii

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS Overview 1

Classes 2

Lessons 3

Sessions 4

Gradebooks 4

Screen Elements 5

PRS Menus 6

File Menu 6

Preferences 6

Exit 6

Connection Menu 6

Port Check 6

Key Input 8

View Menu 8

Help Menu 8

InterWrite PRS Help 8

Check For Updates 8

User Instructions 9

About 9

Manual Organization 10

Chapter 2 PRS System Installation 11

PRS Hardware 11

PRS Transmitter Setup and Operation 12

Basic Operation 12

Confidence Level 12

LED Light 13

Master PRS Transmitter 13

Command Button Assignments 14

PRS Receiver Setup and Operation 15

Hardware Connections for One Receiver 15

Hardware Connections for Multiple Receivers 16

iv Table of Contents

InterWrite PRS Software 17

Windows Installation 17

Mac Installation 17

Making the Connection 17

Troubleshooting the Receiver Connection 18

Using a Jump Drive with PRS 18

Chapter 3 Classes Module 19

New Class Function Button 20

Information Tab 20

Roster Tab 21

Add Names Function 23

Import Roster Function 23

Remove Roster Function 24

Delete Name Function 24

Response Map Tab 25

Create Response Map Function 26

Import Roster Response Map Function 28

Remove Response Map Function 28

Response Window Defaults Tab 28

Graph Window Defaults Tab 32

Edit Class Function Button 33

Roster and Response Map Editing on the Fly 33

Delete Class Function Button 33

Chapter 4 Lessons Module 35

PRS Lessons 35

The Lesson Tree List Window 35

The Question List Window 36

New Lesson Function Button 37

Information Tab 37

Question Defaults Tab 38

Import Function 41

Edit Lesson Function Button 42

Delete Lesson Function Button 42

vTable of Contents

New Question Function Button 42

Multiple Choice Questions 42

Numeric Questions 44

Edit Question Function Button 45

Delete Question Function Button 45

Copy Question Function Button 45

Move Up Function Button 45

Move Down Function Button 45

Select All Function Button 45

Unselect All Function Button 45

PowerPoint Lessons 46

Crafting a PowerPoint Slide as a PRS Question 46

Running a PowerPoint Slide Show with PRS Question Slides 47

About the PRS Add-in 48

Chapter 5 Sessions Module 49

New Session Function Button 50

Display Mode 50

The Session Dialog 54

Results Graph 57

Resume Session Function Button 58

Review Session Function Button 58

Delete Session Function Button 58

Mark Session Function Button 59

Export Session Function Button 60

Create Report Function Button 60

Chapter 6 Gradebook Module 61

New Gradebook Function Button 62

Add/Delete Marks Function Button 63

Add Mark Function Button 63

Delete Mark Function Button 64

Update Names From Roster Function Button 64

vi Table of Contents

Delete Gradebook Function Button 64

Export Gradebook Function Button 64

Create Report Function Button 65

Chapter 7 The InterWrite PRS Web

Registration Application 67

Installation and Setup 68

Required Software 69

Installation Instructions 69

The Registration Module 71

Profile Registration Form 71

The PRS Transmitter ID Registration Form 72

The Admin Module 73

Manage Classes 73

Defining a New Class 73

Modifying a Class Profile Definition 74

Deleting a Class Profile Definition 75

Manage Rosters 76

Defining a New Student Registration 77

Modifying a Student Registration 78

Deleting a Student Registration 79

Downloading a Class Roster 79

Importing a Class Roster 80

Roster Options 81

Log 82

About 83

Appendix 85

PRS Transmitter Specifications 85

PRS Receiver Specifications 86

Declaration of Conformity 87

Limited Warranty 88

1Chapter 1

InterWrite PRS Overview

InterWrite PRS is an Audience Response System—a comprehensive response system forelectronically testing, polling, and surveying a group of people. Grounded in the terminology ofthe academic environment for which it was originally developed, InterWrite PRS excels as anindustry leader both in and out of the classroom. In the arena of Audience Response Systems, theInterWrite Personal Response System (PRS) makes it possible to easily track and record eachindividual response coming in from the audience and provide instant feedback about the re-sponse results in the form of a graph of the response distribution during a presentation session.Response data are recorded in electronic grade books. A variety of session and grade bookreport formats give instructors an impressive array of class and individual student assessmenttools. PRS supports industry-standard XML formats, providing seamless integration with electronictextbook courseware and class management systems.

The PRS system hardware consists of PRS Transmitters and PRS Receivers. PRS Transmitters aresmall handheld, battery-powered devices with numbered response buttons, a power switch, anLED power/transmission indicator light, and an infrared transmitter. PRS Receivers have a red LEDpower indicator light and an infrared receiver. PRS Transmitters and Receivers use a patented,proprietary transmission protocol in a one-way transmission network to send data from Transmit-ter to Receiver. The PRS Receiver decodes the transmitted data, which are then relayed to theInterWrite PRS software on the computer. The PRS software provides the functionality necessaryto create an environment in which that transmitted data can be electronically converted quicklyand easily into useful response information.

The versatility of InterWrite PRS is evident in its widespread application. Teachers at all educationlevels can use it to evaluate and test their students. Marketing researchers, political analysts, andpollsters in all fields can use PRS to survey and electronically record preferences, opinions, andvotes. The InterWrite PRS system can be used in any situation where there is a need to gather,record and evaluate response data.

The InterWrite PRS electronic data collection process is divided into four modules. Each moduleaddresses a different aspect of the Audience Response environment from setup to evaluation ofrecorded response data.

Module One, Classes, is where the audience of participants (who will be referred to as students

throughout the rest of this manual) and its purpose for meeting is defined. This is the setup

phase of the PRS system. In the vernacular of this module, Classes are defined and associated

with a Roster of students.

Module Two, Lessons, is where the Questions—the component parts of each Lesson—are defined.

Module Three, Sessions, is where a Lesson’s Questions are presented to students in a Class for

their Responses.

Module Four, Gradebooks, is where Session results, which have been scored, or Marked, for each

student in the Class, are recorded and totaled in a Class Gradebook.

2 Chapter 1PRS Overview – Classes

Classes Classes is the preparatory, or setup, module wherein all aspects of the Class

are defined. A Class is a group of people, an audience, who are gettingtogether to respond electronically to Questions that test their knowledge ofa subject, or to poll their opinions. Each Class definition contains:

• general Information about the Class – its name, instructor/presenter,section, meeting time, and location

• a Roster of students

• a Response Map, which is used to assign each student a specificposition in a virtual seating chart, the Response Grid

• default settings for the Response Window and Graph Window that aredisplayed during a Session.

The primary function of the Classes Module is to associate a Class with aRoster and a Roster with a Response Map and Attendee List.

The Class Roster identifies the students and connects their names andstudent IDs to their PRS Transmitter ID numbers. A Roster can be createdmanually as part of the Class definition. The student’s name, student ID,Transmitter ID number, and other information are entered into a studentprofile form and added to the Roster. Or, an existing Roster can be im-ported into the Class definition. Both Rosters derived from the PRS WebRegistration Application (Chapter Seven) and Rosters used with other Classdefinitions can be imported into a new Class definition.

During a typical PRS Session, a Lesson is presented to the students in theClass. The Question and Response Choices are displayed at the top of theSession dialog and a Response Grid, or Attendee List is displayed at thebottom in the Response Area. Students point their PRS Transmitters towarda PRS Receiver and press the number button that represents their Response

Choice for the Question. The LED on the Transmitter flashes while theTransmitter is sending the signal to the Receiver. When the signal has beenprocessed, the student’s name or Transmitter ID number displays on the topline in a Response Box in the Response Grid, or his name is deleted from theAttendee List. Both Display Modes provide a way of verifying that eachstudent’s Response to each Question has been received and recorded.When a Session audience is quite large, the Response Grid will be quitelarge, too, making it difficult for the individual students to locate theirResponses in the Response Grid. A Response Map, created as part of theClass definition, provides the means of assigning, or mapping, each studentto a permanent position on the Response Grid. The students, as well as theinstructor, can easily verify that their Responses were received and re-corded. And, because capturing student Responses is key to the successful

3Chapter 1 PRS Overview – Lessons

use of InterWrite PRS, we recommend keeping a few Loaner PRS Transmit-

ters on hand to be pressed into service when needed.

A Results Graph is displayed after the Question’s Countdown Timer hasexpired. The Results Graph shows the Response distribution among thepossible Response Choices. It’s a useful tool in an academic environmentbecause it makes it possible for the instructor to immediately assess thestudents’ level of comprehension of the material being covered. The defaultsettings for both the Session Response Window with its display of theQuestion Response Choices and Response Grid or Attendee List and theResults Graph Window with its display of response distribution are part of aClass definition.

Lessons The Lessons module is the staging area for your questionnaires. Questions

are incorporated into Lessons, which are organized in the Lesson Tree. TheLesson Tree is structured much like a file directory, making it very easy andintuitive to plan, prepare and organize large numbers of Lessons in advance.

The Lessons are at the heart of the InterWrite Personal Response System. ALesson is associated with a Class definition at the beginning of each newSession. The Questions in the Lesson, or a selected subset of the Questionsin the Lesson, are presented to the audience during the Session. Theelectronic Responses of each student in the audience are recorded andsaved in a Session file. Responses in the Session file can be graded, Marked,and added to a Gradebook.

A Lesson’s Questions can be composed in PRS. These Questions are storedin an XML format to support industry standards. Question Defaults are setas part of the Lesson definition. These default settings influence the presen-tation of the Questions during a Session.

Questions, or more aptly, Question Sets can be imported. The importanceof this feature is that many textbook publishers provide electronic QuestionSets with their textbooks. Because most publishers use the XML QTI storageformat for their Question Sets, they can be easily imported directly into anInterWrite PRS Lesson. PRS’s powerful Question editing capability can thenbe used to modify any Question in the imported Question Set, to addadditional Questions composed in PRS to the Question Set, to copyQuestions into other Lessons, and to select a subset of the Questions forpresentation during a Session.

Another powerful Lesson presentation tool is the PRS PowerPoint Add-In.When InterWrite PRS is installed on your Windows computer, a PRSToolbar is added to your Microsoft PowerPoint software. With the PRS

4 Chapter 1

Toolbar now a part of your PowerPoint application, you can easily makeany slide in a PowerPoint presentation into a PRS Question Slide. When aPowerPoint Slide Show with one or more PRS Question Slides is run, PRS islaunched, if it isn’t already running, and a New Session dialog is displayed.During the course of the Slide Show presentation, every time a PRS Ques-tion Slide appears, a Response Grid or Attendee List displays to verify thatthe students’ Responses to the Question on the Slide have been receivedand recorded. The recorded Responses are saved in a PRS Session file,which is listed in the Sessions Module List Window, making it available toresume and for review, marking, export and report creation.

PRS Overview – Sessions and Gradebooks

Sessions Sessions is the module where a Lesson is presented to the students in aClass for their Responses.

The Class definition describes the Roster of students in the Class, wheretheir Responses will appear in the Response Grid, and how the SessionResponse Window and the Results Graph Window will be configured. TheLesson contains the Questions that will be presented to the Class during theSession. When a New Session is begun, the Session is profiled: A Lesson isselected for presentation, the Lesson is associated with a Class, and someQuestion presentation settings are addressed. That’s all there is to it. TheSession Results are saved in a Session file, which is listed in the Sessions

Module List Window. Sessions can be resumed, reviewed, exported, gradedor marked. Reports on a number of different aspects of a Session can becreated.

One more important Session feature is the ability to insert impromptuQuestions during a PRS Session. For example, based on class discussionsbetween Questions, or on a high percentage of incorrect Responses to aQuestion, an instructor may decide to approach the material from a differ-ent perspective, or try to isolate or clarify the source of the students’confusion by adding one or more ad hoc Questions to the Session. Theflexibility and interactive aspect of this feature is immeasurable. An instruc-tor can be immediately and effectively responsive when he perceives aweakness in the students’ understanding of the material.

Gradebooks The Gradebooks Module is the module in which Marked (graded) Sessions

are recorded and added to a Gradebook. Marked Sessions are stored in aformat that makes them readily accessible for export to third party classmanagement applications, such as Blackboard, WebAssign and WebCT. Avariety of Reports can be created using the data in the Gradebooks.

5Chapter 1 PRS Overview – Screen Elements

The menus on the PRS Menubar provide options for setting Preferences

(File Menu), establishing the communication link between the PRS Receiverand the PRS software (Connection Menu), offering a second way of movingfrom module to module (View Menu), and providing additional informationabout using the PRS system (Help Menu). The Menus on the PRS Menubarare described in detail in the next section.

The Module Buttons are used to move from one module to another. EachPRS Module has a set of Function Buttons that allow you to create, edit, anddelete the components of that module. And finally, each module has a ListWindow where the work product of the module is listed—Class definitions,Questions, Sessions, Gradebooks, etc. A feature of each List Window is theability to click on a column header button to order the data in the ListWindow by the contents of that column. For example, in the ClassesModule List Window above, a click on the Instructor header button willorder the entries in the Classes List Window alphabetically based on theinstructors’ names. Click the header button again to toggle betweenascending and descending order. This feature is available in every dialog thathas a List Window and column header buttons.

ScreenElements

The main screen of each of the four PRS Modules has the following ele-ments in common: the Menubar, the Module Buttons, the FunctionButtons, and the Module List Window.

InterWrite PRS is a powerful, interactive tool, particularly in the classroom. Not only does it freeteachers from the more tedious aspects of teaching (grading tests, maintaining grade books), butit provides instantaneous assessment and feedback. Every teacher knows each class has its owndynamic—no two classes are the same. The PRS system can be used to present and reviewcontent in a way that keeps the students in each class engaged and to immediately evaluate theirlevel of comprehension, giving the teacher the flexibility necessary to react accordingly.

6 Chapter 1PRS Overview – PRS Menus

PRS Menus

File Menu

Preferences

The File Menu provides the options to set system Preferences and to Exitthe InterWrite PRS application.

Customer ID By default, each PRS Transmitter is assigned a unique stringof six numbers. This numeric string is the transmitter’s ID. Any PRS Trans-mitter can be used with any InterWrite PRS system. Programmable PRSTransmitters are unique in that they can be programmed with unique IDsthat will be accepted and recognized by only one InterWrite PRS system—the InterWrite PRS system whose Customer ID matches the one used toprogram the PRS Transmitters. So, for example, if an elementary schoolteacher wants to have a transmitter for each child in her class that isnumbered in a way that’s easy for the children to identify and remember,she can purchase Programmable PRS Transmitters that can be assignedunique IDs, which are associated with the Customer ID of her InterWritePRS system and which cannot be used with any other InterWrite PRSsystem. That unique Customer ID is entered here in this field.

If the Customer ID gets changed, click on the Set to Default button toreturn the Customer ID to its original assignment.

Set Default Data Directory This Preference shows the current location ofthe Data Directory. Click on the Browse button if you want to specify adifferent directory location for the Exports, Gradebook, Lessons, Reports,ResponseMap, Roster, Session, and Settings folders.

Exit Use this File Menu option to exit and close the InterWrite PRS application.

Connection

Menu

The Connection Menu features three main options: Use it to specify theCOM Port to which the PRS Receiver is connected, use it to simulate PRSTransmitter input from the computer keyboard, and use it to test both forthe COM Port connection and for the receipt of a signal from a PRSTransmitter.

Port Check As part of the installation of the PRS Receiver (Chapter 2), the COM port towhich the PRS Receiver is connected must be communicated to the Inter-Write PRS application. The number of COM ports displayed on the Connec-tion Menu will vary with the number of serial ports on the computer. Selectfrom the list the COM port to which the PRS Receiver is connected. If you

7Chapter 1

don’t know which COM port it is, or if you want to test the connections,select a COM port in the Connection Menu, click on the Port Check menuoption, verify the PRS Receiver is powered-on, and send a signal from apowered-on PRS Transmitter to the PRS Receiver. If the PRS Receiver isconnected to the COM port you selected in the Connection Menu, aTransmitter Identified message will appear in the black Port Check window.If the Port Check window remains blank, select another COM port in theConnection Menu and repeat the transmission check process.

PRS Overview – PRS Menus

Transmitter Test

As indicated in the white message box on the Port Check window, the PortCheck feature verifies that a signal from a PRS Transmitter is received by thePRS Receiver. Not only can you use Port Check to verify the PRS ReceiverCOM port connection, you can also use it to test a PRS Transmitter. Verifythe transmitter does not need new batteries. (Under normal operatingconditions, the LED indicator light on a powered-on Transmitter is brightgreen. Change the batteries when the LED indicator light is dim.) Select thePort Check option and send a transmission by pointing the tapered end ofthe powered-on PRS Transmitter toward one of the PRS Receivers in theroom and pressing a numbered button. If nothing shows up in the PortCheck window, there is a problem with the Transmitter. Try resetting theTransmitter. Straighten a paper clip and stick the end of the paper clip intothe hole on the back of the PRS Transmitter. The hole is located to the rightside on the back of the Transmitter, near the battery pack. Push until youfeel a slight click. Power on the Transmitter and rerun the Transmitter test.

8 Chapter 1PRS Overview – PRS Menus

View Menu The View Menu lists all four of the InterWrite PRS Modules and indicateswith a diamond which module is currently being displayed in the PRSwindow. You can move to another module by selecting it from the ViewMenu, or by clicking on its Module Button in the PRS Window.

Check for

Updates

Help Menu

This option links to the GTCO CalComp Web site where it checks for the

current version of the InterWrite PRS software. If there is a newer version ofthe software, you will be given the option to download it. You should checkthis option periodically to make sure you have the latest and greatestversion of the InterWrite PRS software.

InterWrite PRSHelp

This menu option displays the online Help file for the PRS software.

Key Input If you are learning how to use the InterWrite PRS system and/or you wantto simulate a Session, you can set up the InterWrite PRS application so thatit accepts input from the computer keyboard that simulates PRS Transmitterinput signals. When you want to test a Lesson, you can run a test Session

without having a PRS Receiver connected to your computer.

1 Select the Key Input feature from the Connection Menu.

2 Make sure the Response Grid (part of the Class definition) is set up withenough Response Boxes to accommodate the number of simulationsyou intend to use.

3 Click on the New Session Function Button in the Sessions Module.

4 Start the Question.

5 To send a simulated Response to the Question, type a letter, whichidentifies a unique ID (there are twenty-six unique IDs, one for eachletter of the alphabet). Then, type the number of your test ResponseChoice.

6 Use the SHIFT and CTRL keys in combination with the letter key toindicate a High Confidence Level or Low Confidence Level, respectively.For example, the Key Input SHIFT + b + 1 would be interpreted by theKey Input Response Simulation option as: “Respondent ‘b’ has highconfidence that the first Response Choice is the correct one.”

As you enter these alphanumeric combinations from the computer key-board, each will register as a Response in one of the Response Boxes in theResponse Grid displayed below the Question.

9Chapter 1

User Instructions The following User Instructions window can be displayed before aninstructor or presenter begins a PRS Session. It ensures that everyoneparticipating in the Session is given the same instructions on how to use hisor her PRS Transmitter before the Session begins. This would also be agood time to announce whether Confidence Level indicators are to beincluded as part of the students’ Responses.

PRS Overview – PRS Menus

Examples Click on this menu option to view examples of a Class Roster and a Re-sponse Map, among others, in the native .csv format. This links to the GTCOCalComp Web site, where the examples are found.

About The About Help Menu option displays an information window with theInterWrite PRS version number, system information, and contact informa-tion for GTCO CalComp.

A Confidence Level designation allows a student to qualify his Response toa Question. PRS Transmitters have an H button and an L button in thebottom row of buttons. Pressing the H plus the Response value indicatesthe student has a high level of confidence in the correctness of his Re-sponse. Pressing the L plus the Response value indicates the respondent isbasically guessing at the correct Response and has a low level of confi-dence in his answer. By default, when a Confidence Level is not indicated,all Responses are assigned a Medium Level of Confidence. The instructorshould indicate at the beginning of a Session, or before a Question ispresented, that he wants a Confidence Level attached to the Response(s).

10 Chapter 1

Chapter Two InterWrite PRS Installation The PRS hardware consists ofPRS Receivers and PRS Transmitters. Both are easy to install and operate.PRS Transmitters require the installation of two AAA batteries and thescrew to hold the battery cover in place. PRS Receivers are connected toeach other, if more than one is being used, to a power supply, and to theserial port on the computer. The PRS Receiver setup is completed after theInterWrite PRS software is installed and the COM port is selected on theConnection Menu.

Chapter Three Classes Module How to set up a Class definition.

Chapter Four Lessons Module How to add branches to the Lesson Tree.How to organize and/or import Questions into Lessons. How to set upPowerPoint Lessons in Windows.

Chapter Five Sessions Module How to set up and run a Session. How toinsert impromptu, unplanned Questions during a Session. How to resume,review, mark, and export a Session, and how to create a Session Report.

Chapter Six Gradebooks Module How to set up a Gradebook, addMarked Sessions, export Gradebooks, and create Reports based onGradebook data.

Chapter Seven InterWrite PRS Web Registration Application This chapterdescribes how to install and set up the Web-based PRS Registrationapplication. This optional application is included on the InterWrite PRS CDand is used to register PRS Transmitters over the Internet. The applicationincludes an Administrative module that supports the organization andmaintenance of the Internet registration process.

Appendix Regulatory and Warranty Statements.

ManualOrganization

This InterWrite PRS User’s Guide covers all aspects of the InterWrite PRSsystem, including the installation, set up, and troubleshooting of thehardware. A chapter is devoted to the installation and set up of the Inter-Write PRS Web Registration Application, a Web-based application thatmakes it possible for students to register online for those classes using thePRS system. The primary focus of this User’s Guide, though, is the Inter-Write PRS software. A chapter is devoted to each of the four Modules ofthe PRS software with detailed descriptions of each module’s functions andprocedures.

Chapter One InterWrite PRS Overview This chapter introduces theInterWrite PRS system, identifies the primary screen elements, describesthe Menu options on the PRS Menubar, and outlines the organization ofthis manual.

PRS Overview – Manual Organization

11Chapter 2

PRS System Installation

The InterWrite PRS system consists of PRS Receivers, PRS Transmitters, theInterWrite PRS software, and the optional PRS Web Registration Applica-tion. Setup, installation, and operation of the PRS Web Registration Applica-tion is described in detail in Chapter 7. The setup and installation of the restof the InterWrite PRS system is described here.

The PRS hardware, Transmitters and Receivers, are used to send, captureand decode signals that are ultimately relayed to the InterWrite PRS soft-ware on the computer, where they are processed and displayed as Question

Responses. Each Response has a code attached that identifies the Transmit-ter it came from. The software establishes the connection between thatunique Transmitter code and the student’s identity, providing the basis forrecording Responses and attributing them to the student.

InterWrite PRS Transmitters are small, battery-operated, handheld deviceswith four rows of numbered and lettered buttons and a Power button. Theyuse Infrared (IR) technology to send one-way transmissions to PRS Receiv-ers.

InterWrite PRS Receivers are Infrared Detectors that receive and decodedata transmitted to them from PRS Transmitters. The decoded data are sentvia a serial connection to the computer where they are analyzed andrecorded by the InterWrite PRS software. Each PRS Receiver must bepositioned at the front of the room where it can capture the line-of-sightsignals from the PRS Transmitters. A glass window on the front of the PRSReceiver unit above the red LED Light contains an IR Sensor receptioncone, which has a Reception Angle of approximately 90 degrees. The sizeand seating arrangement of the room will predict where at the front of theroom the PRS Receiver should be located. Be sure to test transmissionreception from everywhere in the room.

One PRS Receiver can receive and process data from up to 50 Transmitters.Larger rooms with more seating may require more than one PRS Receiver.Multiple Receivers are daisy-chained together. Receivers in the corners ofthe room should point diagonally to the opposite corner at the rear of theroom to take advantage of the entire Reception Angle of the IR Sensor. Theprimary Receiver ships with one stereo cable (6 meters), a 3-way RS232Serial cable and a Power Supply. Each additional PRS Receiver ships with a12 meter stereo cable used to attach it to the next Receiver in sequence.One Power Supply can serve up to four PRS Receivers.

PRS

Hardware

12 Chapter 2PRS System Installation – PRS Transmitter

PRS Transmitters require little in the way of setup. It’s simply a matter ofinstalling two batteries, as follows:

1 A tiny screw holds the battery cover in place on the back of the unit.Transmitters are shipped either with the screw in place, or taped insidethe lid of the Transmitter box. If the screw is in place, remove it at thistime.

2 Remove the battery cover by pushing down on the thumb grip andsliding it in the direction of the arrow.

3 Insert two AAA batteries, positioning them properly to ensure thecorrect polarity.

4 Slide the battery cover back on and use the screw to hold it in place.

PRS

Transmitter

Setup andOperation

Basic Operation 1 Press the ON/OFF Power Button to turn the Transmitter on.

2 Locate the Receiver and point the Transmitter towards it.

3 Make your Response Choice and press the corresponding alphanumericResponse button.

4 Watch the Response Grid or Attendee List for verification of the receiptof your transmission.

The LED Light will flash while the Response transmission to the Receiver isin progress. The Transmitter’s power will automatically shut off after 15minutes of inactivity.

Confidence Level You may want students to qualify their Responses to a Question byindicating the level of confidence they have in the correctness of theiranswers. The PRS Transmitters have an H button and an L button inthe bottom row of buttons, which can be used in combination with theResponse Buttons to attach a Confidence Level to a Response. The Hbutton indicates the student has a high level of confidence in the accuracy

On/Off Power

Signal Direction

LED Light

Response Buttons

Low Confidence Button

High Confidence Button

13Chapter 2 PRS System Installation – Master PRS Transmitter

Master PRSTransmitter

The Master PRS Transmitter is a special version of the PRS Transmitter foruse by instructors. It affords an instructor remote control capabilities,leaving him free to move around the room, while managing the Sessionpresentation. The H and L Modifier buttons, which on a regular PRSTransmitter are used to attach a Confidence Level to a Response, are usedon the Master Transmitter in combination with the Command ResponseButtons to send commands to the PRS software instead of Responses.

of his Response. The L button signifies the student is basically guessing atthe correct Response and has a low level of confidence in the accuracy ofhis answer. By default, when a Confidence Level is not indicated, allResponses are assigned a Medium Level of Confidence. You should indi-cate at the beginning of a Session, or before a Question is presented, thatyou want a Confidence Level attached to the Responses. When a Confi-dence Level is requested, students should be told to press the H or Lbutton first, then press a Response button.

LED Light The LED Light* illuminates to indicate the following:

Red = High Confidence Level Transmission

Green = Medium Confidence Level Transmission

Orange = Low Confidence Level Transmission

Flashing = Response Transmission in Progress

*Replace the batteries when the LED Light becomes dim.

The Confidence Level setting will revert to the default value of Medium after15 seconds have passed without a transmission, or after the Transmitter ispowered Off and On.

On/Off Power

Signal Direction

LED Light

Decrease Button

Increase Button

Command Buttons

Neck Cord Ring

14 Chapter 2

The buttons numbered 0 through 3 have special Command assignments onthe Master Transmitter. Each special Command Button has a letter above it.The letters stand for: Start/Stop (0), Time (1), Question (2), and Graph (3).The H Modifier button is used to indicate increases (+), while

the L Modifier button is used to indicate decreases (–). So, when the H and

1 buttons are pressed, the Command to increase the Countdown Timer by30 seconds is sent to the PRS software.

Button 0 cycles in order through the Start, Pause, Resume, and StopCommands with the transmission of each button press.

H+0: Start or Resume the Countdown Timer, depending on whichoption is available.

L+0: Pause, if available; Stop, if the Resume option is available. Theeffect is to require two successive entries of L+0 for a complete stop.

Button 1 is associated with Time.

H+1: Increase the allotted time on the Countdown Timer by 30seconds.

L+1: Decrease the allotted time on the Countdown Timer by 30seconds.

Button 2 is associated with the Question Number Indicator on the ResultsGraph Toolbar, if the Results Graph is open, or on the Session DialogToolbar.

H+2: Increase the Question Number by one and move to the nextQuestion.

L+2: Decrease the Question Number by one and move to the previousQuestion.

Button 3 is associated with the Results Graph.

H+3: Open the Results Graph.

L+3: Close the Results Graph.

Each of these Commands is associated with a specific Function Button. Ifthe associated Function Button on the Session screen is disabled, theremote Command will have no effect.

Be aware that if your signal is received by multiple PRS Receivers, the resultwould be the same as if you had transmitted the same Command multipletimes. For example, if you send L+0 and it hits two Receivers, it will issueboth the Pause and Stop Commands.

Command ButtonAssignments

PRS System Installation – Master PRS Transmitter

15Chapter 2

1 Plug one end of the Stereo Cable into the OUT jack of the PRSReceiver.

2 Plug the other end of the Stereo Cable into the connector on the 3-WayCable.

3 Plug the power supply connector into the receptor on the 3-Way Cable.

4 Plug the serial end of the 3-Way Cable into an RS232 serial COM porton the computer, or into a serial-to-USB adapter if your computer doesnot have any available serial COM ports. We recommend the KEYSPANUSB Serial Adapter.

5 Plug the Power Supply into an AC wall outlet or power strip.

PRS Receiver

Setup and

Operation

HardwareConnections forOne Receiver

PRS System Installation – PRS Receiver

(RS232 COM Port)

Computer

3-Way Cable

Stereo Cable

Power Supply

PRS Receiver

IR Sensor

LED Light

Ensure all connections are secure.

Complete all connections before plugging in the Power Supply.

16 Chapter 2

HardwareConnections forMultiple Receivers

When more than one PRS Receiver is required for coverage, plug one endof the 12 meter Stereo Cable into the OUTput jack on the second unit andthe other into the INput jack on the first unit, and so on down the chain.The last Receiver in series does not have to be terminated. One PowerSupply will serve up to four units in the chain. Please contact GTCOCalComp if you require a special configuration. Contact information is inthe Appendix.

PRS System Installation – Multiple PRS Receivers

(RS232 COM Port)

Computer

3-Way Cable

Stereo Cables

Power Supply

PRS Receivers

IR Sensor

LED Light

17Chapter 2

InterWrite

PRS Software

The InterWrite PRS application for the Mac and Windows is included on theInterWrite PRS CD.

The InterWrite PRS application software must be installed on Windows byan Administrator. InterWrite PRS is compatible with Windows 98/Me, NT,2000, and XP.

1 Log in as Administrator. Insert the InterWrite PRS CD into the CD driveon your PC. The installer will autorun. If it doesn’t, click on the Startbutton on the Windows Task Bar and select Run from the menu. TypeX:\setup.exe (X represents the CD drive letter).

2 Select the Install InterWrite PRS Software menu option.

3 Follow the onscreen instructions for the software installation.

The InterWrite PRS application software must be installed on the Mac by anAdmin. InterWrite is compatible with Mac OS X 10.2.6 and above.

1 Insert the InterWrite PRS CD into the CD-ROM drive on your Mac. AnInterWrite PRS icon will appear on your desktop.

2 Double-click on the InterWrite PRS icon on the desktop to display theCD’s contents. Double-click on the Install InterWrite PRS icon.

3 Follow the onscreen instructions for the software installation.

WindowsInstallation

MacInstallation

PRS System Installation – InterWrite PRS Software

The InterWrite PRS software needs to be informed where to pick up datacollected by the PRS Receiver. It needs to be told which COM port theReceiver is connected to.

1 Open the PRS application.

2 From the Connection Menu, select the COM port the PRS Receiver isconnected to. The Mac lists either the device, or an identifying serialnumber, that each port is connected to, making it fairly easy to find thecorrect connection for the PRS Receiver. Windows, on the other hand,just lists the available ports on the system. It’s up to you to determinewhich port the PRS Receiver is connected to. If you’re not sure, refer tothe Port Check section in Chapter 1 for information on testing the COMports for the connection.

Making theConnection

For the Mac installation, Panther (10.3) is automaticallysupported. To run InterWrite PRS on Jaguar (10.2), you mustfirst download the free version of Java 1.4.2 available for10.2.6 and above.

18 Chapter 2

Troubleshootingthe ReceiverConnection

If the PRS Receiver is not being recognized on any of the COM Ports, first,check all connections to make sure they are secure. From the ConnectionMenu, select a COM Port and run a Port Check, as documented in Chapter

One, PRS Menus. Repeat for each COM Port. If the PRS Receiver still fails toshow up, leave it connected and restart the computer. In most cases, thePRS Receiver will now show up as connected to the COM Port.

The software for some serial devices will take over a COM Port and fail torelease it when the device is disconnected. If the PRS Receiver is attachedto one of these COM Ports, Windows won’t recognize it because the Porthas been commandeered by another application. We’ve seen this behaviorwhen a Palm Pilot, for example, had been connected to the COM Port towhich the PRS Receiver is currently connected.

Using A JumpDrive with PRS

Instructors will often set up Classes, Lessons and Gradebooks on a JumpDrive connected to their office computers. They can then easily accesseverything when they connect the Jump Drive to the classroom computer.This works fine as long as the Preferences, Set Default Data Directory optionon the File Menu (Chapter One) points to the correct drive letter on eachcomputer. My Jump Drive shows up as the E: Drive on my laptop and as theF: Drive on my desktop, because I have two CD-ROM drives on the desktopand only one on the laptop. If each installation of PRS isn’t pointing to thecorrect drive letter on that computer, PRS will build new default datadirectories on the local drive, and it won’t see the PRS directory on theJump Drive.

Another option is using the Jump Drive to move PRS files from one systemto another. Save everything locally and use the Jump Drive only as a transfermedium.

PRS System Installation – Troubleshooting

19Chapter 3

Classes Module

Classes is the module where each meeting, or Class, is defined and profiled.Setting up a Class profile includes establishing basic information about theClass—instructor, meeting place, etc., associating a Roster of students withthe Class, mapping each student to a permanent position in the Response

Grid, and establishing some default settings for the Session Response

Window and the Session Results Graph Window.

The Class definitions are displayed in the Classes List Window. The primaryfunction of the Class definition is to establish an association between theClass and the Roster of students in that Class.

The following screen shot shows the Classes Module List Window aftersome Classes have been defined. One of the features of all the List Win-dows in the PRS application is that you can click on a labelled columnheader button to order or index the entries in the List Window based onthat key. Click repeatedly on the header button to toggle between ascend-

ing and descending order.

20 Chapter 3Classes – New Class, Information

Click on the New Class Function Button to begin the Class definitionprocess and display the Class definition window. The Class definitionwindow is made up of a series of tabbed sections, each of which addressesthe settings of a different aspect of the Class definition. The Information tabis the first of the tabbed dialogs to display. Click on each of the tabs todisplay the settings for that dialog. A screen shot of each tabbed dialog willbe shown here, followed by a table of the options and their requirements.

Information Tab

Class Name The name of the Class must be unique. If it is a multi-section

Class, the name of each Class can be made unique by tying it to

its Section. For example, if General Biology has three Sections, the

Class Names could be General Biology 101A, General Biology

101B, and General Biology 101C, respectively.

Instructor Enter the name of the Instructor who will be presenting the Class.

If an assignment hasn’t been made, you could indicate Staff and

make the assignment later (using the Edit Class Function Button).

This Instructor Name will be displayed, along with the Class

Name, in the Classes List Window.

Section Identify the Class’s Section, if there is one.

Time What time does the Class meet? It’s not required, but it might be

helpful to include am or pm and the days of the week the Class

meets. If the Class is longer than one hour, it might be helpful to

include not only the Start Time, but the End Time, as well:

8am - 5pm Sat.

Location Indicate where the Class will be meeting—campus, building,

floor, room number, etc.

Option Description

21Chapter 3 Classes – New Class, Roster

Roster Tab

The Roster identifies the people in the class, meeting, or polling group. Thepurpose of the Roster is to connect a person’s name to his or her Transmit-ter ID number. The Transmitter ID number is sent with each Responsetransmission during a Session. The student profiles that make up the ClassRoster provide the bridge necessary to ensure each student’s Responses areattributed to him in the Session file.

In addition, the Roster is the basis for setting up a Class Gradebook andrecording Marks from a Session. A Class Roster can be created by addingnames here in the PRS application, or a Roster can be imported. Of course,when the PRS system is being used for polling purposes, or for a survey, forexample, where anonymity is preferred, building or importing a Roster isgenerally not necessary.

The Add Names function is used to build a Roster in the PRS application, orto add names to the existing, associated Roster. Names can be deleted fromthe Roster by selecting the name in the Roster List Window and clicking onthe Delete Name button.

If you build the Class Roster using the Add Names function, the Roster willnot be named until you have completed the Class definition and clicked on

We recommend keeping a few Loaner PRS Transmitters onhand in case a Transmitter malfunctions or a student hasforgotten to bring his. Each Loaner should be profiled in theClass Roster. When a student uses a Loaner, edit the ClassRoster before the Session, inserting the student’s Student ID

into the Loaner’s profile. This will ensure that the student’sResponses are correctly recorded and credited to him.

22 Chapter 3

the OK button to save it. You will be prompted to name the Roster at thattime. The Name you give the Roster will appear in the Roster field at the topof the dialog. Existing Class Rosters can be imported into, as well as disasso-ciated, or removed, from the Class. When a Roster becomes part of a Classdefinition, it becomes associated with that Class. When a Roster is removed,it is disassociated from the Class definition. However, the Roster file is notdeleted and remains available to be associated with other Class definitions.

Creating and Maintaining a Class Roster

A Roster can be developed and maintained in both the Web-based PRSRegistration Application (Chapter Seven) and the computer-based InterWritePRS application. For example, the Web-based PRS Registration Applicationcan be set up in such a way that students required to buy a PRS Transmitterfor one or more classes can register online for those classes. The resultingRoster, in addition to being managed online in the Admin portion of thePRS Registration application, can be downloaded to the PRS/Roster direc-tory for import into a Class definition. Conversely, a Roster manuallydeveloped for a Class definition using the Add Names function can beimported into the PRS Web Registration Application. Be aware, however,that the actual registrations are stored separately. Online registrations aremaintained in a database on the PRS Registration Application Web site.Rosters created using the Add Names function and downloaded Rosters arestored and maintained in the PRS/Roster directory on the computer. If youwant to keep individual Rosters synchronized, you should make all changesat one location and download or import to the other location.

Roster Display Mode

During a Session, the Class Roster can be displayed in one of two ways witheach Question and its Response Choices. The Roster can be displayed in aResponse Grid, or as an Attendee List.

A Response Grid is made up of individual Response Boxes that are arrangedin a grid of rows and columns. When a student transmits a Response to aQuestion, confirmation of a received signal in the form of the student’sTransmitter ID number or his name (this identification selection is made inthe Response Window Defaults dialog of the New Class definition) isdisplayed in a Response Box in the Response Grid. When a Response Map

(the next tab) has been set up as part of the New Class definition, eachstudent will have an assigned Response Box—a permanent location—in theResponse Grid, where that confirmation of receipt of his or her Responseswill always appear.

Classes – New Class, Roster

23Chapter 3

Roster List Window

Add NamesFunction

Click on the Add Names button at the bottom of the Roster dialog todisplay the Add Names To Roster dialog shown below.

The Attendee List (the list of everyone from the Class Roster who is inattendance during the Session) is displayed in the Response Area beloweach Question and its Response Choices. As each student transmits hisResponse to a Question, his name is removed from the list. When theQuestions Countdown Timer has expired, the remaining names in theAttendee List are of those students who did not respond to the Question.Both Display Modes are useful in helping the instructor monitor Classparticipation during a Session.

Simply provide the student’s profile information, being sure to include hisor her PRS Transmitter ID number. Click on the Add button to save it tothe PRS database in the PRS/Roster directory. The Add Names dialog ispersistent, allowing you to add as many profiles as needed to the ClassRoster. Click on the OK button when you have finished adding studentprofiles. They will display in the Roster List Window. You can use the AddNames function at any time to add profiles to the existing Class Rosteridentified in the Roster field, or to edit a profile selected in the Roster ListWindow.

Import RosterFunction

Click on the Import Roster button when you want to import an existingClass Roster into this Class definition. This can be a Roster created in PRSfor another Class, a Roster created as a .csv file in Excel, or a Roster down-loaded from the PRS Web Registration Application. By default, the ImportRoster function displays the PRS/Roster directory. You can browse toanother location to find the Roster you want to import for this Class defini-tion.


Click on a column

header button in the

Roster List Window to

order the entries in

the List Window by

that Key.

24 Chapter 3

Remove RosterFunction

When you click on the Remove Roster button, a prompt displays to remindyou that the Class Roster you are removing will no longer be associatedwith this particular Class, but the actual Roster .csv file is not deleted. It willcontinue to be available to import into this Class or any other Class youdefine.


Delete NameFunction

Select the name you want to delete from the Class Roster and click on theDelete Name button. A prompt will display to verify that you want todelete the selected name from the Class Roster. This option deletes thename from the Roster file displayed in the Roster field. If this Roster is usedin any other Class definitions, the name will no longer appear in thoseClass Rosters.

If you want to create a Roster from an existing MS Excel spreadsheet, hereare a few tricks to make the process go smoothly. PRS Rosters are stored ina .csv format. PRS will read the Roster files only in that format. In addition,PRS expects a specific structure in the .csv file. It is recommended that youuse one of the example files accessed on the GTCO CalComp Web sitefrom the Help Menu, or create a dummy Roster file. Use the Add Namesbutton to add one name, real or phony, and include any other informationyou want in your Roster file from the choices available in the Add Namesdialog. Name and save the file. When you open it in Excel, you will havethe proper file structure into which you can copy and paste roster informa-tion from an existing spreadsheet. The .csv file format does not acceptembedded commas in names, which is why student names are brokendown into separate First Name, Middle Initial, and Last Name fields. Whenyou save the file, you will be asked whether you want to save the format-ting. Click on the Yes button. When you exit Excel, you will be promptedagain to save the file. You do not have to save it again, unless you want tosave it in the Excel .xls format.

25Chapter 3 Classes – New Class, Response Map

Response Map

Tab

The Class Response Map provides a way of mapping each student listed inthe Class Roster to a permanent location in a Response Grid. It is a virtualseating chart. When chosen as the Display Mode for the Session, theResponse Grid is displayed below the Question and Response Choices. In aPRS PowerPoint Lesson Session, the Response Grid can be sized andmoved to any location over the Question Slide.

When a Response Map is not defined, Responses are posted to the Re-sponse Grid in the order received. An individual’s Response will rarely showup in the same place in the Response Grid from one Question to the next.Large groups of students will find it difficult to track and verify their Re-sponse transmissions if a Response Map is not in place. When a student hasan assigned position on the Response Grid, he has only one place to look toverify that his Response has been transmitted, received and recorded.

A Response Map can be imported or created. Created Response Maps canbe derived either by using the Class Roster to populate the Map, or byhaving students register for the Response Map by pressing a key on theirPRS Transmitters when requested to do so. A Response Map can beupdated when respondents not currently included in the Response Mapattend a Session. Their responses will show up at the end of the ResponseGrid, assuming there are additional, empty Response Boxes in the grid. Youwill be prompted to save the Response Map with the new registrations.

If your audience size is likely to fluctuate from one Session to the next,add more Rows and/or Columns to the Response Map than needed forthe Class size. Additional students can then be easily accommodatedwhen they show up for a Session. If you don’t have enough ResponseBoxes in the Response Grid, and you haven’t set the Response Map tocycle, when the Response Grid is full, additional Responses will beignored.

26 Chapter 3Classes – New Class, Response Map

Create ResponseMap Function

Click on the Create Response Map button at the bottom of the ResponseMap dialog to display the Create Response Map Choose Type dialog.

You have three options:Use Roster, Random via Responses, orSequential via Responses. The Use Roster

option allows you to create a Response Mapdirectly from the Roster associated with thisClass definition. The order of assignment inthe Response Map is based on the order in which the students are listed inthe Roster. When you select this option and click on the Next button, theResponse Map List Window is populated with information extracted fromthe Roster, the Rows and Columns fields are automatically calculated basedon the size of the Roster, and the ResponseMap directory displays. Namethe new Response Map and save it. The name and path to the newlycreated Response Map is displayed in the Response Map field above theResponse Map List Window. Add more rows and columns if you eitherexpect more students, or plan to run test Sessions and use Key Input(Connection Menu) to simulate Response transmissions.

Sequential and Random Response Maps

Both the Sequential via Responses option and the Random via Responses

option require the registration of the PRS Transmitters. Sequential registra-tion allows you to register students in the Response Map in a specific order,while Random registration assigns the next position in the Response Map tothe next signal received. The end result of the three types of Response Mapcreation is the same; each student occupies a specific, assigned position onthe Response Map, which is used to define the Response Grid displayedduring a Session.

Select either the Sequential or Random response option and click on theNext button. The Response Map Row/Column prompt displays. Use thisoption to describe how you want theindividual Response Boxes arranged in thegrid. Set the number of rows and columnsyou want in the Response Map. If neces-sary, add additional Rows or Columns tothe Class definition to provide room forlate registrants. Click on the Next button.

The screen shots on the next page show a portion of each screen thatdisplays for a Sequential Response Map.

27Chapter 3 Classes – New Class, Response Map

The yellow Assignment Block moves from one Response Box to the next inorder across the Response Map. When a signal is sent from a PRS Transmit-ter, its Transmitter ID is registered to the Response Box with the yellowblock in it. If a Transmitter ID is not assigned to the Response Box you wantit to be in, click on the Pause button. The following view displays.

Use the green arrow buttons to reposition the yellow Assignment Block.Click on the Clear button to remove the Transmitter ID from the ResponseBox with the yellow block. Click on the Resume button to activate theyellow Assignment Block and register the correct Transmitter ID to thatResponse Box.

Click on the End button when all Response Box assignments have beenmade. You will be prompted to name and save the Response Map in theResponseMap directory.

28 Chapter 3

ResponseWindow DefaultsTab

The Response Window Defaults set here pertain only to this Class definitionand describe, for the most part, how you want the Response Grid to beconfigured and displayed during a Session when a Lesson for this Class ispresented.

Classes – New Class, Response Map

Import ResponseMap Function

Random Response Maps provide assigned locations, but they are in noparticular order of assignment. The Response Map grid displays, but there isno yellow Assignment Block. Simply have each student press a button onhis or her PRS Transmitter, one after the other. The student’s Transmitter IDwill display in the Response Box to which the student is now assigned.When the Response Map Random Registration process is finished, you willbe prompted to name and save the Response Map in the ResponseMapdirectory.

Click on the Import Response Map button to import an existing ResponseMap. The ResponseMap directory, where the Response Maps are stored bydefault, displays. Select the Response Map you want to import, or browseto another location where you have stored Response Maps and import onefrom there.

Remove ResponseMap Function

A prompt displays when you click on the Remove Response Map button toremind you that the Response Map you are removing is just disassociatedfrom this Class definition. The Response Map file is not deleted and remainsavailable to be used with this or any other Class definition.

The following table identifies each of the options and its possible settings forthe Response Window Defaults dialog pictured above, and provides adescription of the option. These are default settings, some of which can bereset on a Session-to-Session basis.

29Chapter 3 Classes – New Class, Response Window Defaults

Number ofResponseBoxes

The setting you choose here is based on the

number of students in the Class. It will be grayed

out when a Response Map has been set up for the

Class. The number of Response Boxes in the

Response Map definition is determined by the total

number of Rows times the number of Columns. If

you want all Responses to be displayed at the

same time, set the number of Response Boxes

equal to or higher than the number of people

participating in the Session. Each Response will be

recorded and displayed in a Response Box. If the

number of Response Boxes is smaller than the

number of students and the Cycle Response Mapoption (below) is turned on, the last Responses

received will display at the beginning of the

Response Grid and overwrite the initial Responses

in the Response Boxes. The overwritten Responses

will have already been recorded, so no Response

data are lost when a smaller Response Grid is

defined. However, if the Response Grid is smaller

than the audience and Cycle Response Map is not

on, only the Responses that are displayed in a

Response Box are recorded. All others are lost.

Option DescriptionSettings

20 – 300

ShowResponse

Do you want to display each student’s Response

to each Question during a Response Session? Your

setting here will depend in part on whether or not

you plan to identify students during the Response

Session – Known or Anonymous – and whether or

not you want each student’s Response to be

published, especially if his name is displayed – a

Top Line of Response Box Shows option setting

below. If this is a survey, you may want to show

Responses and names. If it’s a test, you probably

won’t want to show Responses.

Yes/No

Response Box

Color

Unique to last

digit of ID

Clear

This option is grayed out when a Response Map is

set up as part of the Class definition. The Response

Box colors are already set to indicate the number

of tries by each respondent: Blue – has not yet

responded, Yellow – out-of-range response, try

again, Rose – one in-range Response transmission,

Teal – second in-range Response transmission,

Red – Last Chance Response, further attempts to

respond will be ignored.

Unique to last digit of ID: Each digit, 0 through 9,

is assigned a color, e.g., 0=orange, 1=pink, 2=blue,

30 Chapter 3Classes – New Class, Response Window Defaults

AutomaticallyAdvanceQuestion

Yes/No

etc. When responding to a Question, each PRS

Transmitter’s Response will display in the color

assigned to the last digit of its ID. This makes it

easier for a respondent to find his Response in the

Response Grid, especially if there is no Response

Map in the Class definition.

Clear: All students display the same Response

colors: Green = an in-range Response transmis-

sion, Yellow = an out-of-range Response transmis-

sion, Red = the Last Chance in-range Response,

further attempts to respond will be ignored.

When this option is set to Yes, after a Question

has been answered and the Responses have been

recorded – and graphed, if indicated – the next

Question will automatically display. When set to

No, you must manually advance to the next

Question in the Session.


Top Line ofResponse BoxShows

Transmitter ID

Last 4 digits

Transmitter ID

Last 2 digits

Transmitter ID

Last Name

First Name

Nickname

First Name

Last Initial

Last Name

First Initial

Student ID

Choose from this list the setting you want to

display on the top line in each Response Box to

identify the student when the Response Grid is

chosen as the Display Mode for the Session.

Displaying all or part of the Transmitter ID, or the

Student ID, allows for more anonymity than

displaying the student’s name.

Bottom Lineof Response

Box Shows

None

Transmitter ID

Last 4 digits

Transmitter ID

If this Class definition has an associated Response

Map, you can choose what, if anything, will

display on the bottom line of each Response Box

in the Response Grid.

31Chapter 3 Classes – New Class, Response Window Defaults

ShowQuestion

CycleResponse Map

Cycle

Response MapDelay

Yes/No

Yes/No

1 – 9

If you have a large number of students in the

audience, you can set the Response Map to CycleMode. When set to Yes, each block of Response

Boxes (defined next) will display for the amount of

time (Delay) set below before cycling through to

the next block in sequence. Cycling, when set,

continues throughout the Session.

You should always cycle the Response Map when

the defined number of Response Boxes, whether

set in the Response Map definition or on this

dialog, is smaller than the audience (Class) size.


If the Questions for a Response Session are going

to be presented orally, written on the board, or

displayed on an overhead projector, for example,

set this option to No.

This sets the amount of time, in seconds, the

current block of Response Boxes (set above) will

display before cycling to the next block.

Cycle

Response MapNumber ofBoxes

20 – 300 Set the number of Response Boxes that will

display during each Response Map Cycle.

Attendee ListShows

Transmitter ID

Last 4 digits

Transmitter ID

Last 2 digits

Transmitter ID

Last Name

First Name

Nickname

First Name

Last Initial

Last Name

First Initial

Student ID

Choose from this list which field from each

student profile you want to display to identify the

student when Attendee List is chosen as the

Display Mode for the Session.

32 Chapter 3

Graph Window

Defaults Tab

Responses can be graphed to provide visual feedback regarding the Re-sponse distribution for each Question during a Session. After a Question isrun during a Session, the Results Graph is displayed either automatically, ormanually, by clicking on the Show Graph Function Button. These are defaultsettings and can be changed from one Session to the next.

Classes – New Class, Graph Window Defaults

The following table describes the Results Graph settings options.

Graph

Orientation

Show Correct

Response

Graph Values

by

Horizontal

Vertical

Yes/No

Percent

Number

AutomaticallyShow Graph

Yes/No

Do you want the graph to display along the

horizontal or vertical axis?

Percent: The results are graphed based on the

percentage of responses for each Response

Choice.

Number: The results are graphed based on the

number of responses for each Response Choice.

Do you want a graph of the Response distribution

results to display automatically after each Question

during a Session? If you choose No, you can click

on the Show Graph Function Button on the

Session dialog Toolbar when you are ready to

display the Results Graph.


When this option is set to Yes, the number of the

correct response is displayed in the graph legend

in bright blue and the color of the correct

response’s graph bar is combined with bright blue.

33Chapter 3

Select a Class definition in the Classes List Window. Click on the Edit ClassFunction Button. The Class definition window displays. Make your changesto any of the settings in the different tabbed sections. Notethat everything about the Class definition can be edited, except theClass Name.

Classes – Edit, Delete Class

Select a Class definition in the Classes List Window. Click on the DeleteClass Function Button. You will be prompted to verify you want to deletethe Class.

Roster andResponse MapEditing On The Fly

You can directly edit both the Roster and Response Map by double-clickingon the Name, Student ID, or Transmitter ID and making the change in theEdit dialog that displays.

34 Chapter 3

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35Chapter 4

Lessons Module

Lessons is the module where you define and organize your questionnairesand tests into Lessons. Each Lesson is made up of a series of Questions.

The Lessons main screen, shown below, is divided into two panes. TheLessons are organized in the Lesson Tree in the left pane. Questions for theselected Lesson are displayed in the right pane. Note that each pane has itsown set of Function Buttons.

The Lesson Tree is structured like a file directory, providing a way of arrang-ing and organizing your Lessons. Branches are created in the Lesson Treewhere individual Lessons are categorized and stored. A branch is defined byclicking on a position in the Lesson Tree (initially, the Lessons branch is theonly branch), clicking on the New Lesson Function Button, and naming thebranch. No other New Lesson settings are necessary in a branch definition.Typically the branch is named for the Class, e.g., Biology. Subbranches canspecify types of Lessons, i.e., Review, Quizzes, Midterms, Finals; or Lessoncategories, e.g., the Digestive System, the Nervous System, the CirculatorySystem, etc. Lessons are then defined by clicking on a branch in the Lesson

The Lesson TreeList Window

PRS Lessons

36 Chapter 4Lessons – Lesson Tree and Question List Windows

Tree and clicking on the New Lesson Function Button. Clicking on a branch inthe Lesson Tree will activate the Lesson Function Buttons.

In the context of the PRS system, a Lesson is a questionnaire and consists of aseries of Questions. The Lesson is merely a storage container for the Ques-tions and their default presentation settings. The default presentation settingsdescribe how the Questions are to be presented to the audience during aSession.

The Questions can be composed and stored in the Lesson in InterWrite PRSby clicking on the New Question Function Button. Questions can also beimported in a variety of different formats into a PRS Lesson. As described inChapter 1, many textbook publishers provide electronic Question Sets withtheir textbooks. The PRS software has the capability of importing the Ques-tion Sets from Wiley (WileyML format), Pearson (proprietary XML format),and Bedford, Freeman, Worth (QTI XML format), as well as Questions in .png,.gif and .jpg image formats, into PRS Lessons. Once these Question Sets,whatever their source, are imported into a PRS Lesson, they become PRSQuestions for which you can set Question Defaults, and which you can edit,delete, and manage as you would the Questions in any other PRS Lesson.You can also add new Questions to an imported Question Set.

And finally, for those teachers and presenters who prepare their presentationsusing Microsoft’s PowerPoint software, the good news is that you canincorporate the Audience Response System capabilities of InterWrite PRSdirectly into your PowerPoint Slide Shows. You’ll see how easily it’s done inthe last section in this chapter.

The second screen shot on the previous page shows what the LessonsModule main screen will look like when a Lesson is selected in the LessonTree. The Questions for the selected Lesson are displayed in the right pane,the Question List Window. You can add Questions to the Lesson by clickingon the New Question Function Button. You can also edit or delete a selectedQuestion.

Other features of the Question window include the ability to change thepresentation order of the Questions by moving them up or down in theQuestion List Window. By default, all the Questions in the Lesson are Se-

lected, indicated by the green Check Mark. This means that when the Lessonis presented in a Session, all the Questions in the Lesson will be displayedduring the Session. If you wanted to present a subset of a Lesson’s Questionsduring a Session, simply clear the Selected checkbox for each Question youwant to exclude from the Session by clicking on it. The Questions that havebeen deselected will remain stored in the Lesson, but they will not appear

The QuestionList Window

37Chapter 4 Lessons– New Lesson, Information

Click on a branch in the Lesson Tree and click on the New Lesson FunctionButton to set up a new Lesson. The following screen will display.

again in any Session for that Lesson until they have been re-selected here.You can order, or index, the Questions in the Question List Window byclicking on the column header button of the data you choose as the Index

Key. Click on the header button again to toggle between ascending anddescending order.

First, let’s look at setting up Lessons in the Lesson Tree.

Give the Lesson a Name and choose a Lesson Mode—Multiple Choice, orNumeric. The Name identifies the Lesson in the Lesson Tree. A Multiple

Choice Lesson is one in which each Question in the Lesson has a set numberof possible Response Choices. (The default value for Response Choices is setin the New Lesson Question Defaults dialog, described next.)

Numeric-based Lessons expect a multi-digit numeric response. Respondentsmust press the first digit of their Response, watch for a pound sign (#) todisplay in their Response Box in the Response Grid and, if necessary, waituntil the PRS Transmitter LED stops blinking, then press the next digit of theNumeric Response. Another # will display. Repeat the process for each digitin the numeric answer up to a system limit of four digits. If a fifth digit is sent,the system assumes the respondent wants to change his answer and the fifthdigit sent becomes the first digit of the modified Response. This assumes thatthe Chances Question Default setting (see following) for the Numeric Lessonhas been set to more than one Chance. If the Response contains less thanfour digits and a respondent wants to end his Response and start over, heshould be instructed to press the H + 0 (zero) buttons on his PRS Transmit-ter. The word Entered will appear in his Response Box in the Response Grid.He can then begin to transmit his Next Chance Response to that Question.Note that a numeric Response requires visual confirmation of each transmis-sion of each digit in the numeric Response. For that reason, when you arerunning a Session that involves a Numeric Lesson, choose Response Grid (asopposed to Attendee List) as the Display Mode.

Information Tab

38 Chapter 4

This is where the default settings for the presentation of the Lesson’sQuestions are set. Although the defaults set here apply to all the Questionsin the Lesson, any of the defaults can be changed in the New Questiondialog for each Question you define.

Lessons – New Lesson, Question Defaults

The default settings for the Questions in this Lesson are set up on the nexttabbed dialog in the New Lessons window. Click on the Question Defaultstab to display the Question Defaults options and settings.

QuestionDefaults Tab

The following table describes each Question Default option and lists itspossible settings.

CountdownTimer

The Countdown Timer is set for the amount of

time you want to give respondents to answer each

Question. Be aware of the anticipated size of the

audience when you set the Countdown Timer.

When signals are transmitted from PRS Transmit-

ters to the PRS Receiver, the Receiver processes

the first signal it receives and ignores the others

coming in at exactly the same time. Transmitter

signals are not queued by the Receiver. Even so, a

transmitted signal is processed quite quickly, so

signals that are sent within nanoseconds of each

other are usually processed without having to be

resent, especially with smaller, classroom-size

groups. But, with audiences of several hundred,

serial processing can be an issue. Just be sure to

set enough time on the Countdown Timer so that

all students have a reasonable chance of getting


00:30 sec.s –

10:00 min.s

39Chapter 4 Lessons – New Lesson, Question Defaults

Select the number of Response Choices (multiple

choice answers) you want to have for each

Question in the Lesson.

Choices 2 – 10

their Response to each Question processed. If, as

you are presenting the Session, you see that the

default Countdown Timer value set for the Lesson

Questions is not giving all students enough time to

respond, you can change the setting for the Timer

at the beginning of each Question. Or, you can set

the default Timer to a higher value. Then during

the Session, click on the Stop Question button

at the top of the Session dialog to stop the

Countdown Timer when you have verified that

everyone has responded to the Question.


OrientChoices

Horizontal

Vertical

The Response Choices can be displayed either in

rows or in columns. The settings for this option

should be considered in conjunction with the

Question Location settings. Typically, when you

set the Question Location to Left, the Response

Choices are aligned in Rows next to the Question.

The Choices orientation when Question Location

is set to Top probably depends more on the typeof Response Choices—columns often being more

suitable for graphic Responses, for example.

Font Size 8 – 28 points

Font Face All System

Fonts

Choose a font size that will project well.

Choose a font from among the fonts installed on

the computer. Generally speaking, you should

avoid using decorative fonts, which might be

difficult to read, or using a number of different

fonts on the same Question screen, which might

be distracting.

Chances 1 – 99 You can set a limit on the number of tries, or

Chances, a student can have to answer a Question.

During a Session, when a student is transmitting

Responses, the Last Chance Response, the upper

limit of whatever value the Chance option is set to,

will display as red in the Response Box, and is the

Response that will be recorded. Additional

Responses will be ignored. An out-of-range

Response will not count against the number of

Chances a student has to answer the Question.

The instructor should inform the audience how

many Chances they have to select the right

Response during the allotted time for each

40 Chapter 4Lessons – New Lesson, Question Defaults

The Font Settings you choose here, including color, will be applied to all theQuestions in the Lesson. Nevertheless, you can change any of the fontsettings on a character-by-character basis in the Question dialog as youcompose the individual Questions and Response Choices for the Lesson.

Font Color Black

Red

Green

Blue

Yellow

Orange

Brown

Purple

Dark Gray

Lt Brown

Lt Green

Slate

Cyan

Dk Blue

Magenta

White

Set a default color for the Questions and Re-

sponses in the Lesson. You can use color changes

in addition to, or instead of, Font Style changes to

add emphasis and to make your Lesson more

visually appealing and engaging.

QuestionLocation

Top

Left

Questions can be located at the Top of the display

screen, or on the Left. As indicated above,

Question Location is usually set with consideration

to the orientation of the Response Choices.


Question, and remind them to watch the Response

Grid to make sure all their Responses have been

properly transmitted and received.

Show Choices Show

Hide

You can choose to Show or Hide the Response

Choices for each Question.

Font Style Regular

Bold Italic

Underline

Bold Italic

Bold Under-

line Italic

Underline

Bold Italic

Underline

Superscript

Subscript

Regular is usually the best choice for the default

Font Style. As you are composing the individual

Questions and Responses, you can use different

Font Styles to emphasize specific characters,

words, or phrases. When choosing different Font

Styles, as well as mixing Font Faces, apply the

principle of less is more.

Points 0 through

1000

You can assign a point value, also called a weight,to each Question in the Lesson. Set the default

Question Point Value here.

41Chapter 4 Lessons – New Lesson, Import

The Import button will not be available until you have indicated the Nameyou want to give the imported Lesson.

Lessons in a variety of File Types, as described earlier, can be imported intoa new PRS Lesson. When you have named the Lesson, click on the now-activated Import button at the bottom ofthe New Lesson window to display thisscreen.

Select the File Type you want to importand click on the OK button. The PRSdirectory displays. Browse to the direc-tory where the files of the File Type youchose are stored. When you have reached the destination directory, thefiles in the folders in that directory will display in a pane on the right side ofthe window in Windows and on the left side of the window on the Mac, soyou can verify the directory content. When you are assured you havechosen the directory that contains the Question Set you want to importinto this Lesson, click on the Select (Windows) or Choose (Mac) button.Set the Question Defaults for the imported Question Set and click on theOK button to save the Lesson definition. When the Lesson is selected in theLesson Tree, the imported Questions will display in the Question ListWindow. You can select, deselect, edit, copy, move, and delete them asyou would PRS-defined Questions. In addition, you can add new Questionsto the imported Question Set in the Lesson by clicking on the New Ques-tion Function Button.

Import Function

42 Chapter 4Lessons – Edit, Delete Lesson, New Question

Multiple ChoiceQuestions

Select the Lesson you want to edit in the Lesson Tree and click on the EditLesson Function Button to display the Lesson profile window. You cannotchange the Lesson Information. Import a Lesson and/or make changes tothe Question Defaults and click on the OK button to save them.

Select the Lesson you want to delete from the Lesson Tree. Click on theDelete Lesson Function Button. You will be prompted to verify you want todelete the Lesson.

Use this tool to toggle between writing or drawing

freehand and typing Questions and Responses.

Tool FunctionTool Name

Switch to Freehand

Mode

Cut the selected item.Cut

Make a copy of the selected item.Copy

Paste the copied or cut item.Paste

A Lesson, whether of Lesson Type Multiple Choice or Numeric, is made upof a series of Questions. The Question profiles for each of the two LessonTypes are slightly different, as shown below. Select the Lesson in the LessonTree and click on the New Question Function Button either to define theQuestions for the Lesson, or to add New Questions to a Lesson that alreadyhas some Questions.

Select the Lesson in the Lesson Tree for which you want to composeQuestions and Multiple Choice Responses. Click on the New QuestionFunction Button to display the New Question dialog shown on the nextpage. The New Question dialog is persistent. It will remain displayed as youcompose and add your Questions to the Lesson. The window’s Title Barindicates the number of the current Question and the Lesson Type youchose when setting up the New Lesson profile.

Your default Question settings, established when you defined the NewLesson, are displayed in the fields at the top of the New Question dialog.You can change those default settings for any Question in the Lesson. Thechanges you make to the default settings are persistent for subsequentQuestions until you change them again. A Toolbar is located above thedefault settings fields and to the left of the Font Settings. Each tool isdescribed in the following chart.

43Chapter 4 Lessons – New Question, Multiple Choice

Tool FunctionTool Name

Use this tool to add a graphic to the Question and/or

to any of the Responses.

Insert Image

Use this tool to display the text box in which you will

type the subscript text. It will be half the font size.

Insert Subscript

Use this tool to display the text box in which you will

type the superscript text. It will be half the font size.

Insert Superscript

Use this tool to turn off the subscript or superscript

font option and return to the default font size.

Subscript/Super-

script Off

Use this tool to issue an HTML formatting command

to insert a linebreak and indent four spaces.

Indent 4 Spaces

with Linebreak

*

*

*

*

* The editor used to compose Questions and Responses is an HTML(Hypertext Markup Language) editor. It has somewhat different formattingrequirements than a standard text editor. The specialized HTML EditingTools described above provide the formatting commands you need whencomposing your Questions and Responses.


to indent four spaces.

Indent 4 Spaces


to insert a linebreak here.

Insert Linebreak

*

*

44 Chapter 4Lessons – New Question, Numeric

NumericQuestions

The focus is positioned in the Q (Question) Box. As you type the Question,you will see that it is mirrored in the Name field. The contents of the Namefield will display in the Question List Window. Select the number of theCorrect Response to the Question from the values in the drop-down list.The identification bar for the selected Correct Response will change tobright blue. The Any selection is used most frequently for survey Questionswhere there is not right or wrong answer. None is selected for a throwawayQuestion with no correct answer that is often used to take attendance. Thedifference between the two is that the Responses to a None Question arenot included in Session Reports that calculate Response totals.

When you have entered your Response Choices in their respective boxes,click on the Add button at the bottom of the dialog to add each Questionand its Response Choices to the Lesson. Click on the Close button whenyou have finished composing all your Questions and are ready to return tothe Lessons Module main screen. The Questions will be displayed in theQuestion List Window.

A Numeric Lesson features Questions that have a single, numeric Response.Note that the Question Defaults that are not applicable to a NumericLesson are grayed out at the top of the Numeric New Question dialog. Aswith Multiple Choice Questions, the Name of a Numeric Question fills in asyou type the Question in the Question Box. The Correct Response is anumeric value of one to four digits. The same tools appear in the Toolbarand the process for adding Questions to a Numeric Lesson Type is the sameas for a Multiple Choice Lesson Type.

45Chapter 4 Lessons – Question Function Buttons

In the Lesson Tree, select the Lesson that contains the Question you wantto edit. The Lesson’s Questions will display in the Question List Window inthe right pane. Select the Question you want to edit. Click on the EditQuestion Function Button to display the Question dialog. You can changeany Question setting and/or the Question itself and the Response Choices.Click on the Update button at the bottom of the dialog when you havemade your edits.

In the Lesson Tree, select the Lesson that contains the Question(s) you wantto delete. The Questions for that Lesson will display in the Question ListWindow. Select the Question you want to delete. Click on the DeleteQuestion Function Button. You will be prompted to verify you want todelete the Question.

Use the Copy Question Function Button to copy a Question from oneLesson to another. Select the Question in the List Window. Click on theCopy Question Function Button. In the pop-up Lesson Tree dialog, selectthe Lesson you want to copy the Question to. The copied Question will beappended to the list of Questions in the List Window. Use the two direc-tional Move Function Buttons to position it where you want it in the Lesson.

Select a Question in the Question List Window and click on the Move UpFunction Button to move the Question up one position in the list of Ques-tions. If the Question is at the top of the Question List, this function will notbe available.

Select a Question in the Question List Window and click on the MoveDown Function Button to move the Question down one position in the listof Questions. If the Question is at the bottom of the Question List, thisfunction will not be available.

Click on the Select All Function Button to select all the Questions in the ListWindow. Each Question will have a green checkmark in the checkbox tothe left of the Question to indicate it is selected. All selected Questions areincluded when this Lesson is presented during a Session.

Click on the Unselect All Function Button to clear the checkboxes next toall the Questions. You can then click on individual checkboxes to select asubset of the Questions for a Session.

46 Chapter 4

PowerPoint

Lessons

Lessons – PowerPoint Lessons

A PRS Lesson can be delivered as part of a Microsoft PowerPoint SlideShow. When InterWrite PRS is installed on your Windows computer, a PRSPowerPoint Add-in creates a PRS Toolbar in PowerPoint that provides thefunctionality to turn any PowerPoint slide into a PRS Lesson Question.

When a PowerPoint Slide Show with PRS Question Slides is run, InterWritePRS views this as a PRS Session and displays the Response Grid or AttendeeList over each Question Slide and records the Question Responses in astandard PRS Session file. PowerPoint-based Sessions are displayed in theSessions List Window as a PowerPoint Lesson. You can then mark it as youwould any other Lesson Session.

Click on the New Question Function Button on the PRS Add-in Toolbar inPowerPoint when you want to turn the currently selected PowerPoint slideinto a PRS Question Slide. The following InterWrite PRS PowerPoint COMAdd-in dialog displays. You will recognize some of the New QuestionSettings options. The settings you choose here will be saved with thisPowerPoint slide, and the InterWrite PRS icon will display on the slide toidentify it as a PRS PowerPoint Question Slide. The icon can be moved toany location on the Question Slide.

Crafting aPowerPoint Slideas a PRS Question

The presence of

the PRS logo on

the PowerPoint

slide indicates this

is a PRS Question.

Animation effects cannot beused on PRS PowerPointQuestion Slides.

47Chapter 4 Lessons – PowerPoint Lessons

When you run a PowerPoint Slide Show with PRS Question Slides, Inter-Write PRS is launched, if it isn’t already running, and the following PRS NewSession dialog displays.

Define the Session Profile here just as you would for any PRS Session(Chapter 5). Click on the OK button when you have set the Session options.As you go through the Slide Show, when a PRS Question Slide is encoun-tered (identified by the PRS logo), a Response Grid or Attendee List,depending on the Display Mode chosen, will display across the lowerportion of the Slide Show. You can size and move the Response Grid orAttendee List to an optimal placement over the PRS Question Slide. PRSremembers the size and position of the Response Grid or Attendee List foreach Question Slide in the Slide Show.

Running aPowerPoint SlideShow with PRSQuestion Slides

48 Chapter 4Lessons – PowerPoint Lessons

Depending on your Session settings, either the Countdown Timer will

autostart, or you will have to click on the Start Question button to start

the Countdown Timer. If you set up the Show Results Graph option toautomatically display the Results Graph, it will pop up when the CountdownTimer runs down to zero.

When a PRS PowerPoint Session is running, the PowerPointslide is switched into Annotation Mode, so you can write noteson the slide. This also prevents you from accidentally advanc-ing to the next slide while the Session is running.

About thePRS Add-in

Click on the PRS button on theAdd-in Toolbar to display theAbout PRS Add-in dialog. Inaddition to providing versioninformation about the PRSPowerPoint Add-in, this dialogis where you can disable thePRS Session while you areviewing the PowerPoint SlideShow.

By default, the Enable PRS Session option is checked. When you run this PRSPowerPoint Slide Show, PRS will automatically launch when the first PRSQuestion Slide is viewed and the New Session dialog will display. If youwant to run the PRS PowerPoint Slide Show so you can review the PRSQuestion Slides without launching PRS, clear the Enable PRS Session check-

box.

49Chapter 5

Sessions Module

The Sessions Module is where all that preparation in the Classes andLessons Modules pays off. The Lessons you prepared for your Classes arepresented during Sessions. Each Session in the Sessions List Windowrepresents one presentation of a Lesson for a Class. You simply click on theNew Session Function Button to begin a new Session. Existing Sessionsshown in the Sessions List Window can be reviewed, resumed, deleted,marked, exported, or a Report of the Session results can be created. Aresumed Session allows you to continue a Lesson presentation, re-askingQuestions that had already been responded to and/or asking Questionsthat were not presented during the previous run of the Session. When youreview a Session, it gives you the opportunity to check the Responses tothe Questions and the Response Results for each Question. When youmark a Session, it is graded or scored. Sessions can be exported in an XMLformat for use with third party class management applications. Reports in avariety of formats can be created for a Session.

The Sessions Module List Window contains a number of column headerbuttons. You can order the Sessions in the List Window by Class, forexample, by clicking on the Class column Header button. Click on thebutton again to toggle between ascending and descending order.

50 Chapter 5Sessions – New Session

The Display Mode setting allows you to choose whether you want theResponse Grid to display in the Response Area during the Session, or theAttendee List. The primary function of either Display Mode is to providevisual confirmation for both the students and the instructor that theirResponses were received and recorded.

The Response Grid is made up of individual Response Boxes arranged inrows and columns to form a grid. When a student transmits a Response to aQuestion, his Transmitter ID number or his name (this setting is part of theNew Class definition, Response Window Defaults) is displayed in a ResponseBox, confirming the receipt of his Response. If a Response Map has been setup as part of the Class definition, each student will have an assigned Re-sponse Box – a permanent location – in the Response Grid, where thatconfirmation of his Question Responses will always appear.

When the Attendee List Display Mode is chosen, one of the fields from theClass Roster student profiles (set in the New Class definition, Response

Window Defaults tab) is displayed in a list. As each Response is received, thestudent’s identification is removed from the list. When the CountdownTimer has expired, the instructor is left with a list of those students who didnot respond to the Question. It’s possible that some of the students identi-fied in the remaining list are not actually in attendance. To counter thatpossibility, the instructor is given the option of creating an Absentee List atthe beginning of the Session when Attendee List is chosen as the DisplayMode. The students should be instructed to send a transmission by pressing

Display Mode

You get it all started by clicking on the New Session Function Button. This iswhere you set the remaining options for the Session that weren’t set up inthe Lesson or Question profiles. These remaining options affect the actualSession presentation.

In a typical Session, the first Question in the Lesson for the selected Classwill display. When the Countdown Timer has expired, the Results Graph ofthe Question Response distribution displays, showing either how many, orwhat percentage of, respondents selected each Response Choice. When theResults Graph is closed, the next Question will display. This presentationscenario is usually used more often in testing situations. If you are reviewingclass material or running a marketing research survey, you may not want theQuestions to autostart and you may not want to automatically advance tothe next Question. When the Results Graph displays, you might want toencourage discussion about the Question Results to determine how wellstudents have understood the material. When you close the Results Graph,you may want to rerun the Question. You can begin to see with theseexamples how the settings on the New Session dialog give you the flexibilityto run a variety of Sessions using the same Lesson.

51Chapter 5

The following table shows the options for a New Session and their possiblesettings and describes the ramifications of option selections.

Sessions – New Session

Name By default, the Name of the Session is the current

date. If more than one Session is presented on the

same day, the Sessions are numbered, e.g., July 07

2004, July 07 2004_1, July 07 2004_2, etc. You

can give the Session any name you choose if you

don’t want to use the current date.


Audience Known

Anonymous

The setting for this option determines whether

student identification will be recorded and saved

with the Response Results.

Known: All Responses and their associated

Transmitter ID numbers will be recorded. Use this

Audience Type for Sessions that will subsequently

be graded or Marked.

Anonymous: No ID tag will be recorded with the

Responses. Use this Audience Type for review,

polling, or survey Sessions, where respondent

identity is not required. Transmitter IDs will be

any numbered button on their powered-on PRS Transmitters. The Transmit-ter IDs received are checked against the Class Roster. The students whoseTransmitter IDs are not received are put on the Absentee List and theirnames are removed from that Session’s Attendee List. The names oflatecomers to the Session are not added to the Attendee List for thatSession, but their Responseswill be recorded for all theQuestions they respond toduring the Session. They justwon’t have that visual confirma-tion.

If the Lesson being run duringthe Session is a Numeric Lesson(as opposed to Multiple

Choice), you must choose theResponse Grid Display Mode,which provides the necessaryvisual confirmation of eachtransmission of each digit in thenumeric Response.

52 Chapter 5Sessions – New Session

Lesson Type No Lesson

PRS Lesson

Class The Class option lists the names of the Classes

defined in the Classes Module. Select the name of

the Class that this Session will be associated with

and whose Class Roster will be used.


No Lesson: Select this option if you are going to

be delivering the Questions and Response Choices

through some means other than a PRS-designed

Lesson, or a PowerPoint-based Lesson. Only the

Response Grid or Attendee List will display when

you choose this Lesson Type.

shown on the Response Grid so students will be

able to verify receipt of their signal, but the IDs will

not be recorded in the Session file.

Set the default Session parameters to accommo-

date a lesson that was developed elsewhere, but

which will be presented in a PRS Session. When

you accept the default settings by clicking on the

OK button, a blank Response Grid will display with

the Session Toolbar across the top. Click on the

Start Question Function Button to begin the

No Lesson Session.

PRS Lesson: Select the PRS Lesson you want to

use for this Session from the Lesson Tree in the List

Window. Note that the OK button will not be

activated until you select a Lesson Type.

AutostartQuestions

Yes/No When you set Autostart Questions to Yes, as soon

as you have accepted the Session Profile by

clicking on the OK button, the first Question in the

Lesson displays and the Countdown Timer starts

counting down.

If you set this option to No, the Countdown Timer

won’t start up until you click on the Start Question

Function Button .

53Chapter 5 Sessions – New Session

AutomaticallyAdvanceQuestion

Yes/No

AutomaticallyShow Graph

When this option is set to Yes, as soon as a

Question’s Countdown Timer expires, the Results

Graph window displays. When set to No, the

Results Graph can be displayed only by clicking

on the Show Graph button , and only when the

Question AutoAdvance option is set to No.

The Automatically Show Graph option is initially

set in the Class definition, Graph WindowDefaults dialog, in the Classes Module. You can

override that default setting here. The override

pertains only to this Session.


When this option is set to Yes, as soon as the

Countdown Timer runs out and if the Automati-cally Show Graph option is set to No, the next

Question in the Lesson is automatically displayed.

Or, if the Automatically Show Graph option is set

to Yes, as soon as the Results Graph is closed, the

next Question in the Lesson is automatically

displayed.

When this option is set to No, you must click on

the Next Question arrow button on the right of

the Question Indicator to display the

next Question.

This is another Session option that is initially set in

the Class definition, Graph Window Defaultsdialog. You can override that default setting here.

The override pertains only to this Session.

Display Mode Response Grid

Attendee List

Which of the Response Displays do you want to

appear with each Question during the Session?

Select Attendee List if you want to build an

Absentee List at the beginning of the Session. You

can toggle between the two Display Modes by

clicking on the Display Mode button once the

Session is underway.

Yes/No

If all three of these “Auto” settings are set to Yes, the Countdown Timerbegins when the Question displays, the Results Graph displays when theCountdown Timer expires, and, after the Results Graph is closed, the nextQuestion in the Lesson is automatically displayed.

Click on the OK button to accept your settings and begin the Session.

54 Chapter 5Sessions – Session Dialog

The SessionDialog

The table below describes each of the tools on the Session Dialog Toolbarfrom left to right.

Response GridQuestion Box Response Choices

Session Dialog Toolbar

End Session Click on this tool to end the current Session and return to the

Sessions Module main screen. The Session will be displayed in

the Sessions List Window.

Start

Question

Start the Countdown Timer for the Question.

Pause

Question

Pause the Countdown Timer.

Stop

Question

Stop the Countdown Timer.

Previous

Question

Display the previous Question.

Function Description

QuestionIndicator

Shows the number of the current Question being displayed and

the total number of Questions in the Lesson.

Next

Question

Display the next Question.

Decrease

Timer

Reduce the amount of time on the Countdown Timer.

Countdown

Timer

The value for the Countdown Timer, shown in the box between

the Decrease Timer and Increase Timer arrows, is set in the New

Lesson Question Defaults dialog and describes how long

respondents will have to answer a Question during a Session.

55Chapter 5 Sessions – Session Dialog

Increase Timer Increase the amount of time on the Countdown Timer.


UniqueResponseCounter

The Unique Response Counter box displays the total number of

individual Responses that were tallied for the Question.

Show Ques-tion on Top

Show the Question and Response Choices above the Response

Area.

Show Ques-tion on Left

Show the Question and Response Choices to the left of the

Response Area.

Show

Question

This tool is a toggle that will variously show and hide the Session

Question.

ShowResponse Area

This tool toggles between showing and hiding the Response Area

where the Response Grid or Attendee List are displayed.

Show Graph Click on this tool to show the Results Graph for this Question.

Show Instruc-tor Window

The Instructor Window, shown on the next page, enables the

instructor to view the Question Responses submitted both

individually and as a summary. This feature is intended for use

with a dual monitor presentation station, but it can be used

effectively even with a single monitor. The window is made up

of three panes: the Response Grid, the Results Graph, and a

table with the details of each Response by respondent. Drag the

window to the private monitor, if you are using a dual monitor

system, or position this window and the Session dialog so you

can click back and forth between the two. As the Responses are

received, you will see the information in the Instructor Window

accumulate. Keep in mind that if you are not using a dual

monitor system with the private monitor, the audience will see

the Instructor Window, too.

ShowAttendee List

This tool toggles between showing the Response Grid or the

Attendee List in the Response Area.

56 Chapter 5Sessions – Session Dialog

Instructor Window

Decrease

Font Size

Decrease the size of the font in the Response Area display.

Increase Font

Size

Increase the size of the font in the Response Area display.

InsertQuestion

Click on this tool to insert an impromptu Question at this

point in the Lesson. Write or type your Question and the

Response Choices, and start the Countdown Timer. The

Question will be identified with the next Question number

in sequence, and the total number of Questions in the

Session will be incremented by one. Inserted Questions

and their Response Results are saved with the Session file

and can be reviewed or resumed. Inserted impromptu

Questions are not saved in the Lesson file on which the

Session was based.


57Chapter 5 Sessions – Results Graph

The Results Graph can be set up to display automatically (New Classdefinition, Graph Window Defaults), or to display only when the Show

Graph button on the Session dialog Toolbar is clicked. The Results

Graph displays the distribution of the Responses to the Question whosenumber is identified in the Question Indicator box. Typically, the ResultsGraph shows the number of the Question being graphed, the total numberof unique Responses, and the correct Response, both in the color of the barand in the graph legend. The settings in the fields located on the Toolbar atthe top of the Results Graph window will influence exactly what is displayedin the graph.

Results Graph

The following table describes the tool and fields on the Toolbar and theimpact of their settings.

QuestionIndicator

Shows the number of the current Question for which the Results

Graph is being displayed and the total number of Questions in

the Lesson.

Next

Question

Displays the Response distribution Results Graph for the next

Question.


Unique

ResponseCounter

The Unique Response Counter box displays the total number of

individual Responses that were tallied for the Question being

graphed.

Previous

Question

Displays the Response distribution Results Graph for the

previous Question.

58 Chapter 5Sessions – Results Graph, Function Buttons

The Confidence legend on the right side of the window shows whichConfidence Level is represented by the different color bars. If a ConfidenceLevel is not specified, i.e., an H or an L is not pressed before the Responsenumber, a Medium Confidence Level is assumed. The Percent of Responsesthat were correct is displayed on the right side of the Results Graph win-dow.


ShowResponse

Details

Click on the Show Response Details button on the Results

Graph Toolbar to display the list of respondents for the current

Question with additional information for each respondent. The

Response Details List displays the respondents’ Transmitter ID

numbers, their names or their positions in the Response Grid,

the number of their Response Choices, the Confidence Level of

the Responses, the time on the Countdown Timer the Re-

sponses were received, and how many times they attempted to

answer the Question.

Show/Hide

Response

Click on the Show/Hide Response button either to show the

Correct Response color (bright blue) in the graph bar of the

correct Response and in the Response Number legend, or to

remove this color cue from the Results Graph.

Select the Session in the Sessions List Window you want to continue, orresume, polling. Click on the Resume Session Function Button. You will beprompted when a Question was previously polled. When you have finished,click on the End Session Function Button to return to the Sessions Modulemain screen.

Select the Session in the Sessions List Window whose results you want toreview and click on the Review Session Function Button. A modifiedSession dialog will display with the Question and Response Choices in thetop pane of the window and the Results Graph in the bottom pane for yourreview. Click on the End Review button to return to the Sessions Modulemain screen.

Select the Session or Sessions you want to delete and click on the DeleteSession Function Button. You will be prompted to verify you want to deletethe selected Session(s).

59Chapter 5 Sessions – Function Buttons

The results of every Session are saved in a Session file. However, if you wantto accumulate the individual results of a Session in a Gradebook, you haveto mark the Session. Session results are marked by assigning values tocorrect responses and to incorrect responses, and calculating the individualscores for the Class Roster associated with the Lesson.

Select the Session you want to mark in the Sessions List Window. Click onthe Mark Session Function Button.

The Session file results are displayed in the left pane of the Mark Sessionwindow. Note the Correct Responses Table between the Session pane onthe left and the Mark Data pane on the right (shown below). It shows theCorrect Answer for each Question in the Lesson and the Points valueassigned to the Question. If necessary, you can double-click on an entry inboth the Answer and Points columns and change their values.

At the top of the window, assign a value from 0 through 10 for the CorrectAnswer. Assign a value from -3 through 7 for the Wrong Answer. Click onthe Calculate button.

The results of the Session Calculation are displayed in the Mark Data paneof the window, shown above. These will be saved in the Session file and theSession will be identified as marked by a green check mark in the SessionsModule List Window.

60 Chapter 5Sessions – Function Buttons

Click on the Stats button to display theStatistics for the Session (shown at right).When you have finished marking the Session,click on the Close button to return to theSessions Module main screen.

Select the Session you want to export in the Sessions List Window. Click onthe Export Session Function Button to export the selected Session to anXML format. By default, the PRS/Export directory is displayed. The XMLformat is an industry standard for a variety of third party class managementapplications.

Select the Session for which you want to create a Report. Click on theCreate Report Function Button and select the type of Report you want tocreate for this Session from the list of Report formats. The Report willdisplay in a Report window. The Menus and Toolbar feature options forsaving, printing, navigating through, and zooming the pages of a Report.The Navigation Arrows on the Toolbar are active only when a multi-pageReport has been created. (A sample Report in a Report Window can befound in Chapter Six, Gradebooks Module.)

61Chapter 6

Gradebooks Module

The Gradebooks Module provides a way of accumulating and totalingMarked Sessions for a Class. The process is quite simple. Create a New

Gradebook, name it, and associate it with a Class. The Roster for theassociated Class will be listed in the newly created Gradebook. Close theGradebook to save it in the Gradebooks List Window. When you want toadd a Marked Session to a Gradebook, select the Gradebook in the ListWindow and click on the Add/Delete Marks Function Button to display theGradebook. Click on the Add Mark Function Button to display a list ofMarked Sessions. Select a Marked Session from the list. The scores for theMarked Session are automatically entered into a new column in the Grade-book and the scores are added to the cumulative TOTAL.

The Gradebooks in the List Window can be ordered, or indexed, based onan Index Key. Click on the column header button of the column of data youwant to use as the Index Key. Click on the header button again to togglebetween ascending and descending order.

62 Chapter 6Gradebooks – New Gradebook

Click on the New Gradebook Function Button to create a new Gradebookand associate it with a Class. When the New Gradebook dialog opens, theName of the Gradebook is the first Class Name in the Use Roster FromClass drop-down list.

From the drop-down list, select the name of the Class with which this Grade-book is to be associated. That name will now appear in the Name field.

Change the Name of the Gradebook, if desired, or just click on the OKbutton to accept this default Name.

As shown below, the new Gradebook will display the Names and StudentIDs of the Class Roster now associated with it. Inclusion of a Student ID isrequired for each person listed in a Class Roster when that Roster is beingused in a Gradebook. The Student ID provides a means of identifying astudent, even when the student is using a Loaner PRS Transmitter (Chapter

Three, Classes Module, Roster Tab) during a Session, to ensure that thestudent’s Responses are correctly credited to him or her. Click on theClose button.

The new Gradebook is listed in the Gradebooks Module List Window.When you are ready to add a Marked Session to a Gradebook, select theGradebook in the List Window and click on the Add/Delete MarksFunction Button.

63Chapter 6 Gradebooks – Add Marks

To add a Marked Session to a Gradebook, select the Gradebook in theGradebooks List Window and click on the Add/Delete Marks FunctionButton.

The Roster of the Class associated with the Gradebook and any previouslyadded Marked Sessions are displayed in the open Gradebook.

Click on the Add Mark Function Button to add a Marked Session to theGradebook. A window will display with a list of all Marked Sessions and theClass with which each Marked Session is associated. You cannot add aMarked Session from a Class that does not use the same Class Roster asthat of the Gradebook.

Select the Marked Session you want to add to the Gradebook and click onthe OK button. When the first Marked Session is added to a Gradebook, thescores are listed in one column and a column labeled TOTAL is created.Each time another Marked Session is added to the Gradebook, its scores arelisted in a new column and are added to the TOTAL.

64 Chapter 6Gradebooks – Gradebook Functions

Select the Gradebook you want to delete in the Gradebooks List Window.You will be prompted to verify your intention to delete the selected Grade-book.

When a Class Roster has been updated, eitherwith students added to or deleted from theRoster, you will want to update the Grade-book for that Class to reflect the additionsand deletions. Click on the Update NamesFrom Roster Function Button to automatically update the Gradebook. Thisprompt will display.

A Marked Session can be deleted from an open Gradebook. Select thecolumn of Marks you want to delete by clicking on the column heading.The selected column will be highlighted in blue. Click on the now-activeDelete Mark Function Button. You will be prompted to verify your intentionto delete the Marked Session from the Gradebook.

PRS Gradebooks can be exported for use with third party ClassroomManagement Systems (CMS). Select the Gradebook you want to export inthe Gradebook List Window. Click on the Export Gradebook FunctionButton. The following dialog will display.

Select the CMS application you want to export to, and click on the OKbutton. The Export function creates a .csv file specific to the CMS applica-tion you choose. By default, the PRS/Export directory will display.

65Chapter 6

Select the Gradebook in the Gradebook List Window from which you wantto create a Report. Click on the Create Report Function Button. A dialoglisting Report format choices will display. Select the Report type you want togenerate from this Gradebook, and click on the OK button.

A sample Report is shown below. All Reports display in a Report windowthat has Menus and a Toolbar, which feature options for saving, printing,navigating through, and zooming the pages of the Report. The NavigationArrows are active only when a multi-page Report has been created.

The Gradebooks are synched based on the Student ID. Both PRSand the CMS application key on the Student ID field to matchrecords. However, WebCT offers an additional option forsynching. If the Student ID in PRS is different from the StudentID in WebCT, the NetID field in each PRS student profile can bepopulated with the corresponding User ID from WebCT toprovide an export bridge between the two applications.

66 Chapter 6

This page left blank intentionally.

67Chapter 7

The InterWrite PRS WebRegistration Application

The PRS Web Registration Application is part of the InterWrite PRS system.Use this application to set up a PRS Registration Web site where studentscan register their PRS Transmitters as part of a student registration profile forClasses that are going to be using the PRS system. A second module of thePRS Web Registration Application provides management capabilities ofboth the Rosters resulting from the registration process and the Classdefinitions set up in this Admin module.

The online registration process is quite simple. After the PRS RegistrationWeb site has been set up, the instructor profiles his Classes in the Adminmodule. When the students receive or purchase their PRS Transmitters,they simply logon to the PRS Registration Web site and register for theClass or Classes they are taking. The online Registration Form requests thesame student profile information as that required for a Roster built as partof a Class definition. As a result, Rosters developed online can be down-loaded to the computer running the InterWrite PRS software and importedinto the Class definition. And, Rosters developed as part of a Class defini-tion on the PRS computer can be imported into a Class definition on thePRS Registration Web site.

The installation and setup instructions describe how to set up a PRSRegistration Web site and the links to the two modules, the RegistrationModule and the Administration Module. The Registration Module has twosections, one for new registrations and the other for the registration of astudent’s PRS Transmitter ID into an existing registration profile. Thesecond registration type is used when the instructor has a Class Roster thatincludes all the information about the students in the Class, except for theirPRS Transmitter ID numbers. As you recall from Chapter 3 Classes, theprimary purpose of the Roster is to associate a student’s name and studentID with his PRS Transmitter ID number, so that transmissions from thatparticular transmitter are attributed to the student. All the student has toprovide for this type of registration is the PRS Transmitter ID number.

Instructors use the Admin module to profile the Classes and manage theClass Rosters on the Web site. The Class Rosters developed on the PRSRegistration Web site can be downloaded for use in PRS Class definitions.Class Rosters developed in PRS can be uploaded and imported into theAdmin module on the PRS Registration Web site.

68 Chapter 7

Installationand Setup

Use the PRS Web Registration Application on the InterWrite PRS CD toinstall and set up My PRS Registration Web site. The installation instructionsare detailed below.

This release contains the following directories and files:

MyPRSWeb site (Install Directory on the InterWrite PRS CD)home.htmliwprs.gifPRSWebReadMe.htm

admin (dir)prsAdmin.pl

data (dir)conf.txtcourse.csvoptconf.csv

lib (dir)prsCGI.pmprsClassRoster.pmprsCourse.pmprsOptionalConf.pmprsVERSION.pmprsWUI.pmprsLog.pm

registration (dir)prsRegister.plprsRosterReg.pl

These directories and files will be referenced as part of the installation andsetup process.

PRS Web Registration – Installation and Setup

Setting up an InterWrite PRS Web Registration Web site isnot a trivial process and should be undertaken only bysomeone who has the necessary clearances and Webadministration experience. GTCO CalComp TechnicalSupport extends only to the Web Registration applicationafter it has been successfully installed. The maintenance ofthe Web server and the PRS Registration Web site is theresponsibility of the department or group that presided overits installation and setup.

69Chapter 7 PRS Web Registration – Installation and Setup

1 Install PERL and test using the PERL installation tools included with thedownload.

2 Copy the MyPRSWeb site directory and its contents from theInterWrite PRS CD to a location accessible by your Web Server.

3 Configure the Web Server to use the MyPRSWeb site directory asVirtual Directory. For details, please refer to your Web Serverdocumentation.

4 Configure the Web Server to allow the execution of CGI script. Fordetails, please refer to your Web Server documentation.

5 Set the following Directory Access/Execute Permissions:

o MyPRSWeb site Read permissions

o admin Password Protected with Read and Execute Script permissions

o data Read and Write permissions

o lib Read permissions

o registration Read and Execute Script permissions

6 Edit the conf.txt file in the data directory. Follow the numberedinstructions in the conf.txt file to set the paths. There are six lines thatneed to be edited.

7 Edit the prsRegister.pl file, located in the registration directory, using atext editor. Follow the instructions in the file for setting the path. Thereare two lines that need to be edited.

Look For:

##################################

# Set Path #

##################################

InstallationInstructions

Required

Software

The PRS Web Registration Application requires the following packages tobe pre-installed on the Web site:

1 A Web Server with CGI support enabled.

2 PERL 5.6.1 or above(http://www.activeperl.com/Products/ActivePerl/).

70 Chapter 7

8 Edit the prsAdmin.pl file, located in the admin directory, using a texteditor. Follow the instructions in the file to set the paths. There are twolines that need to be edited.

Look For:

##################################

# Set Path #

##################################

9 Edit your Web site to add a URL link to the home.html file in theMyPRSWeb site directory. You can add a URL link directly to theAdmin module and/or Registration pages, if you prefer. Please refer tothe code in the home.html file for reference.

If preferred, replace our iwprs.gif logo, which appears in the top left cornerof every Web page, with one of your own. You will need to update thelogoURL line in the conf.txt file with the appropriate reference.

PRS Web Registration – Installation and Setup

71Chapter 7

ProfileRegistrationForm

TheRegistrationModule

On the homepage for the Registration module, make sure you have sepa-rate links for each Registration Section with sufficient description so studentswill know which Registration process to choose, if you use both.

PRS Web Registration – The Registration Module

72 Chapter 7

1 Select the name of the Class you are registering for from the drop-downlist of Classes.

2 Select your name from the list of students.

3 Enter your PRS Transmitter ID number.

4 Click on the Submit button to save the registration form.

A summary prompt will display to verify receipt of your Transmitter Registra-tion Form.

Instructions for filling out the Full Profile Registration Form are as follows:

1 Select the Class you are registering for from the drop-down list.

2 Select Add or Drop from the list of Registration Actions.

3 Fill in the Required fields. The Net ID is typically your email address. Fillin any Optional information you want to include.

4 Click on the Submit button to save the registration profile.

A summary prompt will display to verify receipt of your Registration Form.

5 Fill out a Registration Form for each Class you are taking that is usingthe InterWrite PRS Audience Response System.

The PRSTransmitter IDRegistrationForm

PRS Web Registration – The Registration Module

73Chapter 7

The AdminModule

Defining a NewClass

PRS Web Registration – The Admin Module

The Admin module provides the means of setting up and managing ClassProfiles and Class Rosters. The module homepage opens to the ManageClasses section.

1 Click on the Add button at the bottom of the Manage Classes page.

2 Fill in the New Class profile and click on the Add button to save it.

ManageClasses

74 Chapter 7PRS Web Registration – The Admin Module

Modifying a ClassProfile Definition

The Modify option can be used to edit everything in a Class definition,except the Class ID. In addition, you can use the Modify option to close aClass to further registrations. By default, the Status of a New Class definitionis Open for registration. When you close it, the Class will no longer display inthe list of Classes available to the students in the Registration module.

1 Click on the checkbox next to the Class profile you want to edit.

2 Click on the Modify button.

3 Make your changes.

4 Click on the Modify button to save the changes. Or, click on theCancel button to return to the Manage Classes page without saving anychanges.

75Chapter 7 PRS Web Registration – The Admin Module

Deleting aClass ProfileDefinition

1 Click on the checkbox next to each Class you want to delete.

2 Click on the Delete button.

The following prompt will display.

3 Click on the OK button to delete the listed Classes. Or, click on theCancel button to return to the Manage Classes page without deletingany Classes.


Manage

Rosters

The Class Rosters displayed on this page are generated from the registra-tions filled out in the Registration Module. Names can be added to the ClassRoster, deleted from the Class Roster, and individual student profiles can beedited, or modified. The Class Roster currently displayed on the ManageRoster page can be downloaded to the InterWrite PRS application for use ina Class definition. Class Rosters can be imported from the computer intothe Roster currently displayed on the Manage Rosters page. ImportedRosters can be appended to the existing Roster, or can replace the existingRoster.

Keep in mind that Class Rosters managed on your Web site are stored in adatabase on your Web site. Class Rosters defined and managed on thecomputer are stored in the PRS/Rosters directory on the computer. To keepthe Class Rosters synchronized, it’s a good idea to manage them in onelocation, either on the computer or the Web site, and import them to theother site. For example, you can maintain and edit your Class Rosters onyour Web site. When you make changes to a Class Roster, download themodified Roster to the PRS/Rosters directory on the computer and re-import it into the appropriate Class definition.

77Chapter 7

Defining a NewStudentRegistration

1 Select the Class from the drop-down list to which you want to add astudent profile. Click on the GO button to display the selected ClassRoster.

2 Click on the Add button at the bottom of the Manage Rosters page toadd a student profile to the Class Roster.

3 Fill in the student profile and click on the Add button to save it. Or, clickon the Cancel button to return to the Manage Rosters page withoutadding the student profile to the Roster.



Modifying aStudentRegistration

The Modify option on the Manage Rosters page is used to edit studentprofiles in the Class Roster.

1 Click on the checkbox next to the student profile you want to edit.

2 Click on the Modify button.

The Class in which this student is currently registered is displayed at the topof the profile definition.

3 Make your changes.

4 When you have made your changes, click on the Modify button to savethem. Or, click on the Cancel button to return to the Manage Rosterspage without saving the changes.

79Chapter 7

Deleting aStudentRegistration

1 Click on the checkbox next to each student profile you want to delete.

2 Click on the Delete button.

The following prompt will display.

3 Click on the OK button to delete the listed student registration profiles.Or, click on the Cancel button to return to the Manage Rosters pagewithout deleting any profiles.

Click on the Delete All button to delete every student profile in the dis-played Class Roster.


Downloading aClass Roster

The Download Roster option makes it possible to download the entireRoster currently displayed on the Manage Rosters page to the PRS/Rostersdirectory on your computer. The downloaded Class Roster is then availablefor import into any PRS Class definition.

1 Select the Class, whose Roster you want to download, from the drop-down list.

2 Click on the GO button to display the Roster for that Class.

3 Click on the Download Roster button.

4 If it isn’t already selected on the File Download dialog that displays,click on the Save file radio button. Then click OK.

5 Specify the destination for the downloaded Roster. By default, ClassRosters are saved in the PRS/Rosters directory.

Once a Class Roster has been downloaded to the computer, it is availablefor import into any Class definition.


Importing a ClassRoster

The Import Class Roster option provides the facility to import a Class Rosterfrom your computer to the Manage Rosters page.

1 Select the Class from the drop-down list that you want to import aRoster into.

2 Click on the GO button to display the Class.

3 Click on the Import Class Roster button.

The following page displays.

4 Indicate whether you want to Append or to Replace the existing ClassRoster.

5 Browse to the location of the Class Roster on the computer, and clickon the Import button. Click on the Cancel button to cancel theoperation.

The imported Class Roster will be appended to or replace the existingRoster for the selected Class, making it available to be managed in the PRSWeb Registration Admin module.


Roster Options

The Options section allows you to indicate which options are Included inyour student registration profiles and which of those included options arerequired. Options that are required must be included. Included options thatare not checked as Required will display as Optional on the RegistrationForm. Click on the Save button to save your Options settings.


Log The Admin module Log keeps a detailed record of every RegistrationAction on the PRS Registration Web site. The Log can be downloaded ordeleted.


About The About section provides contact information for GTCO CalComp.

84 Chapter 7

(This page is left blank intentionally.)

85Appendix

Appendix

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limitsof a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules.

These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmfulinterference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses andcan radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accor-dance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radiocommunications. However, there is no guarantee the interference will notoccur in a particular installation.

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or televisionreception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on,the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more ofthe following measures.

· Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

· Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.

· Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that towhich the receiver is connected.

· Consult the dealer or an experienced Radio/TV technician for help.

PRS ReceiverSpecifications

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 2.4 x 4.7 x 1.6 inches (60 x 120 x 41 mm)

Weight: 3.8 ounces (108 grams)

Power: 8-15V DC (via signal cable)

Reception Cone Angle: Approximately 90 degrees

86 AppendixSpecifications

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limitsof a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules.

These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmfulinterference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses andcan radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accor-dance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radiocommunications. However, there is no guarantee the interference will notoccur in a particular installation.

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or televisionreception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on,the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more ofthe following measures.

· Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

· Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.

· Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that towhich the receiver is connected.

· Consult the dealer or an experienced Radio/TV technician for help.

PRSTransmitterSpecifications

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 2.25 x 4.25 x 1 inch (56 x 107 x 25 mm)

Weight (without batteries): Two AAA (1.5V) Alkaline Batteries*

Power: 8-15V DC (via signal cable)

Signal: Infrared

Effective Distance: 21 yards (20 meters) minimum

*Replace the batteries when the LED Light becomes dim.

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation issubject to the following two conditions:

1 This device may not cause harmful interference, and

2 This device must accept any interference received, includinginterference that may cause undesired operation.

87Appendix Declaration of Conformity

PRS Receiver Declaration of Conformity

The “CE“ mark on this device indicates compliance under the EMC 89//336/EEC

Directive.

Declaration of conformity according to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014

Manufacturer’s Name: GTCO CalComp,Inc.

Manufacturer’s Address: 7125 Riverwood Drive

Columbia, MD 21046 U.S.A.

declares, that the product

Product Name: InterWrite PRS Receiver

Model Numbers: R X-02

Product Options: All

conforms to the following product specifications:

EMC: EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and amendment 92/31/EEC

Emissions Testing: EN 55022:1998 Class B

EN 61000-3-2 Harmonics Class A

EN 61000-3-3 Flicker

Immunity Testing: EN 55024:1998 including:

EN 61000-4-2;ESD

EN 61000-4-3;Radiated Immunity

EN 61000-4-4;EFT/B

EN 61000-4-5;Surges

EN 61000-4-6;Conducted Immunity

EN 61000-4-11;Voltage Dips

Declarationof Conformity

88 AppendixDeclaration of Conformity

PRS Transmitter Declaration of Conformity

The “CE“ mark on this device indicates compliance under the EMC 89//336/EEC

Directive.

Declaration of conformity according to ISO/IEC Guide 22 and EN 45014

Manufacturer’s Name: GTCO CalComp,Inc.

Manufacturer’s Address: 7125 Riverwood Drive

Columbia, MD 21046 U.S.A.

declares, that the product

Product Name: InterWrite PRS Transmitter

Model Numbers: TX-01A, TX-02A

Product Options: All

conforms to the following product specifications:

EMC: EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and amendment 92/31/EEC

Emissions Testing: EN 55022:1998 Class B

Immunity Testing: EN 55024:1998 including:

EN 61000-4-2;ESD

EN 61000-4-3;Radiated Immunity

Supplementary Information

The product herewith complies with the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive

73/23/EEC and the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC.

Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.A. 4-30-2004 Dana Doubrava

Location Date Engineering Mgr

European Contact:

GTCO CalComp Ges.m.b.H.

European Headquarters

Kreillerstrasse 24

81673 Muenchen

Germany

Tel: +49 (0) 89 370012-0

Fax: +49 (0) 89 370012-12

SupplementaryInformation

European Contact

89Appendix Limited Warranty

Limited Warranty for InterWrite PRS Receivers and Transmitters

GTCO CalComp Corporation warrants these products to be free from defects in

material and workmanship under the following terms. Complete and return the

enclosed warranty registration card to ensure that your products are covered by this

warranty.

Coverage

Parts and labor are warranted for one (1) year from the date of the first consumer

purchase for the InterWrite PRS Receiver and InterWrite PRS Transmitter. This

warranty applies to the original consumer purchaser only. This warranty does not

apply to any product purchased outside the United States or Canada. For warranty

information outside the United States or Canada, contact your local dealer or

distributor.

Warranty is valid only if original consumer’s purchase or lease date is less than or

equal to six months from the original GTCO CalComp sale date. This information

will be captured by the system serial number and confirmed by the reseller’s

purchase order.

Conditions

Except as specified below, this warranty covers all defects in material or workman-

ship in the products. The following are not covered by the warranty:

1 Any product on which the serial number has been defaced, modified, or

removed (if applicable).

2 Damage, deterioration, or malfunction resulting from:

a Accident, misuse, abuse, neglect, fire, water, lightening, or other acts of

nature, unauthorized product modification for any purpose, or failure to

follow instructions supplied with the product.

b Repair, or attempted repair, by anyone not authorized by GTCO CalComp.

c Any damage in shipment of the product (claims must be presented to the

carrier).

d Any other cause which does not relate to a manufacturing defect.

3 Any product not sold or leased to a consumer within six months of GTCO

CalComp’s original sale date.

4 Consumable parts, e.g., batteries.

GTCO CalComp will pay all labor and material expenses for covered items, but will

not pay for the following:

1 Removal or installation charges.

2 Costs for initial technical adjustments (set up), including adjustments of user

controls.

3 Certain shipping charges. (Payment of shipping charges is discussed in the next

section of this warranty.)

4 Packaging costs. (Customers should keep their boxes.)

LimitedWarranty

90 AppendixLimited Warranty

Warranty Service Procedures

1 To obtain service on your GTCO CalComp product, call the Service & Support

Department at (410) 312-9221 (EST), or (480) 443-2214 (MST) to obtain a

Return Material Authorization Number (RMA#) and shipping instructions.

2 Ship the product to GTCO CalComp with the RMA# marked clearly on the

outside of the box. GTCO CalComp reserves the right to refuse the shipment, if

not properly marked.

3 Although the consumer must pay any shipping charges to ship the product to

GTCO CalComp for warranty service, GTCO CalComp will pay the return

shipping charges for ground shipment. Other shipping options are available at

an additional fee.

4 Whenever warranty service is required, the original dated sales invoice (or a

copy) must be presented as proof of warranty coverage, and should be

included in shipment of the product. In addition, please include your name,

address, telephone number, fax number, email address, and a description of the

problem.

5 If GTCO CalComp determines that the unit is not defective within the terms of

the warranty, the consumer shall pay the cost of all freight charges, as well as

any repair charges.

Technical Support

Web-based Technical Support is available free of charge at:

www.gtcocalcomp.com

where current driver releases, as well as comprehensive technical support, trouble-

shooting, Technical Bulletins and FAQs can be found.

Telephone Technical Support is available free of charge to the original consumer for

a period of 90 days from the date of purchase of the product. Please contact our

Service & Support Department at (410) 312-9221 (EST), or (480) 443-2214 (MST).

You can also fax your request to (410) 290-9065 (EST), or (480) 948-5508 (MST).

Our toll-free numbers in the U.S. are: 800-344-4723 for our East Coast customers

and 800-856-0732 for our West Coast customers.

Disclaimer of Unstated Warranties

The warranty printed above is the only warranty applicable to this purchase. ALL

OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED

TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A

PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. Assuming the warranty above stated is

otherwise applicable, it is expressly understood and agreed that GTCO CalComp’s

sole liability, whether in contract, tort, under any warranty, in negligence, or

otherwise, shall be for the repair or replacement of the defective parts, and under no

circumstances shall GTCO CalComp be liable for special, indirect, or consequential

damages. The price stated and paid for the equipment is a consideration in limiting

GTCO CalComp’s liability.

91Appendix Limited Warranty

Notice

Some states and provinces do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or

consequential damages, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. This

warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights, which vary

from state to state, or province to province.

To obtain service on your GTCO CalComp product, call our Service & Support

Department at (410) 312-9221 (EST), or (480) 443-2214 (MST), fax us at (410) 290-

9065 (EST), or (480) 948-5508 (MST). We can also be contacted through our Web

site at www.gtcocalcomp.com.

Important! All products returned to GTCO CalComp for service must have prior

approval in the form of a Return Merchandise Number (RMA#), which can be

obtained by calling the Service & Support Department.

92 AppendixPRS Web Registration – The Admin Module

Copyright© 2005 GTCO CalComp Inc.

InterWrite is a trademark of GTCO CalComp Inc.

All other products and company names are thetrademarks or registered trademarks of their

respective owners.The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

GTCO CalComp assumes no responsibility for technical, or editorial errors, or omis-

sions that may appear in this document, or for the use of this material. Nor does

GTCO CalComp make any commitment to update the information contained in

this document. This document contains proprietary information which is protected

by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this document can be photocopied or

reproduced in any form without the prior, written consent of GTCO CalComp Inc.

GTCO CalComp, Inc.14555 N. 82nd StreetScottsdale, AZ 85260

USATEL: 800.856.0732 480.948.6540FAX: 480.948.5508

GTCO CalComp, Inc.7125 Riverwood DriveColumbia, MD 21046

USATEL: 800.344.4723 410.381.6688FAX: 410.290.9065

GTCO CalComp Ges.m.b.H.European Headquarters

Kreillerstrasse 2481673 Muenchen

GermanyTEL: +49 (0) 89 370012-0

FAX: +49 (0) 89 370012-12

www.gtcocalcomp.com

37-00874-01 Rev. B

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