TeachOIT: a Blog for People Who Teach with Technology

In Fall 2011 the UMass Amherst campus is switching from using eInstruction’s PRS clickers to i>clicker. Instructors will be pre-ordering i>clicker remotes through the Textbook Annex.

To stay up to date with announcements and information about the new i>clicker system please visit our new Audience Response System blog.

This August we will be offering introductory trainings to prepare folks for a smooth jump into the Fall 2011 semester. Join us for a hands-on workshop on setting up and using the i>clicker Audience Response System to pose questions and collect responses from your students

• Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
• Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

To register for a workshop, go to:
https://etna.oit.umass.edu/public/workshops/

The UMass Amherst campus is only supporting the i>clicker model 2, which has an LCD panel.
The cost for a new i>clicker2 remote will be $45.50 at the Textbook Annex. During the 2011/2012 academic year, UMass students who currently own an eInstruction PRS remote are eligible for a $10 rebate.

The Textbook Annex will not be buying back eInstruction PRS remotes.
We are setting-up a donation program for the old PRS devices (for those students who would like to give to a community cause), and will have donation boxes placed in locations around campus this fall.

Visit http://iclicker.com/dnn/Ordering/UMassAmherstRebate/tabid/257/Default.aspx to obtain your rebate.

Last month Astronomy Professor Steve Schneider presented on his experience with using the Personal Response System with a particular focus on his strategies for writing good PRS questions. Professor Schenider says he’s been using PRS systems in various incarnations for 10 years, primarily with his large lecture course Astronomy 101. Here are some lessons he shared with the group on how he uses PRS:

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Last week All Things Considered discussed Personal Response Systems (aka clickers). This short piece touches on the pedagogical potentials, of PRS, and, like with any other tool, emphasizes the importance of investing appropriate time to integrate PRS into the curriculum as a condition of its success.

Check out the 8 minute podcast available in audio and article form.

For those of you who are curious about or considering using PRS in your classes, the Center for Teaching, OIT Academic Computing, and the Provost’s Office are co-hosting an event on November 25 for instructors who want to learn more. Details below.

PRS, or Personal Response System, is a tool that many professors at UMass use to improve the quality of instruction and student interaction in their classes, especially in large lectures. You ask the questions and PRS handles the data collection and presentation of the results. Such nearly instant feedback is useful for student learning and to stimulate discussion.

If you’re interested in using PRS in your class, it may be worth your time to learn more about the system, what to expect, as well as some guidelines for getting started before you commit to this tool (once all your students have bought clickers it’s not really fair to change your mind). The Center for Teaching, OIT Academic Computing, and the Provost’s Office invite you to join us for this PRS seminar for instructors who are considering using PRS for the first time. To sign up, please email: cfteach@acad.umass.edu or call 545-1225 by *Nov. 21*.

Date: Tuesday, November 25
Time: 12:30 ~ 2:00 pm
Location: Campus Center #101
Presenter: Robin Green (eInstruction), Zane Barlow (Biology)

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Assessment seems to always be a point of contention among educators. While debate continues about the effectiveness of high-stakes testing, several studies highlight the benefits of regular, formative assessment practices in the classroom. The purposes of such assessment is to offer students timely feedback, which is helpful for adjusting conceptual understanding when necessary and for identifying those students who may need a little extra help managing their studies.

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Our friends at the Center for Teaching are organizing an event entitled: How to Write Effective PRS questions on Wednesday March 5th from 12:15 to 2:00pm, lunch will be provided. Prof. Randy Phillis of Biology, Prof. Nathalie Lavoie of Resource Economics and the PRS Best Practice Fellows will be presenting.

The Personal Response System (also known as PRS or clickers) is a tool that is growing in popularity on campus for its potential for increasing instructor-student interaction, If you would like to find out more about this tool or see how it works, this event may be for you.

For more information and to sign up go to:

http://www.umass.edu/cft/registration/spring_workshops_2008.htm

or call the Center for Teaching at 5-1225.

Our friends at the Center for Teaching are organizing an event entitled: Teaching with Clickers: Using the Personal Response Systems (clickers) and PRS Software, on Tuesday November 13th. The Personal Response System (PRS) is a tool that is growing in popularity for instructors who teach large lecture classes. It is particularly popular because of the potential for increasing instructor-student interaction even in the largest of courses. If you would like to find out more about this tool and would like to see how it works, this event may be for you.

For more information about this event and registration information please visit the Center for Teaching website at:
http://www.umass.edu/cft/events.htm

For more information about the Personal Response System (PRS) at UMass Amherst check out:
http://www.umass.edu/prs/index.html

(excerpt from Emerging Technologies Workshop : June 2007)

Devices that let all students respond to questions

These devices (like small television remotes) allow students to respond to questions posed by the instructor. The results are collected and tabulated by a computer and can be displayed immediately to the class or used for evaluation later. The PRS brand has been on the Amherst campus for a while, but recent improvements to the “clicker” technology have made it much easier to use for both faculty and students.

UMass Amherst PRS Support
http://www.umass.edu/prs/

Devices that control computers wirelessly

Remote devices (typically using Bluetooth ) allow instructors step away for the laptop on the podium and control the computer from anywhere in the room. These range from inexpensive “presenter” devices that control PowerPoint, to the full-featured Schoolpad tablet that comes with its own software for marking up documents on the screen.

Schoolpad
http://www.gtcocalcomp.com/interwriteschoolpad.htm

Devices that are already in the classroom

Tech-savvy students are already bringing phones, laptops and PDAs into the classroom. Many instructors and teaching technology groups are looking at ways to co-opt these devices and use them in productive ways.

ELI Seven Things: Google Jockeying
http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELI7014