itap teaching & learning technologies purdue's system-wide deployment of a classroom...

ITaP Teaching & Learning Technologies

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

Presented by:Francoise BachelderSteven LichtiRobert FrenchPurdue University

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Opinion Survey

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Lack of Communication and Interaction in a Large Classroom

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

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No communication

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

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Passive learning

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

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Create interaction

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

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Using clickers

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

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Professor Elmore in his Physics classroom

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Advantage for the students

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

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Advantage for the instructor

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

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Histogram

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Group discussion

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

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“Acting” an answer

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

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Feedback for the instructor

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

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Diagnostic the knowledge

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

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Active learning

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

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Engagement

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

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New Teaching Model

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

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Learning Tool

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

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Success

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

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Quiz!

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Testimonial

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Terminology

• eInstruction – a company headquartered in Denton, Texas

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

• CPSOnline – the online component of CPS.

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Components

• Hardware

• Software

• CPSOnline

• TIC – Technology in the Classroom

Response Pad

CPSRF Receiver

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Standard Purdue Classroom

• Computer

• Wireless Mouse

• Single or Dual Projection

• USB Extension Cable

• CPSRF Receiver capable of supporting 1000 simultaneous users

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System-wide Deployment

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

response systems

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Current State of Deployment

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

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

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

& Blackboard

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System Architecture

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

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

Instructor imports CPSOnline class containing students into CPS software

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Future Developments

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

• New software version (4.0)

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CMS Integration

• Single point of contact

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

production environments• Testing area on eInstruction servers

• WebCT Vista and eInstruction have different architectures

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Student privacy issues

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

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

WebCT

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Quiz!

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Training

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

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

available at attendee workstation• Create sample databases and distribute

• Install on laptops

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Training

• Manual– Had to make our own.

• Separate manuals for CPS software, reports & gradebook

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

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

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Training

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

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

• Handouts and manuals posted online for download

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Training

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

databases will be updated– Discourage downloading from eInstruction web

site– Must communicate software upgrades

– Troubleshoot problems from failure to upgrade

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Instructor Concerns

• Learning Curve

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

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Typical Consulting Issues• Vista class creation

– Registration link title is not name of CPSOnline class

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

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

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

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

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

consuming!

• Student passwords – can’t change in Vista

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Typical Consulting Issues

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

registered in Vista!

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

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Quiz!!

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Opinion Survey

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End and Questions

Thank you for attending!