(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