Watch our video of Professor Selen’s talk to see how he and his colleagues have streamlined and improved their teaching, and increased student engagement and outcomes by introducing Web-based multimedia pre-lectures, online assessments of student understanding prior to lecture, and clicker technology to assess and facilitate student understanding during lecture. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/57088418[/vimeo]
Category: Audience Response Systems
New Clicker System in the Fall
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…
Using Clickers Effectively: How to write PRS questions
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…
NPR considers Clickers
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.
Personal Response System (“Clickers”) Seminar for Instructors – Nov 25
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…
From the Instructional Media Lab: Assessing Learning (Do They Get It?)
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…
Center for Teaching Event – How to Write Effective PRS questions
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…
Center for Teaching Event – Teaching with Clickers
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…
On the Horizon: New Devices in Classroom
(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…