ITD News
MEMORANDUM
August 17, 2007
From: Sam Averitt, Vice Provost for Information Technology
Subject: Support for TurningPoint 2008 as standard for classroom response (“clicker”) systems.
In spring 2007, the Classroom Environment Committee (CEC) and the University IT Committee endorsed the recommendation that NC State adopt Turning Technologies’ TurningPoint as the campus standard for classroom interactive response (“clicker”) systems. ITD is moving forward in supporting this decision..
A growing number of instructors are using the clicker instant polling systems as a technology to enhance teaching and learning in conventional classrooms. Instructors and IT staff who intend to implement clicker systems in classrooms not supported by ClassTech are encouraged to use the most recent version of the Turning Technologies system, TurningPoint 2008, which was recently released for distribution.
The CEC formed a subcommittee in early 2007 to study the impact of the proliferation of various clicker systems on campus. They found that the lack of a campus standard for these systems meant that a growing number of students were being asked to use (and some cases purchase) multiple clicker devices for different classes. Moreover, there was no way to devise an efficient and cost-effective purchasing and support model.
The CEC subcommittee included representatives from ClassTech, PAMS, COE, CALS, CNR, and DELTA. This group conducted focus groups, surveys and product evaluations. The Turning Technologies response system integrates into Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and the existing campus technology infrastructure including Blackboard/WebCT Vista, , and the campus wireless network. One critical issue in choosing TurningPoint was that the software enables students to input responses in multiple ways in addition to the handheld clicker. This is important in providing accommodations for students with disabilities. The clicker keypad also provides visual confirmation of a student’s response and allows self-paced quizzing.
The TurningPoint 2008 software is now available in all ClassTech classrooms; receivers are available on request. PAMS and CALS have used college funds to purchase a number of clicker devices for use by students in specific courses. Students in other courses may need to purchase their own clicker devices. For classrooms not supported by ClassTech, the TurningPoint 2008 software is available on the campus NAL system. The software can be downloaded for use on campus from the Turning Technologies web site (http://www.turningtechnologies.com/groupresponsesystemsupport/downloads.cfm; the vendor also offers online TurningPoint Training every week; DELTA has scheduled fall workshops on the use of these student response systems http://delta.ncsu.edu/learn/workshops/ltw/
Thank you for your help in implementing a standard technology on campus for classroom interactive response systems. A remaining question for the University is the best business model for getting the clicker devices into students’ hands, especially if this technology proves to be popular and useful for enhancing classroom teaching and learning.