User Guide V. 2.8.x

EduCue LLC 351 Alplaus Avenue Alplaus, NY 12008

Tel: (518) 384-2236 Fax: (518) 399-3572

E-mail: EduCue@EduCue.com Website: www.EduCue.com

The Personal Response System is covered by

US Patent 6,289,222

EduCue LLC

PRS© Personal Response System™

PRS© Personal Response System™

5/14/03

Contact: EduCue 351 Alplaus Avenue Alplaus, NY 12008 Tel: (518) 384-2236 Fax: (518) 399-3572 E-mail: EduCue@EduCue.com Website: www.EduCue.com Manufacturer: Avantec Manufacturing Limited Kwun Tong, Kowloon Hong Kong Trade Mark Personal Response System and PRS are common law trademark of Avantec Manufacturing Limited. It is based on the Free-forming One-way Network PRS; US Patent 6,289,222 Copyright This document and the associated software are the property of EduCue. They are loaned to the user under the terms of the Limited Use License Agreement. Unauthorized copying of this document, the software, or any associated materials is contrary to the property rights of EduCue, and is a violation of state and federal law. We hereby acknowledge other product names mentioned in this manual that may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Eighth Edition – Includes all changes up to PRS version 2.88 ©

1997 – 2003

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ________________ 1 I. Introduction ________________ 3

How Does PRS Work? ____________ 3

PRS Equipment List______________ 3

Getting Started __________________ 4 System Requirements_______________ 4 What you need to do the first time _____ 4

Hardware and Software Basics _____ 5 PRS Hardware ____________________ 5 PRS Software _____________________ 6

II. PRS Operation ______________ 8 Starting a Session ________________ 8

Question and Answer Session Using Default Options__________________ 9

III. Using Menu Items ________ 11 File ___________________________ 11

Save Session_____________________ 11 Save Settings File _________________ 11 Save Question Properties File _______ 12 ReOpen Session File ______________ 13 Open Settings File ________________ 14 Open Question Properties File _______ 14 Open Name File – ________________ 14 Open/No Class File _______________ 14 Create Class File__________________ 15 Create Name File _________________ 21 Create Answer File________________ 23 Create Grade Book________________ 24

Connection ____________________ 25 Key Input _______________________ 25 Port____________________________ 26 System Check____________________ 26

Mode _________________________ 26 Multiple Choice Mode _____________ 26 Numerical Answer ________________ 28 Self Paced_______________________ 29

Session_________________________ 30 Audience ________________________ 30 Choices _________________________ 30 GoTo Que _______________________ 31 Chances _________________________ 31

Screen _________________________ 31 Full Screen_______________________ 32 Half Screen ______________________ 32 Question Window _________________ 32 Auto Q# Advance _________________ 33 Manual Q# Advance _______________ 34 50 Boxes ________________________ 34 Box Color = ID ___________________ 34 Box Color = CL___________________ 34 R Box Color______________________ 34 Show Choice #____________________ 34 Top Line = Id or Label _____________ 34

Graph _________________________ 34 Auto Graph ______________________ 34 Show Ans _______________________ 35 In % ____________________________ 35 In No ___________________________ 35 Horizontal _______________________ 35 Vertical _________________________ 35

Tools __________________________ 37 Mark a Session ___________________ 37 Grade Book ______________________ 39 Instructor Window_________________ 40 Path to PRS Folders________________ 41

Help___________________________ 43 Quick Tour ______________________ 43 About PRS_______________________ 43 Instructions for Audience ___________ 43

IV. Analyzing Session Files ____ 43 V. Frequently Asked Questions __ 44 VI. PRS Trouble shooting _____ 50 VII. Application Notes _________ 51 VIII. Appendix ________________ 55

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I. Photo Index The graphics within this document are based on a single operatioperating system may display these graphics differently.

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II. Introduction

How Does PRS Work? In a nutshell, each participant responds privately to a question or prompt, all responses are collected, and the summary displayed for all to see. With questions cast in a multiple-choice format, participants answer by pressing a number on their pocket-size wireless Transmitters (T). The signals sent are processed by a portable Receiver (R) that in turn is connected to a central Display (D) via a CPU. Each signal from a T causes one of the boxes shown on D to change color. That box shows the ID of the corresponding sender, thereby confirming receipt of the response. The answer itself is hidden or displayed at the option of the operator. At the end of the question period, a statistical summary of the answers is shown graphically on D as a histogram.

© 1997-2003 EduCue

There are two types of data collection selectable at the start of each PRS session. • In the Anonymous type, only statistical results are filed and no record is kept on

individual responses. • In the Known type, each response (including the associated sender ID) is recorded in

a data file. The cycle is repeated for each question until the end of the session, when the entire file is written onto the hard disk.

PRS Equipment List A Lecture Pack comes with the following items: • 50 Transmitters; • 2 Receivers; • 3 Connecting cables; • 1 9-V power adaptor; • PRS software program • 1 User’s Manual on CD • 1 Quick Tour The Class Pack is similar to the Lecture Pack but has only 30 transmitters and one receiver. Each Transmitter requires two (2) alkaline-type 1.5-V AAA batteries (included). Multiple packages, special configurations or specific combinations can be ordered for campus-wide application. In typical situations, the ratio of transmitters to receivers should be between 25 and 40.

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Getting Started

System Requirements • a Windows computer with serial or USB port with a minimum configuration of

Pentium chip and 16-MB RAM, which operates on Windows 98 or later or a Macintosh computer with USB port and 16-MB RAM with OS 9.1 or later.

• a TV monitor or computer projector that can present your monitor screen for the entire audience to see.

• One open serial (com) port or USB port. • USB/Serial converter (Keyspan Models USA-19, USA-19W, USA-19Qi and USA-

19QW are known to work.)

What you need to do the first time Instructions to the Operator (Instructor): • Receivers: Mount and connect the receivers as directed in the PRS Receiver User’s

Guide in the Appendix (For installation in a large lecture hall or classroom, See “Prs Hardware” and “Frequently Asked Questions”.

• Transmitters: Distribute transmitters (TX) to the audience / students by one of several methods, see “Transmitter Distribution”. If needed arrange for TX retrieval at the end of class.

• Project the Help>Instructions for Audience for Senders (Students) to see before starting a session.

Instructions to the Senders (Students): • Turn on the TX by pressing the black and red power button. The green LED should

now be on. • Aim the narrow end of the Transmitter at the nearest Receiver to send answer. • Watch the boxes on the display screen for confirmation that the response with your

ID or name has been received. • The Operator (Instructor) should tell sender ahead of time:

Whether they can answer only once to a question or change an answer during the response period allocated.

When changing answers: there is a built-in delay before the new answer can be sent out; and only the last answer sent and received will be recorded. If a confidence level (CL) is required for your answer; press an

H and then the numeral for certainty or high CL, L and then the numeral for uncertain or low CL, or just the numeral for intelligent guessing or medium CL.

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Hardware and Software Basics

PRS Hardware Transmitter The transmitter consists of a specially designed circuit powered by two 1.5-V batteries (alkaline-type AAA). When the power button is pressed, the LED (Light Emitting Diode) is green and the unit is ready for use. A signal is sent when one of the numeric keys is pressed. This signal information includes the numeral pressed and the transmitter ID. To prevent traffic jam at the receiver, the pushbuttons are deactivated for a brief duration following each send action, as indicated by the blinking LED. If desired, change the factory-set IDs to your student ID numbers by following the instructions in the PRS ID Changer User’s Guide in the Appendix. A Confidence Level can be attached to the answer by first pressing H, L, or nothing before pressing the numeric key.

H means High (certainty) and the LED is red. L means Low (uncertain) and the LED is yellow. Medium (reasonable guessing) is the default of not pressing and the LED remains green.

The confidence level will revert to the default value of Medium after a transmission or after 15 seconds without a transmission. Tip: A continuously flashing or blinking LED indicates that the unit is malfunctioning. Try switching off the power and re-start the unit. Batteries last at least a semester under normal usage. They need replacement if the LED light is dim or if it does not light up when the power switch is clicked on. Transmitters (TX) come in two types: Fixed ID or Programmable ID. Fixed ID TXs have their ID numbers set by the manufacturer. Programmable TXs have their ID numbers set for customer ID numbers by EduCue. Programmable TXs are supplied with a PRS ID Changer and software so that customer may change their TX ID numbers if needed. Receiver The receiver is an IR detector powered by a 9-V AC-to-DC converter. The red LED lamp should flash three times and stay lit when the power is applied. This indicates that the unit is ready to receive signals. When a signal is received, the LED turns off momentarily to signify that it is busy processing the signal. The signals are received sequentially, digitized, and passed on to the computer for analysis and recording. The receiver connecting the computer must have the cable plugged from the out jack into the 3-way cable. If more than one receiver is required for coverage, connect the signal output jack of the second unit to the signal input jack of the first unit and so on. No additional power source is required if a 9-V 500 mA transformer is used and the total number of units in

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series is four or less. See “Frequently Asked Questions” and the “PRS Receiver User’s Guide” in the Appendix for more details. Warranty The manufacturer’s warranty is limited to the repair or replacement, at their option, of any PRS product due to any defect in design, material and workmanship that arises within a period of one year from the date of delivery of such product. This warranty is subject to: • the product not being used for any purpose other than the normal purpose for its

applications; • the observance by the user of all operating instructions and recommendations issued

by the manufacturer. Optional Wireless Interface The ConnexLink wireless transceivers are best used where wiring the receivers is either complicated or expensive. It allows the connection between the computer and one or more groups of receivers to be accomplished without cables. Some customers have reported that the wireless systems are a significant cost savings when it is necessary to hire a contractor or pay the Physical Plant staff to run receiver cables.

PRS Software Computer Requirements The computer running the PRS program needs a minimum configuration of: a Pentium chip, 16-MB RAM, and Windows 98 or later or Mac OS 9.1 or later. Installation (See the ReadMeFirst on the installation CD for most recent information on installation.) All programs, libraries and data files are contained on the CD. After installation, they will be on the hard drive in a folder labeled "PRS". Three megabytes of free disk space are required. Contents Of The PRS Folder Each of the PRS folders contains a ReadMe and one or more sample files. You are encouraged to browse through these as one way to become familiar with more of the features in PRS. Of particular interest are the Name and Class files (If you open the sample files in the folders, using Excel or some other application that recognizes CSV files, you can edit them to suit your needs. Warnings: (a) avoid commas in your text because they will be treated as separators. (b) some applications, especially Excel, try to save the files in their particular format, and that should not be permitted. Answer files are used in conjunction with session files in PRS>Tools>Mark.

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Class files were invented to provide seating charts, but need not be used that way. The contents determine the location in the array of response boxes for each transmitter ID. When class files are used, the response box array is handled differently from the No Class situation. Fixed locations (seating chart) for IDs appear on the screen rather than the use of overwrite. Name files can be combined with Class files to cause names to appear instead of Tx ID numbers. Documentation contains two files: “Quick Tour.pdf” and “User Guide.pdf”. Grade Book Files are created using Name files. Grade Book files accept Mark files to provide a cumulative record. Mark files are created by Tools>Mark, using Answer files and Session files. Name files associate names with the TX ID numbers, for display in the response boxes, recording in the session files and used in Grade Book. Question files are created within PRS. Compose the text in the Question Window, reachable through Screen>Half Screen and Screen>Question Window.. You may include text and graphics. If you create Question Property files they will be stored in this folder. See “Save Question Properties File”. for more information on Question Properties. Note: Your PRS software CD contains an 'Extras' folder which has Sample Question files specifically for your operating system. Copy the appropriate files to the Question Folder on your hard drive: PRS>Question.

Session files contain the data collected during a session. They contain both the detailed information for each SID (student name and or TX id). and summary data for the group. Settings files store choices for many of the available options in PRS. This is especially useful if several teachers are using the same system, but have different preferences.

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III. PRS Operation The installed folder PRS contains several file folders for data acquired and used in the program. The names of these folders are shown in the following figure.

Figure 1

Starting a Session Start the PRS program and the “Main Display” appears on the screen as shown in the figure. below, when no Class File is used.

Figure 2 The response boxes serve the important function of confirming that the signal sent by a member of the audience is received and registered. That is, upon the reception and registry of the first signal, the top left most box will change color and show the ID

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number of the corresponding Sender. The second signal registered will change the color of the box immediately on the right and so forth. When the screen is filled and the bottom right box is entered, the top left box will be cleared for the next response. Buttons on the top pull-down menu bar control session options. The default options are set to allow you to start using PRS for Multiple Choice immediately. The session control buttons are the highlighted boxes immediately below the top pull-down menu bar.

Question and Answer Session Using Default Options To start a Multiple Choice session using the default options, choose the Connection, select Mode then click on the New Session button. Session file names are generated automatically; numeric year, month, date and time (304141935.csv). You can change the name to whatever is most meaningful to you; e.g., lit101_3_030417.csv.

Figure 3

The files in the Session folder are created when you 'End Session' after students are finished with a test (or automatically if you forget to click 'End Session' or if the time runs out). The files can be opened in any application that can handle .csv formatted text files, and are used in Mark for the Grade Book. Note: If you choose an existing file name, you will be asked if you want to overwrite. If you choose “OK”, the existing file will be replaced with the new one.

Figure 4

The beginning question number is Q1. Click on the + Question or - Question buttons to change the number. To jump to a different question Qx, click on Session > GoTo Question and select the number. The time allotted to answer the question is displayed in the usual min:sec format. Click on +Time or - Time to change the allotment in increments of 30 seconds. If you want a Confidence Level to be tagged to their answers, direct the students to press the Transmitter with H followed by the numeral for very confident (certain), L plus the numeral for not confident (pure guessing), and just the numeral for moderately confident (intelligent guessing.)

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Click the Start button (which will then toggle to a stop button). The clock will start its countdown. As audience members respond, IDs will appear in the response display, and the counter in the session bar will count the number of responders.

Figure 5 This example uses a Name File and Class File. To interrupt before time runs out, click Pause, causing the countdown to stop and preventing entry of responses until you click Resume. The answering period concludes when the clock reads zero, or when you click on Stop. A summary of answers is displayed immediately as a histogram shown in the figure below. Answers were submitted by 28 students for a question with five choices. The distribution is shown in %. Click on the In %/No. button for results in terms of numbers. Since the students were asked to attach a confidence level (CL) to their answer, the CL results are reflected by the colors of the bars.

Figure 6

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End session - click on the End Session button to automatically store, as a comma separated value text file (.csv), the event-by-event records of the entire session, including the IDs, in the session folder (PRS>Session). Quitting - If you do not want to start another session, quit by clicking on File on the top menu bar and select Exit. Note: You may wish to “Save Session” after each question to avoid loss of data because of a power failure or computer malfunction.

IV. Using Menu Items

File

Figure 7

Save Session saves data collected during an active session. Session Files contain both the detailed information for each SID (Student name and/or TX ID) and the summary data for the group. See “Analyzing Session Files” for an example of the information stored in a session file. Sessions can be saved in 3 ways: Stop, Save Session, and/or End Session.

Save Settings File saves the present set of PRS parameters for future use. Settings files stores choices for many of the available options in PRS. This is especially useful if several teachers are using the same system, but have different preferences. If you wish to use a different path whenever you use PRS, you can make use of a Settings file which now includes the “Path To PRS Folders”. Note that Settings File overrides Question Properties file (QPF). Open the QPF after opening settings file.

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Save Question Properties File saves values for time, choice, chance and answer for each individual question.

The way PRS presents a question and the way it handles the interaction with the audience are governed by characteristics we call Question Properties. Each question has values for the following properties:* Time: The setting of the countdown timer. It is the time allotted for audience response. Choices: The number of items from which the response is selected in the Multiple Choice mode. Chances: The number of times a responder may submit an answer. Only the last one is recorded. Answer: The preferred response from the set of choices. The above items do not exhaust the possibilities. PRS also recognizes as properties the amount of credit to be assigned for a correct response and for an incorrect response. The SW is designed to make it easy to expand the list as users request assignment of additional properties. None of the information above is news to PRS users. A clue to what is new is provided by two new items under the File menu: SaveQuestionProperties and OpenQuestionProperties. Now after setting the values of properties for each question to be used in a session, you can save the file and open it when needed. Try the following exercise to become acquainted with how it is done.

1. Open PRS and start a New Session. (Choose either OK or Cancel when asked about saving.)

2. Under the Sessions menu, change the Choices to 5 and the Chances to 2. 3. Click on -Time to decrease the time allotted for responses. 4. Click Start. 5. If you have a transmitter handy, send a response, but it is not necessary. 6. Click Stop to end the response period and bring up the graph view. 7. Click on the Ans = ? button and select 2. (You should then see choice number 2 labeled

as Ans.) 8. Close the graph window. 9. For Question 2, repeat steps 2 through 8, but assign different values to the properties. 10. Under File, SaveQuestionProperties with a name of your choice. 11. Quit PRS 12. Go to your PRS/Question folder and open the csv file you just created.

In addition to properties whose values you assigned, you will see default values for CreditRight and CreditWrong. Eventually the software for Mark will make use of these values. There are also place holders for three additional properties. To complete the exercise, run PRS again and OpenQuestionProperties to use the file you just created. While there, you might change a few values just to see how easy it is. Another way to modify the values is to edit the file from within the application that you

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used to view the file. If done this way, be sure to save as a .csv file or PRS won't be able to use it. *Note: You must reset each value for each question.

ReOpen Session File retrieves the data of a previous session for use in the current session.

Figure 8

to either Review them or Resume them.

Figure 9

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If you choose Resume, you must remember to select both Connection and Mode, as well as Open Name File and/or Open Class if your original Session used them.

Figure 10

Select the correct port. Your screen may look different.

Open Settings File loads PRS parameters saved from a previous run.

Open Question Properties File opens saved Question Properties. See “Save Question Properties File”. Note that Settings Files override Question Property File (QPF). Open QPF after opening Settings Files.

Open Name File causes IDs to be associated with student names in a pre-existing file. To show Names instead of Numbers for IDs, create a look-up table for names versus numbers (See “Create Name File” ). An example to follow is the file PRS>Name> nameExample1.csv. You should, of course, have your own file. Click on File, then on Open Name File and load the look-up table file. From this action onward, the response boxes will show names throughout the session.

Open/No Class File Clicking on Open Class File causes a pre-existing seating chart to be loaded. Clicking on No Class File reverts back to no seating chart is used.

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Figure 11

Create Class File refers to two methods of creating a seating chart during a class session: Seat Chart and Random. Note: See “Auto Register’ in this section.

Figure 12

Seat Chart creates a Class File appropriate for a seating chart. Students register in a sequence controlled by the program and the instructor. Click in the “dialogue box” to the desired “number of columns (seats per row)” and to the “number of rows” and click on ‘next’.

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Figure 13

A “Class Seating Chart” appears with the “seat” labeled by its seat number.

Figure 14 Make sure that you know the one-to-one correspondence between the “virtual” and “physical” seat. Starting with seat 1, ask the student seated there to register by pressing any single number key. The “cursor” then moves to the adjacent seat 2 and the student there can be asked to register and so on. Any empty seat will be skipped after 3 sec. Click on ‘END’ and then enter the filename to save the “Class Seating Chart“ for the next session

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If you need to edit this file, open in any application that supports .csv format, edit and save. You can also create a Class File ahead of time by using Notepad (WIN) or Simpletext (Mac), a word processor, or a spread sheet to edit one of the sample files. Note that the file extension must be .csv; e.g., course301.csv. A Class file associates each transmitter number with a fixed location in the response grid. Each response box is labeled with seat number, or with a name if a name file is loaded. Thus responders know where to look on the grid for confirmation. Confirmation of responses is accomplished by a change in the background color of the box associated with the transmitter.

Figure 15

Note that when using Name files with Class files there are a few differences in how student responses will appear on the screen. The background color changes to red if the Choice is out of range. It turns to Red when the last Chance is entered. Class files, like other PRS data files, are formatted as comma separated values (.csv). The following example of a Class file is displayed using MS Excel.

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Figure 16

In the first row, column A identifies file name, column B – date & time, column C – version and build number, column D – customer identification code and column – an internal trouble shooting code. The next two lines provide the dimensions of the array of boxes on the PRS screen. The fourth line is the column header, A for Seat number and B for Candidate Id (transmitter number). The term Seat No is used because this method was initially used for a seating chart. However, its use is not restricted to that purpose. The assignment of boxes in the array is based on starting with the box in the upper left corner being number 1, and counting left to right through each row. It is not necessary that the lines (rows) be in the order of the seat number; they can be scrambled. To create your own Class files, you may wish to modify the sample files or start from scratch, using any application that can save the file in .csv format. (Caution: When Excel is used, an additional dialogue box may appear after saving in the .csv format, inviting you to save. Do not save a second time or the file will not have proper .csv format.) A class seating chart is referred to as a Class File.

Figure 17 To put names on the PRS screen while using a Class file, follow this two-step procedure. Using the File pull down menu, first ‘Open Name File’ and select your Name file. Second, using the File pull down menu ‘Open Class’ and select your Class file. The

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screen shot below was obtained using the sample files (Name and Class) provided in the PRS installation.

Figure 18

Boxes for which no SID has been assigned in the Class file will be labeled "No ID". Boxes with an assigned SID for which no name has been assigned in the Name file will be labeled "No Name". If you have transmitters not yet assigned, you may wish to include some of them in the Class file and in the Name file using Spare 1, etc., in place of real names. Background colors change in the box if the responder pressed a number beyond that set in Choices or if the responder has reached the limit on Chances: red (Done) for out of range Choice and yellow (Err) for out of range Chance. Random Random provides a convenient way to register the members of a class. Before selecting this feature, use Screen>Boxes to select the number of Response boxes needed. Then select Random, causing the display of all those boxes, with “NoID”. As each signal from a TX is received, if not already registered, it will be registered in the first available box. When the registration is ended, an opportunity is provided to name and save the resulting Class File.

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Auto Register Auto Register new students during a Session using an existing Class File. Previous versions of PRS rejected signals from TXs not listed in the Class File. Now they are accepted if unregistered response boxes are available. At the end of the session the new Class File, including the added registrants ID number, can be identified and saved. Thus the updating is done automatically. Note: You will have to edit both the Name file and Grade Book file to include these new students names before you run this session in Mark.

Figure 19

Students with TX numbers 000032 and 000031 gave answers in previously unassigned response boxes. Also note that students with TX nos. 00006 and 00009 have answered twice.

Figure 20

Click Yes. You will be given an opportunity to use the same file name or create a new class file name.

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Create Name File Name Files assign a name to each transmitter number. When a name file is used during a session, responses are labeled by name, not number. The name files are also used in Grade Book, so that marks become associated with a person, not a transmitter. There are several ways to create a name file; File> Create Name File, MS Excel and a text editor. You may “Create Name File” through PRS. Type the Transmitter No. and Student Name in the ‘Creation of Name File’ window.

Figure 21

NOTE: You can use a number instead of the student name in Name field; e.g. the student ID#. Probably the easiest way to create your Name Files is to copy and edit one of the sample files in this Name folder. Part of nameExample1.csv is shown in the following figure. It is displayed using MS Excel, therefore you see items separated by columns, not commas. The first Line contains file information: name, date and version. The second line contains the header for the three columns: Trans Id, Group ID, and Name. TransID is the transmitter number. Group number will be used in a feature now being developed, in which audience members are divided into groups and the software provides scores for each group. For now, all Group numbers are set to zero.

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Figure 22

A name file can also be created and viewed as a text file

Figure 23

Whatever application you use for creating or modifying name files you must save the files in the standard comma separated value (.csv) format. The file name must end with .csv. PRS software looks for it. See the following figure.

Figure 24

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To use your name file, open PRS>File>Open Name File. Open Name File and your name files will appear on your screen. Verify the file and click “OK”.

Figure 25 If a response is received from a transmitter not in the name file, it will be displayed with "No Name" where the name should appear. See also Create Class file, which can be used together with Name files. Note: Name Files from v2.49 can be used in v2.50 or higher.

Create Answer File Answer Files provide information to be used in Mark mode. They can be created with any application that enables saving in a comma separated value (.csv) format. See your PRS>Answer folder for examples, open these examples in MS Excel or MS Word. If your question files are creations of PRS, you will probably find it most convenient to use Create Answer File. File>Create Answer File and select the appropriate Question file to bring up the following.

Figure 26

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Insert the answer number and click on Add. After all answers are entered, save the file with the default title “AnsTo…”

Figure 27

‘Create Answer File’ does not require a Question File. The ‘Create Answer File’ window will work with ‘No Question File’. This feature allows the user to use PRS to mark answers to tests or quizzes that do not use question files as created within PRS. Mark works with Answer Files that have answers for only user selected questions. If you do not want a question to be included, do not provide an answer for it.

Create Grade Book Grade Books are created under File>Create Grade Book. Load names from a Name file and save the Grade Book. Once created, Grade Books are updated in Tools> Grade Book.

Figure 28 Load Names file from your Names folder. Clicking on Add Mark brings up the previously created Mark files contained in the Mark folder. Mark files contain the name of the Session involved, and Grade Book prevents using the same Session twice.

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Save and Exit Grade Book Grade Book can be accessed under the Tools menu for viewing and updating. Note: Name Files and Session Files from v2.49 can be used in v2.50 or higher.

Connection

Figure 29

These are representative pictures. Your screen may look different.

Key Input Key Input enables keyboard simulation of transmitter input and will allow you to gain familiarity with various features of PRS software. Sending and receiving of signals can be simulated without the use or PRS transmitters and receivers. The letters of the keyboard are now student Ids (a=1, b=2,….., z=26). The numerals are now the corresponding digit keys of PRS Transmitters. For example, striking ‘c’ and ‘4’ in succession signifies ID=3 sending response ‘4’. Using Shift key with a letter key (SHIFT+letter) simulates use of the H key (High Confidence) on a transmitter. Using Control key with the letter (CTRL+letter) simulates use of the L key (Low Confidence) on a transmitter. Most functions of PRS work while using Key Input and Multiple Choice Mode. Create a Name file (PRS>File>Create Name File) using the number equivalent of the letters on your keyboard, (a=1, b=2,….., z=26) for the Tx Ids. Using this Name file, create a grade book, (PRS>File>Create Grade Book). If you haven’t done so, create a Question and Answer files or use the files included in the software. Type a question file or copy/paste and existing questions from existing text into the Question Window (PRS>Screen>Half Screen and PRS>Screen>Question Window). Create an Answer File for this Question file (PRS>File>Create Answer File). You can use the sample name and class files located in the PRS>Name> NameExample1.csv and PRS>Class> ClassExample1.csv. PRS>File>Create Class has

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not been implemented in Key Input. We created the Key Input class file by editing in Excel. As you go through the Users Guide while using these files and Key Input you will be able to use most of the features of PRS without connecting a Receiver (RX) or using a Transmitter (TX).

Port Clicking on this shows which of the ports may be connected to the PRS receiver(s). On a Windows platform, you generally need to select com. 1.

System Check System Check is an aid in trouble-shooting. Select it to get instructions. If the PRS set up is not working properly, using this option will provide some clue as to which part of the system is not functioning. The display shows each signal that reaches the computer from the transmitters. Uses include checking the com port and identifying TX ID numbers.

Mode Mode allows you to choose from Multiple Choice, Numerical Answer or Self Paced.

Figure 30

Multiple Choice Mode Multiple Choice is used when you would like your audience to take a test or quiz or poll that has a single digit answer and is given question by question so that everyone answers the same question during the time allotted. With transmitter IDs:

Figure 31

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With a Name file:

Figure 32

With Class File

Figure 33 With Name / Class files:

Figure 34

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Numerical Answer Numerical Answer is a composite of the Multiple Choice and Self Paced modes. All participants will respond to the same question. The user will provide a multi-digit answer to a single question.

Figure 35 Directions to participants: When the response period starts, enter the first digit of your answer by pressing the appropriate key. If the presenter has chosen the Show Choice# display, you will see the digit you have selected in your response box. Otherwise you will see the character ‘#’ to confirm your response. Wait until your transmitter LED stops blinking. This is an indication that the unit is ready to transmit your second digit; your entry will be confirmed by showing ## in your response box. The interface will accept up to four digits. If you send a fifth digit, the system will assume that you changed your mind and would like to modify your initial answer. The fifth digit will become the first digit in your second chance. If your response contains fewer than four digits, or you wish to terminate the sequence due to an error, press ‘H’ then ‘0’. The word Entered will appear in your response box, and the next digit you enter will be the first digit in your next chance for that question. Comments for the presenter: We recommend some trial sessions with your classes using the Show Choice# option found in the Screen menu. Participants will feel more confident when the digit they send will appear in the response box, rather than the placeholder ‘#’ that will appear when the Show Choice# option has not been selected. The Graph window remains enabled in Numerical Answer mode, with the default option being Auto Graph. The graph will illustrate the distribution for the first digit in the response; that distribution may be useful in some cases. When the response period has ended, the User Grid display is available for analysis in the Graph window. The Instructor Window enables you to view the responses as they are recorded, including the answers from each transmitter. The graph frame is not available in the Instructor Window for the Numerical Answer mode.

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The modifier keys ‘H’ and ‘L’ can be used on entry of the first digit to reflect the users confidence level; this will be associated with the entire multi-digit answer.

Self Paced Self Paced is used when you want your audience to take a test at their own pace, in any order and with multiple digit answers.

Figure 36 In the Self Paced mode of operation, the responder first designates the number of the question, then enters the answer. Both the question number and the answer may have multiple digits. The 10 digits and the two modifier keys (H and L) are used in the entry process. Questions may be answered in any order. Operator: To run the Self Paced mode, choose it under the Mode Menu, and the Connect choice for your computer. If you want the answers to show (recommended in a sample training test), select Screen> Show Choice#. Otherwise an "x" is entered for each answer digit submitted. Click on New Session and follow instructions. You will be invited to open the Answer file associated with the questions, because the information in the Answer file is needed during in the graph display. Participant: • Start the entry of the question number by pressing H then the first digit of the

question number. Enter the remaining digits in the question number without use of a modifier key.

• Start the entry of the answer by pressing L then the first digit of the answer. Enter the remaining digits of the answer without use of a modifier key.

• Submit the response by pressing H then the first digit of the next question. That records the response and starts the process for the next question.

• Confirmation is provided each time a digit is submitted, with a "?" showing where the next submitted digit will go, assuming no modifier key is used.

• Pressing H then zero will display the numbers for questions not yet answered. To recover from a mistake while entering the question number, start over by pressing H and the first digit of the question number, etc. To change an answer or to recover from a mistake while entering the answer, re-enter by pressing H and the first digit of the question, etc.

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Example: To answer question 10 below, enter the sequence H, 1, 0, L, 2, 8, H, 1, … After entering a digit, wait for the light to stop blinking before entering the next digit. It takes about 10 seconds to enter the four digits in this example. Sample questions: 1. How many days in a week? 2. In how many months of the year is the number of days less than 31? 3. How many digits would be needed to express the number of seconds in an hour,

using the familiar base 10 system? 4. Repeat number 5, but for base 16 system. 10. How many days were there in the month of February 2002? Operator: When finished with the session, click on End Session. Do so, and a histogram will appear, with a bar for each question for which an answer is supplied. Each bar shows the percentage of correct answers, wrong answers, and abstentions. The percentage is based on the number of people who answered at least one question. [A defect to be fixed: the histogram does not use the actual question number, but its ordinal number in the list of questions. It grades properly, but shows "5" for the fifth question, not "10", for the sample questions above.]

Figure 37

Session

Audience Known - all recorded answers will be tagged with the Student IDs (for answers which will be marked or graded later) or Anonymous - there will be no ID tag on the recorded answers (for polling or surveying). A common option is polling or opinion sampling in which no ID information will be recorded. The IDs will still be shown on the response boxes for acknowledging the receptions of signals but the output file will contain no ID information.

Choices Choices allows the instructor to select the no. of choices in a Multiple Choice question. The 'Out of Range' response box color for a Choice beyond the selected range is Yellow with an 'Error' message. For each question asked, the number of available choices for the students to answer must equal or exceed the actual number of multiple choices in the question. Click on Choices and the appropriate number to satisfy the requirement

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Figure 38

GoTo Que GoTo Ques enables the user to access and display a specific question number.

Chances Click to select the limit on the number of times that a Student is permitted to answer a question. (Note that only the last entry is recorded.) The 'Out of Range' response box color for Chance is Red with a 'Done' message. See figure above.

Figure 39

Screen It is convenient to have two screens or white areas for projecting information (one for the PRS main display; the other for showing the question to be answered for all to see). If only one screen or projection area is available, click on Screen and select Half Screen to

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free the lower half for displaying the Question Window or using another application to display the questions.

Full Screen Can use the entire screen for the PRS student Response Boxes (RB).

Half Screen Half Screen frees the lower half of the screen for a question window or another application to display the questions.

Question Window Question Window used for displaying a question and for loading or saving a text file containing questions when the question window is selected. Creating a Question File: Many users prepare questions in their favorite graphics or presentation application, and then switch back and forth between PRS and the application containing the questions. This is probably the best procedure if you use fairly demanding graphics methods in your questions. Simply use half screen for PRS and the other half for the other application. PRS provides a built in method for creating and using question files, using an editor that meets the needs of many users. Access it under Screen> Half Screen, Screen>Question Window. In either case, you will probably want to adjust the size of the two windows for your particular circumstances.

Figure 40

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Warning: Question files created on one computer may not work on another. Test first to avoid wasting time. You may choose to work directly in the question window, or access a question file from a different application and use a cut and paste method to insert questions into PRS. Use the menu commands for cut, copy and paste rather than keyboard commands in PRS. Images can be inserted in PRS. Since the editor does not support resizing, they should be sized to about 2” before insertion. Use picture editing software and save as a jpeg. It might be convenient to have a picture folder located in the PRS folder. You must press space bar to continue after inserting a picture; a return key will insert a 2nd photo. When finished with one question click Next. (Next is not available until you have made a keyboard entry. If you paste in an entire question, hit the space bar to enable Next.) For reviewing and editing questions, use Next or Previous to navigate. Note the question number is displayed in the tool bar. The question number is not determined by the label in its text, such as the Q3 below. It is determined by its location in the file. If you expect to edit the file by adding, deleting or moving questions, you may prefer to omit number labels.

Figure 41 File> Save stores the file in the PRS Question folder where it can be accessed by File>Open. When used in a session, the question number displayed is controlled in the main PRS frame. When going beyond the last question in the question file the message bar at the bottom of the question window will be “Last question is number #” where # is the appropriate number. The session will continue to process and save responses to additional questions that may be presented outside the question window. Note: Your PRS software CD contains an 'Extras' folder which has Sample Question files specifically for your operating system. Copy the appropriate files to the Question Folder on your hard drive: PRS>Question.

Auto Q# Advance Auto Q# Advance causes the question number to advance automatically in Question Window on completion of the response period.

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Manual Q# Advance Manual Q# Advance requires use of +Question to advance the question number.

50 Boxes Click to select the number of response boxes in the response array.

Box Color = ID associates the response box color with the last digit of the student ID.

Box Color = CL associates the response box color with the confidence level of the answer received. The option for ‘box color’ for confidence level is disabled when the instructor chooses to use ‘class file’.

R Box Color The last digit of the transmitter number controls the color of the Response box. This color can be changed using this color menu.

Show Choice # When checked, the choice submitted by the responder is displayed in the response box.

Top Line = Id or Label provides user choice for the top line in the response box; either the ID or the Label (name if a name file is used, seat label otherwise). Accessed under Screen menu. Load Class file after making your choice for the TopLine. This changes the display only in Multiple Choice, and only when a class file is used.

Figure 42

Graph

Auto Graph selects whether to show the histogram of answers automatically or by manual control. For the manual mode, viewing the histogram of the completed exercise requires clicking the Graph button. When using Question Window, if advancing question number is in auto

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mode, make sure to click on –Question first before clicking Graph. This prevents the next question being displayed while reviewing the current question’s histogram. The histogram can be shown in terms of either % or number.

Show Ans enables the presenter to designate one of the choices as the answer. Show it by checking Show Ans under Graph n the main menu. This is one of the Question Properties whose value can be set in advance to be available for the presentation.

In % select to show the histogram in Percent or.

In No select to show the histogram in actual numbers

Horizontal select to show the format of graph as horizontal or

Vertical select to show the format of graph as vertical The example below shows histograms with answers submitted by 28 students for question with 5 choices. Orientation toggles the histogram format between horizontal bars and vertical columns:

Figure 43

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Figure 44

UserGrid allows the instructor to see specific data as it pertains to each individual student’s response including: answer, confidence level, time and attendance.

Figure 45

Split puts the histogram in the lower half to allow a recall (via +/-Question) of a previous histogram to be shown on the top half for comparison as shown in figure below .

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Figure 46

Ans? puts a mark next to the specified choice on the histogram. Click on the Close button to return to the response box view. From there, to review the histogram of a previous question in the same session, click on the - Question button (or Screen and GoTo Question) until you have the pertinent one. Then click the Graph button.

Figure 47

Tools

Mark a Session The Mark program grades the answers contained in a Session file if there is a corresponding Answer file available. PRS> Tools> Mark The weighting factors are shown on the top pull down menu bar. The defaults settings are “+2” for “Correct” and “1” for “Wrong”. Click on the appropriate buttons to change to the desired weightings. Load Session to get the desired session file, which resides in the folder PRS> Session. In the following figure, the session consisted of seven questions answered by six students.

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Note: Session Files from v2.49 can be used in v2.50 or higher.

Figure 48

Load Answer to get the pre-existing file that contains the correct answers for the set of questions. Edit if need be. Calculate Mark and the session score of each student is shown on the column labeled Mark. The statistical summaries are also computed and shown in the Result window.

Figure 49

Click “OK” in result window. Save Mark to save the results.

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To add these marks to your grade book, click on the ‘Update Grade Book’ button, select previously created grade book from list, click Open. In ‘View Grade Book’ click ‘Add Mark’.

Figure 50

Save Grade Book Exit to quit.

Grade Book Grade Book can be accessed under the Tools for viewing and updating. Click on Add Mark to bring up the Mark files contained in the Mark folder. Select the Mark file that you would like to add to your Grade Book. Save Grade Book.

Figure 51

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Instructor Window This window enables the presenter to view the answers submitted, individually and as a summary. It is intended for use with a dual monitor presentation station, although there are ways for it to be useful even with a single monitor. Access is under the menu Tools. Before starting a session, make your choices of Name, Class, and Question files, if any, then select Tools, Instructor Window. This window contains four frames; a response grid with the choices showing, a histogram with a live summary of the responses, a table with details for each response, and (if a question file is open) a portion of the question being answered.

Figure 52

Drag the window to the private monitor, if you have dual monitors. (See note on setting up dual monitors.) If not, go back and forth between the two views by clicking on the one you want to be in front. Establish a New Session and Start the response period. As the responses come in, you will see the information in IW (Instructor Window) accumulate. You may double click on a particular box in either view to get information on that response. If you want a reminder of the next question (or any question in the file) use the buttons +Ques# and -Ques#. The space is cramped but presumably you need only a reminder, not the complete text. This action changes only the text in the question frame in the IW. The rest of the information in the IW continues to refer to the question being answered in the session.

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Note that as responders use their chances to change their choices, only the most recent choice is retained, just as in other views of the session. There is confirmation of responses for cases where Choice or Chances exceed their set values. No data is recorded, but the Instructor Window shows the choice the responder tried to make. Note: The details of setting up dual monitors depends on your hardware and operating system. Although dual monitors have been supported by Mac OS for decades and by Windows since Win 98, not all computers that use those operating systems have the hardware to support it. If the documentation for your computer has no reference to dual monitors, it may mean that the feature is not available. Check with your resident technology specialist.

Path to PRS Folders This new Tool supports users who wish to have their Session files and other data files in a location separate from the application. To implement this, select the option under the Tools menu, then navigate to the volume, partition or folder where you wish to have your data files stored. Mac OS 10.2+ : For this example, we want the PRS data on a Zip disk. Select your Hard Drive, scroll down to the Volumes folder and Open.

Figure 53

Highlight the removable media (Zip 100) and Choose.

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Figure 54

Windows: Click on the down arrow, select Zip 250 and Open.

Figure 55

When you accept the location you have chosen, the software will check to see if there is a folder named PRS there. If not, it will make one, with an enclosed folder named Session. In either case, that folder named PRS becomes the place where the data files will be saved. The contents may include everything provided on the installation disk (plus your additions), or may have only the Session folder, or anything in between. If you start with the simple case, and later create additional files, the Software will add the proper folders to contain the saved files. The default path for Macs is the top level of your hard drive. For Windows, it is the Program Files folder. If you wish to use a different path whenever you use PRS, you can

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make use of a Settings file which now includes the “Path To PRS Folders”. After using the Path tool, and establishing the values for any other settings you prefer over the default values, save the Settings file in the default location. Then whenever you launch PRS, open that Settings file. That will establish the path that you chose, along with your other settings.

Figure 56

Help

Quick Tour lists steps for a basic functionality of PRS

About PRS gives information for the software version.

Instructions for Audience lists the use of PRS transmitter.

V. Analyzing Session Files The results of each PRS session are stored as a Session File in a comma-separated-value text file (.csv) inside the folder PRS> Session. This file can be read with Notepad (WIN) or Simpletext (Mac) or any spreadsheet software. The figure below shows the contents of a session file named sessionExample2.csv in Microsoft Excel.

Figure 57

There are two main parts in the file shown in figure above. The first part is the event-by-event records of the answers received for all questions asked in the session. The second part is the corresponding statistical summaries. Line-by-line descriptions are given below. Line 1 - The date and time the file was created.

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Line 2 - The headings of the respective columns. Line 3 to 14 - The record of the 12 events corresponding to 2 questions, each answered by 6 students; for each event, Column 1 - Question number. Column 2 - Elapsed time when the last answer attempt was received. Column 3 - Number of answer attempts. Column 4 - Label on the “response boxes”. Column 5 - ID number of the Transmitter. Column 6 - Code for one or two users per Transmitter (one user for this example). Column 7 - Answer recorded. Column 8 - Confidence level attached to the answer. Line 15 - The headings of the respective columns. Line 16 to 25 - The statistical summaries of the answer choices per question for the 2

questions each with 10 multiple choices. Column 1 - Question number. Column 2 - Choice of answer Column 3 - Number of students selecting this choice regardless of the confidence

level (CL). Column 4 - Number of students selecting this choice with a low CL. Column 5 - Number of students selecting this choice with a medium CL. Column 6 - Number of students selecting this choice with a high CL. Column 7 to 10 - Entries in Columns 4 to 6. respectively, shown in percents. In a session file taken under exactly the same conditions as the example above with the Audience set for Anonymous (poll mode), you will find the ID information is clearly absent. Only the statistical summaries are recorded.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions The Basics about PRS What is the technology used for signal transmission? PRS uses infrared technology similar to a TV remote. It has proven to be reliable and operates on a "line of sight" so it will not interfere with radio frequency equipment or other systems in adjacent rooms.

How many students (transmitters) can participate in a session? We are not sure of the technical upper limit; probably around 1000. Limiting factors may apply more to practical teaching limits. Several of our customers have 400 to 500 seat lecture halls fully equipped with PRS receivers and they are regularly used to full capacity.

How many receivers do I need? There is no hard and fast rule but we recommend one receiver for about 40 transmitters. Many customers have used fewer receivers and a few have used more, because of

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unusual teaching needs. We have found that you can supply 4 receivers with our standard power supply or 8 receivers with our 1200 mA power supply. For longer chains it will require multiple power supplies and some modified cables to isolate them.

Why do I need multiple receivers in larger classrooms or lecture halls? A receiver can accept only one signal at a time. When it receives a signal, it will not accept another for approximately one tenth of a second. Multiple receivers reduce this signal jamming. On the rare occasion a signal is rejected because a receiver is "busy" a student sees that their answer is not displayed on the screen grid and sends again.

What is the difference between fixed ID and programmable transmitters? This is discussed in a bit more detail on our Web page under Fixed ID. In a nutshell; the programmable transmitters allow the user to change the numeric ID code that is sent to the computer by the transmitter. This is done through an ID changer and a software program that we include. Since most of our customers did not reprogram the transmitters we introduced the Fixed ID model, which is issued with a continuing sequence of numbers that cannot be changed by the user. There is significant cost savings to the Fixed ID models.

What does it cost? A Class Pack, consisting of thirty fixed ID transmitters, one receiver, cables and software costs $1170.00. A Lecture Pack provides fifty fixed ID transmitters, two receivers, cables, and software for $1950.00. A full listing of prices are on our Web page ( http://www.educue.com ) under Systems & Prices and is more up to date than this document.

Classroom Techniques How do I use PRS in a classroom? There are probably as many approaches to teaching with PRS as a teaching tool as there are teachers using PRS. The following are the basics. The computer monitor output is generally projected on a screen, or a large screen TV monitor, so that all students can see. A question can be posed to the class orally or in text form on the screen. The students respond to the questions with their transmitter keypads. As the transmitter responses are received the transmitter ID number (or student name) is displayed in a box in the screen grid.

Can the students see each other's answers? With the software you can choose whether or not the answers will show in the screen grid boxes. Most teachers prefer not to show the answers in order to encourage student participation in a non-threatening manner.

How are the results reviewed with the class? At the completion of a question (the question period is stopped or the time runs out) a graph will appear that gives the results of the student responses. This is a great

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opportunity for discussion with the class and to determine whether more review on a subject is needed.

How do I review the results after class? The computer stores the results of each session as a comma delimited (*.csv) file. This is easily viewed in many applications, including Notepad, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word.

What if I would prefer to have an anonymous polling? The PRS software provides a menu selection to allow the responses to be stored anonymously. In this mode individual results are not saved; only the summary.

What format can I use to present questions? The most common format is multiple choice questions; however, PRS transmitters are unique. By offering a 10 digit keypad, plus 2 modifier buttons our newest software offers the ability to receive multi digit numeric answers, as well as a Self Paced mode that allows students to answer questions in any sequence at their own pace. PRS also is well suited to polling or rating responses such as "On a scale of 1 to 10,........".

Transmitter Distribution Various methods have been devised by our users to distribute transmitters to the students.

Transmitters held in some array of slots or pouches: Students can pick up their transmitters from the slot or pouch as they enter the classroom and return the transmitter to the same location when they leave. Some users require the students to leave their student ID card in the slot/pouch as an exchange. (When used in the Audience - Known mode, each student must use the same unit each time and inform the instructor of their ID number prior to the first session.)

On loan for the course duration: Students sign out a transmitter (from the instructor or department) for use in the entire duration of the course. (When used in the Audience - Known mode, each student must inform the instructor, upon assignment, of the transmitter ID. This can be done in class or by email.)

Students own their transmitter: Arrangements can be made with the campus bookstore to sell, buy back and resell PRS transmitters like textbooks. (When used in the Audience - Known mode, each student must inform the instructor, of the transmitter ID. This can be done in class or by email.)

Campus wide application: Prs can be used in any classroom on campus if each student has transmitter. Students can buy their own unit (as described above) or check out a loan unit from the library or distribution center.

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Hardware & Installation What batteries does the transmitter use and how long do they last? A PRS transmitter uses two - AAA batteries (one set of batteries is included with the purchase). The transmitter automatically shuts off after 15 minutes of inactivity, to help conserve the batteries. With fairly frequent classroom use we find that the batteries will last about one year.

How are the receivers connected together? The receivers are daisy chained in series with each other. Each receiver has an "in" and an "out" connection. The "out" connects to the computer or the "in" of another receiver in the chain. The "in" is connected to the "out" of another receiver or left empty if it is the end of the line or the only receiver.

How are the receivers powered? An AC power adapter is included with a primary receiver pack. Our standard AC adapter can power up to four receivers in a chain. We also offer a heavy duty power supply that will power up to eight receivers in a chain.

How are the receivers connected to the computer? The primary receiver pack includes a 3 way cable. This cable connects to the serial port of the computer, the cable from the receiver(s), and the AC power adapter which should be connected last. If your computer does not have a serial port, a serial to USB adapter will connect you. We have tested the Keyspan PDA adapter on both Mac OS and Windows OS found it to work well. They cost around $40.00 in computer stores or catalogs. Educue will provide one for $40.00 also.

When should I use the wireless transceivers to connect PRS? The ConnexLink wireless transceivers are best used where wiring the receivers is either complicated or expensive. It allows the connection between the computer and one or more groups of receivers to be accomplished without cables. Some customers have reported that the wireless systems are a significant cost savings when it is necessary to hire a contractor or pay the Physical Plant staff to run receiver cables.

How are the receivers fastened? There are several ways to do this. Each receiver has a threaded connection on the side which accepts a 1/4" x 20 machine screw (some older models will have a 6 mm thread) EduCue sells an adjustable bracket which is shown on the Web page under Accessories Page. Also shown is a simple metal corner brace that is sold in hardware stores. The receiver is very light (about 4.5 oz.) and some users have reported using self adhesive Velcro or tape.

Where should I put the receivers in a large classroom or lecture hall? The receivers should be placed so that a given transmitter signal is detected by only one receiver for efficient use of the PRS equipment. This can be accomplished by placement in separate locations in the room or the use of hoods or light baffles. In large lecture halls

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the receivers are often located on the ceiling or along the side walls. EduCue can assist you with receiver placement if you fax or email us a sketch or information on the room.

Software Questions What version of the PRS software do I have? Click on File and then About on the earlier Visual Basic versions (2.49 or earlier). Click on the Help and then About PRS on the more recent Java versions (2.50 or later). The version information and software code will be given there.

What level of training do I need to use PRS? Our customers have found PRS software quite intuitive and requires very little effort to learn. As with most software today there are also more advanced features that can be employed in your teaching techniques as you become more familiar with the software. What are the software license restrictions? When PRS is purchased the software is site licensed to the institution. This means that any number of copies may be made for use on computers owned by the institution, or on personally owned computers that are used for class preparation or teaching at the institution.

How can I present text questions in the classroom while using PRS? The PRS software provides a half screen option which allows text to be shown on the lower half of the screen while the grid of response boxes are shown on the upper half. If the questions are prepared and stored prior to the class the questions will automatically advance to the next as a question is completed. On the newer Java based software the question window will also accept pictures and graphics.

How can I use my Power Point file with PRS? There are a few ways to do this. 1. A simple method is to have both PRS and Power Point running in full screen format.

Using the Alt-Tab keystroke combination the screen will switch between Power Point and PRS with out having to stop the Power Point Show. Keep in mind that PRS will run in the background so it can accept transmitter responses while Power Point (or another display) is on the screen.

2. Some users have the convenience of having lecture rooms set up with 2 projectors and a large screen so that 2 displays can be shown. One can be used to display Power Point while the other is used for PRS.

3. Independent developers have produced programs that specifically match PRS hardware with Power Point. These programs integrate the response verification screens into a Power Point slide. You may want to look at our information page on RxShow. This will also lead you to a link to the RxShow website.

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How do I Change the Transmitter’s ID number on programmable transmitters? Instructions for the ID-Changer unit and the IDChg software program are found in PRS ID Changer User’s Guide appended to the end of this manual, Appendix C. The software does not have a Macintosh version, but the reprogrammed transmitters work with Macs.

Techie Stuff How many receivers can I connect in one chain? The manufacturer tells us that 20 receivers (of our current Rx-2 model) can be chained together and connected to one computer input . Please note the following question which discusses the power supply for longer chains of receivers. Is the standard power supply adequate for a long chain of receivers? The standard power supply will adequately power four receivers in one chain while the heavy duty power supply will energize eight receivers. Multiple power supplies can be used in one chain; however, the VDC leg of the cable must be isolated between the power supplies to avoid electrical mismatches.

How can the wireless transceivers be used to connect a large quantity of receivers? The ConnexLink wireless transceivers can be used to combine several receivers, or receiver chains while simplifying the wiring. Each receiver or receiver chain can connect to a wireless transceiver client. The computer is connected to a wireless transceiver server. Many clients can communicate with one server thereby connecting multiple receiver chains to a single computer without cabling between the receiver chains and the computer.

Why do I need to separate or light baffle receivers in large classrooms or lecture halls? The most efficient use of the system is for a given transmitter to activate only one receiver. If two or more receivers are hit with the same signal it ties them both up allowing less time for other transmitters to make contact. On the rare occasion that a signal is rejected the student will notice the lack of response and send again.

What about Wiring for large classrooms or lecture halls? Many of our customers custom make their own cables for the receiver installations in larger rooms. The connectors are standard stereo jacks, and the cable is 3 conductor (2 plus the shield) with a braided shield (do not use a foil shield since the shield carries current). We recommend 22 ga. wire size which is a little heavier that the standard cables provided with the PRS package. Also some of our customers have reported improved performance (less resistance) by using gold plated stereo connectors such as those available from Radio Shack.

Why is there no signal reception? Make sure that there is power to the Transmitter.

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Make sure that the Receiver is connected to the intended COM port. (Go to the pull down menu under File and select COM to see which COM port(s) is available for use.) Check to make sure the In/Out cables to the Receiver are connected properly. See Appendix B Repeat the set up procedure but make sure to turn on the power only after all cable connections are made. DO NOT MAKE CABLE CONNECTIONS WHEN THE POWER IS ON!

What are the Infra Red characteristics of the Transmitter? The Wave length is 940 nm, modulation is 37.9 kHz. Complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules.

What are the communication characteristics of the receiver? Baud Rate - 19200 bps Data Bits - 8 Parity - none Stop Bits - 1 Flow Control - none

VII. PRS Trouble shooting Program not loading Is prs.ini file correct? Improper prs.ini code will give a runtime error. If prs.ini code is a mix of programmable, common code, and fixed ID the end of the code must be CCF in that order.

What version is Prs.exe? V. 2.48 or earlier will not accept prs.ini with a mix of programmable, common code, and/or fixed ID. Will give a runtime error. V. 2.47 or earlier will look for a floppy disk drive. If it is not there it will give an error while loading.

Program loads but won’t receive Tx signal. Is the software initiated? Is a new session been opened? Is the “Start” button clicked? Is the clock counting down? Is Rx connected correctly? Is the red LED lit?

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“Out” cable must go to 3 way cable. Power supply must connect to 3 way cable. Are all jacks fully seated in ports? Push and twist each connection. If multiple Rx are used “in” port must be connected to “out” port of next receiver. Look for Com port conflict. When using the serial port connection to the computer, PRS will generally require Com 1 to be available. If when selecting Com 1 the port is not available it is likely that some other device is setup to use Com 1. If Com 1 is selected and there are no results in the system check window it is likely that some other device is setup to use Com 1. A PDA, external modem, or mouse may be tying up the Com port even if it is not connected or active. Check the connection setup for these or other devices. If they are designated to use Com 1 try changing the port. Close and restart PRS and try the System Check. Prs.ini file is not compatible with Tx. Try System Check. If the response is “unidentified” the prs.ini and the Tx are not compatible. Where did the program come from? If it was downloaded from the web or borrowed, the prs.ini file may not be correct for the Tx. Program may have a problem. Uninstall PRS using add/remove program in control panel. Reinstall program Transmitter may have failed. Is the red LED on the receiver on? Replace batteries You can try to 'reboot' the transmitter by using : a straightened outpaper clip. Insert paper clip into the hole that sits to the right of the battery cover screw hole. Press for several seconds and then try the red 'on' button once again. The transmitter should now light up. Does the red LED blink when a Tx is used? Try another Rx? 3-way cable may have failed. Try a different cable.

VIII. Application Notes Active learning in the classroom – PRS provides electronically immediate feedback and reinforcement (IFR) for active learning by all students in the classroom. Surveys of student users indicate that a majority of them consider the following features as valuable: • answering in private

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• discussion with peers before answering • knowing how their peers responded. The faculty users consider the following as very useful: • immediate assessment of students’ comprehension • automatic attendance check • automatic recording of students answers • a polling option for surveying views and opinions • gender-blind and color-blind responses.

In a comprehensive article published in the American Journal of Physics [Vol.66 (1998) pp.64-74], Richard R. Hake showed unequivocally that the use of Interactive Engagement (IE) strategies in the classroom can increase mechanics-course effectiveness well beyond that obtained with Traditional (T) methods. The study was based on a survey of pre/post test data of about 6000 students in high schools, colleges, and universities using the Halloun-Hastenes Mechanics Diagnostic test (MD) or Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Defining the average normalized gain <g> as the ratio of the actual average gain (<post%>-<pre%>) to the maximum possible average gain (100-<pre%>), Hake found <g>T-ave = 0.23 + 0.04 and <g>IE-ave = 0.48 + 0.14. The effectiveness of IE approaches over those of T is more than a factor of 2 according to this measure! The IE methods are those designed at least in part to promote conceptual understanding through interactive engagement of students to heads-on (always) and hands-on (usually) activities which yield immediate feedback through discussion with peers and/or instructors. For the practitioners of Traditional lecture method, the approach of immediate feedback and reinforcement (IFR) using electronic devices is, perhaps, the easiest IE approach to adopt. The PRS is, perhaps, the easiest, lowest cost, and most flexible of the electronic tools for conducting the IFR approach in the classroom. Recent literatures on the use of the EFR approach include: • Robert J. Dufresne, William J. Gerace, William J. Leonard, Jose P. Mestre and

Laura Wenk, “Classtalk: A Classroom Communication System for Active Learning“ in Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 7, 3-47, (1996). (or see http://www-perg.phast.umass.edu/UMPERG/papers/CT_Paper/CT_Paper.html).

• Eric Mazur, “PEER INSTRUCTION - A Users Manual”, 1997 (Prentice Hall). (or see http://galileo.harvard.edu/galileo/lgm/pi/details.html).

Record Keeping The Known or class mode of operation in which a record is kept on the answer of every student to every question permits monitoring of the progress made by every student in class. Some faculty members use these records as a part of the course grade. Some assign relative scores to an answer (for example, 5/2/0 for Correct/Wrong/No-Submission). On the other hand, other faculty prefer the use of informal assessments via the Anonymous or poll mode in which no individualized records are kept.

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Peer Instruction/Assessment PRS facilitates both peer instruction and peer assessment in the classroom. Peer instruction has been found to be very effective in student learning. At Harvard, Eric Mazur practices peer instruction in a large lecture class by doing a Multiple Choice two times in succession. The first time students answer the question individually. The second time, answers to the same question are solicited after the students have had discussions with their peers. The effects of peer instructions are reflected by the differences in the two sets of answer results. Peer assessments of student project or homework presentations in class promote active learning.

Sender-IDs in the Transmitters Note The Sender-ID must be a numeral between 1 and 999999999. In applications where the Anonymous mode is used exclusively, it may be convenient to change the Sender-IDs to a number sequence starting from 1. In applications where the Senders (students) are assigned a permanent seat in a classroom throughout the day, it may be convenient to use the seat numbers as the Sender-IDs. For applications where the Senders (students) bring their own Transmitter to use in many different classrooms or lecture halls, the Sender-IDs naturally would be either the student ID numbers, or social security numbers or other similar individualized set of numbers. The choice will depend on what numbers the institution uses for record keeping.

Attaining the Reading and Arithmetic Standards Reading and arithmetic standards are increasingly imposed on the US public school systems. Using PRS for feedback and reinforcement will add a new dimension to the drilling and problem solving exercises that are essential to the students’ mastery of the requisite basic skills.

Non-academic applications of PRS There are many other applications of PRS. The following are a few examples. • Training classes in language and other technical skills - use PRS to ensure that a

lesson is understood before proceeding to the next one and for monitoring the learning progress of trainees.

• In a convention or meeting to elect officers or vote on resolution - use PRS to record votes and tabulate the results immediately.

• In marketing - use PRS to obtain on-the-spot reactions of your audience to your product demonstration.

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• In a contest to be judged by the audience - use PRS to facilitate the scoring by the audience and to tabulate the results immediately.

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IX. Appendix PRS Transmitter User’s Guide Specification:

Size: 107mm x 56mm x 25mm Weight: Approx. 50g (without battery) Power: Two AAA (1.5V) Alkaline

Batteries Signal: Infrared Effective Distance: Not less than 30 meters

Operation: Press power key. Locate a Receiver and point the Transmitter towards it. Make your decision and press the corresponding NUMERIC key. The LED will be flash several times. Power will shut OFF when the unit is not use for 15 minutes. Confidence level (CL): A confidence level will be attached to your answer if you first press H, L, or nothing before pressing the NUMERIC key. “H” means High, “L” means Low, and the default of no pre-pressing means Medium. The confidence level will revert to the default value of Medium after 15 seconds or on each power off/on sequence.

LED indicator Green: Medium CL Red: High CL Yellow: Low CL Flashing: Transmission in progress * Replace batteries when the LED becomes dim.

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PC. . . To a maximum of 4 Receiv

chain

AC/DCAdapter

RS232COM port

Detector

INOUT INOUT

1. All connections should be inserted securely.2. Power should only be supplied after all connecgtions are

PRS Receiver User’s Guide Specification: Dimension: Approx. 122mm x 60mm x 43mm Weight: Approx. 130 grams Power: 8 – 15 VDC (via signal cable) Reception cone angle: Approx. 90 degrees Mounting: The use of 1 Receiver for every 25 to 50 Transmitters is recommended. If two receivers are used, mount them on the corners in front of the classroom, and make sure the sensitive part (glass) of each unit faces the diagonal corner. Hardware connection:

Cable configuration: Stereo Cable

Inner: GND

Outer: +9V

Middle: SignalPin 2: Signal

Pin 5: GND

Outer: GND

Inner: +9V

Stereo Jac

DC Jack

DB9 Female

Stereo Jack

DC Jack

DB9 Female

Important Notes: 1) All connectors should be inserted securely; 2) Supply power only after all connections have been made.

Maximum in series: 4 model Rx1 or 20 model Rx2 (see also Sec X-B, C,D,E,F of PRS

8-15 VDCSignal

Ground

Outer: 8 – 15 VDC Middle: Signal Inner: Ground

Thi i t h b t t d d f d t l ith th li i

PRS-Ed8 Outer: GND

Inner: 8 – 15 VDCV

t f Cl B di it l d i

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PRS ID Changer User’s Guide Specification: Dimension: 90mm x 50mm x 32mm Power: 9V DC Weight: Approx. 70 grams Hardware requirement: ∗ IBM PC compatible

∗ 80386 system or above ∗ Win 3.1, Win95 or above ∗ 1 free COM port ∗ 10Mb Hard disk space

Hardware Connection:

PC

AC/DCAdapter

RS232COM port

DC

TX

PC

2

I

1 354 687 90H L

Customizing ID: The PRS ID-Changer unit enables the user to customize a 9-digit ID number into the transmitter. The procedure is as follow: Start the PRS IDChg Software. Connect the transmitter to be programmed to the ID-Changer. Click on the button “Customize ID”. Following the prompt, key in the ID number and press ENTER. Simultaneously press on the keys “H” and “L” on the transmitter to write the ID number into the transmitter. Verifying ID: To verify the ID number stored in the transmitter: Start the PRS IDChg Software Connect the transmitter to the ID-Changer. Click on the button “Read ID”. Simultaneously press the keys “H” and “L” on the transmitter. The ID will be read from the transmitter and be displayed on the screen.