What are audience response systems?

These are hardware and/or software solutions for allowing students to respond to questions posed by the instructor.  Depending on the system, instructors have the option to display a histogram of the responses, track who has voted, and track each person's response.

 

Why do teachers use them? 

• Teachers use these systems to informally assess students' knowledge of a topic before lecturing, to see whether students understand a point after it has been explained, and to ask survey or opinion questions.  
  
  
• For a step-by-step method of using them for peer instruction, see the slideshow by Eric Mazur of Harvard at http://www.turning-talk.com/files/Mazur-PeerInstructionWebinar.pdf.  This slideshow uses TurningTechnologies clickers, but any audience response system could achieve the same results.
  
  
• Links to a variety of articles on the pedagogy and applications of audience response systems are available at http://tags.library.upenn.edu/project/21851
  

 

What systems are available at Penn?

We have standardized on PollEverywhere:

PollEverywhere Students respond via text message or on a website by using a phone, tablet or laptop, and instructors use software that we have licensed for this year. Students do NOT need to buy a license or special device.  This is best for un-registered anonymous polls, where you don't track whether a person votes, but the system is very easy to set up and use. Learn more ... Request a PollEverywhere Account   Last reviewed August 5, 2022