A Quick Glance at Formative and Summative Technology Assessment Tools: Student Response Systems Sally Mechling Grand Canyon University TEC /22/2011

Student Response Systems: What is it? Student Response Systems (SRS) are also know as – Personal Response Systems (PRS), – Classroom Response Systems (CRS) or – Clickers. These systems are computer-based and do require licensing. Each student has a hand held device to respond to questions which can be presented in many formats. All students are involved but because of the anonymous nature, students are not intimidated or self-conscious.

Specific Example: eInstruction There are many different companies that produce this form of technology but eInstructions is one recommended in the research article titled Engaging Millennial Learners: Effectiveness of Personal Response system Technology with Nursing Students in Small and Large Classrooms by Revell & McCurry (2010). This remote controlled testing system can be used in a formative or summative format of assessment. eInstruction Website

Samples of Different Student Response Systems SMART systems is another example and has some different features. SMART systems Poll Everywhere is yet another example of this tool. Poll Everywhere Promethean has a system for the classroom. Promethean iResond is another popular system. iResond Qwizdom is a great system with many special features. Qwizdom Note that there are many others not represented here.

What does it Cost? eInstructions CPS Pulse costs around $2, for a 28-pad Classpack which includes everything needed to use in class. For additional information on accessories or additional response pads see engaging technologies CPS Pulse page.engaging technologies CPS Pulse page.

What can it be used for? Question types include the following: – MC, T/F, Numerical, Yes/No and text. – Verbal questions during lecture can be easily set up for response. – Questions within presentations can be included. – Polls and voting can show results instantly. – Exam View test bank questions can be imported.

What Kind of Data is Produced? The type of data produced depends on what the teacher has set up. Data can be generated immediately and can be displayed in a number of report formats. View this video about reports for a quick view of only a few of the many reports. reports Students can see how they scored immediately for instant feedback. Data can be produced by student, question, standard, individual or class. Data can be used in a formative or summative assessment format depending on the class needs.

How can data be used to drive instruction and differentiate? This versatile tool has many different applications within a classroom setting depending on how it is used. During lecture, students can be asked questions that show their understanding of presented information. The teacher can immediately see results to know if more needs to be included. – Formative assessments can be placed throughout a presentation. – Quizzes can be placed in strategic locations. – Assessment of the information will allow both students and teachers to clearly see how well the students are performing. Summative assessments can be completed with this based on standards or benchmarks.

Revell & McCurry found that students were more well prepared in anticipation of the PRS use in class (2010, p.275). Data from this system can provide a breakdown of strengths and weaknesses that allows for remediation as needed. Students can be grouped based on what the data easily shows. The number of reports available provides such a variety of information that every teacher can find some relevant application. A variety of assessment forms can be given at one time so individualized assessments are possible.

Additional Resources eInstructions home pagehome page Kennesaw State University eInstruction and Interwrite ResourceseInstruction and Interwrite Resources CPS Pricing information Additional videos on eInstruction training.eInstruction training

References Revell, S., & McCurry, M. K. (2010). Engaging millennial learners: Effectiveness of personal response system technology with nursing students in small and large classrooms. Journal of Nursing Education, 49(5), Retrieved July 16, 2011 from EBSCOhost. Images from public domain images provided by eInstructions.