Quizzes by Clickers David Dahlquist

Definition and Requirements Project Description: Develop a system where students respond to questions using clickers. Responses are digitally captured and reported on a PC. General Requirements: Support multiple students (clickers). Support multiple students (clickers). Identify the students. Identify the students. Deal with collisions. Deal with collisions. Address issues like illegal clicks, allowing/disallowing clicks. Address issues like illegal clicks, allowing/disallowing clicks. Provide initialization support. Provide initialization support. Generalize the system to support several applications. Generalize the system to support several applications.

Where I started Initially Initially How to initialize IrMan How to initialize IrMan How to read from the COM port How to read from the COM port Ended up discarding COM port read Ended up discarding COM port read

Solution Two parts to my solution Two parts to my solution “Engine” reading from the COM port “Engine” reading from the COM port “Application” getting information from the engine and dealing with it “Application” getting information from the engine and dealing with it

Engine Read from COM port Read from COM port Reads occur every 1/5 th of a second and stores in queue Reads occur every 1/5 th of a second and stores in queue Empties COM ports data Empties COM ports data Stores information one byte at a time Stores information one byte at a time Removes from the Queue Removes from the Queue Removes one byte from queue and sends 6 concatenated for comparison (why later) Removes one byte from queue and sends 6 concatenated for comparison (why later)

Application Three parts of application Three parts of application Anonymous response Anonymous response Hand raised queue Hand raised queue Quizzing Quizzing

Anonymous response Users respond to a question Users respond to a question Can answer “Yes” or “No” Can answer “Yes” or “No” Program keeps track of responses and shows them on screen Program keeps track of responses and shows them on screen

Raise Your hand Queues up responses in order of received in a list box Queues up responses in order of received in a list box Can send back one at a time or reset all Can send back one at a time or reset all

Quizzes Opens file with information on a quiz in multiple choice format Opens file with information on a quiz in multiple choice format Outputs users response to a question to a file without displaying it on screen (for anonymity) Outputs users response to a question to a file without displaying it on screen (for anonymity) When quiz complete outputs scores and percentages When quiz complete outputs scores and percentages Quiz files can be opened by notepad or within program and printed for hard copies Quiz files can be opened by notepad or within program and printed for hard copies

How Does a Remote Send? Worked primarily with TV universal remotes Worked primarily with TV universal remotes 6 bytes at a time 6 bytes at a time Individual groups Individual groups Groups of three Groups of three Rotating remote codes Rotating remote codes For those that insist on holding down the key For those that insist on holding down the key

What it looks like

Problems Rolling Remote codes Rolling Remote codes Collisions Collisions IrMan wasn’t really designed for multiple remotes IrMan wasn’t really designed for multiple remotes Direct line of sight needed Direct line of sight needed Distance is a factor infrared light disperses Distance is a factor infrared light disperses Reflection off of shiny objects Reflection off of shiny objects

Collisions ?

How to deal with collisions Problem: Remotes are “dumb” Problem: Remotes are “dumb” Can only send Can only send Solution Solution Try to recover as much data as possible Try to recover as much data as possible Give users feed back whether or not they have successfully sent Give users feed back whether or not they have successfully sent

Direct line of Sight

Distance

Shiny Objects (not just a distraction)

Program Interaction

Demonstration

Learning and Development Process

Strategies VB book is a MUST VB book is a MUST 20 min of fighting VB or 30 seconds of looking up a solution 20 min of fighting VB or 30 seconds of looking up a solution Ask questions Ask questions Colleagues and teachers Colleagues and teachers Keep Dr. Pankratz up to date he can help Keep Dr. Pankratz up to date he can help Not my strongest point Not my strongest point Try EVERY combination of EVERYTHING Try EVERY combination of EVERYTHING

Knowledge Event Programming Event Programming VB and my project extremely event driven VB and my project extremely event driven Use of timers Use of timers Operating Systems Operating Systems Collisions racing conditions Collisions racing conditions Networking Networking Error detection/recovery Error detection/recovery

Exceptions Rotating remote codes Rotating remote codes Synthesis of three sections Synthesis of three sections More automated quizzing process More automated quizzing process Error detection more like error recovery and avoidance Error detection more like error recovery and avoidance Full screen re-sizing Full screen re-sizing

Extensions Applications Applications Read system in place plug-ins could be an interesting option Read system in place plug-ins could be an interesting option Synthesis of applications Synthesis of applications More intricate quizzing system More intricate quizzing system Infra red remotes that send and receive Infra red remotes that send and receive

Recommendations Keep Dr. Pankratz up to date Keep Dr. Pankratz up to date See professors when you have a problem See professors when you have a problem Get books in your area and keep them next to you when you work Get books in your area and keep them next to you when you work Start early Start early Plan it out because “patching” just isn’t practical Plan it out because “patching” just isn’t practical

Questions?