University of Waterloo Clicker Selection Summary

Introduction University of Waterloo has two clicker systems in use on campus, the CPS eInstruction, and the iClicker. One course is also piloting InterWrite. We would like to standardize on one system, primarily to ease the burden on students so that they have only one clicker unit to purchase, but also to provide central support for that one system.

2) SRS Price Comparison

Vendor RF Keypad USB Receiver Student Registration Fees Interwrite iClicker $37.50 ? 0 eInstruction a) Pay as you go: $22.95 a) ? a) $35 life or for unit, plus reg. fee b) 1 per bundle $13/$13/$9 for 3 b) One-time fee, priced by semesters bundle: 24/$2245, 32/$2995, 40/$3745 (all about $93 each), plus $25 delivery per system (so $118 each??)

3) Total Number of Students per Receiver in One Room

Vendor Total Number of Remotes per Receiver

Interwrite 2000 iClicker 1500 eInstruction 1000

1 of 9 4) Features The five systems all have the following features:

System Requirements  Windows Compatible  Mac Compatible  Complete integration with Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel  Integration with WebCT learning management system  Integration with Blackboard learning management system

Remote/Keypad Requirements  Replace faulty keypads for free  Keypad indicates student response has been received  There are no site license fees required  There is no risk of lost or dropped votes  Range of the remotes is over 200 feet

Base Requirements  Base is portable in size  Each remote has unique ID number  Radio frequency system  It won’t interfere with campus WiFi technologies  Multiple bases operate side by side without interference  Single USB connection to computer for base

Training Requirements  Provide onsite training for using SRS software  Case studies on how SRS is being used in Higher Education classes

Software Requirements  Free software for Windows, Mac and Linux  Software displays graphics along with text  Software collects individual student responses and stores those responses with ID number  Software displays multiple choice, ranking and open ended questions  Flexible questions types e.g. numerical answers  System automatically grades student responses, assign points and save individual student data for retrieval at a later date  Tracks and organizes student response data  Grade quizzes and score tests automatically  User interface intuitive and easy to use  Simple and quick to set up in a class

Other Requirements  Book publishers offer deals which reduce the cost of the SRS for both the instructor and student when used with a textbook.

2 of 9 5) Differences between the Systems

System Requirements

 Linux Compatible o Yes: Interwrite; H-ITT; iClicker (Fall 2007) o No: TurningPoint; eInstruction

 Integration with Moodle learning management system o Yes: Interwrite; H-ITT; iClicker (Fall 2007) o No: TurningPoint; eInstruction

 Integration with the Sakai learning management system o Yes: Interwrite; H-ITT; iClicker (Fall 2007) o No: TurningPoint; eInstruction

Remote/Keypad Requirements

 Student registration fee o Yes: eInstruction o No: Interwrite; H-ITT; iClicker; TurningPoint

 Students keypad registration required o Yes: eInstruction o No: Interwrite; H-ITT; iClicker; TurningPoint

 Multiple key pad types in one session possible o Yes: Interwrite; TurningPoint; eInstruction o No: H-ITT; iClicker

Base Requirements

 Only one base required for any size classroom o Yes: Interwrite; iClicker; TurningPoint o No: H-ITT; eInstruction

Training Requirements

 Bank of questions provided o Yes: Interwrite; iClicker; o No: H-ITT; TurningPoint; eInstruction

 Student and instructor web pages for using SRS o Yes: Interwrite; iClicker; TurningPoint; eInstruction o No: H-ITT

 How to write good questions in any subject

3 of 9 o Yes: Interwrite; iClicker; TurningPoint; o No: H-ITT; eInstruction

Software Requirements

 Free software development kit o Yes: Interwrite; H-ITT; iClicker; eInstruction o No: TurningPoint

 Insert slides without leaving the presentation o Yes: Interwrite; iClicker; TurningPoint; eInstruction o No: H-ITT

6) Received Information from RFI

The number of years of experience each company has in designing and deploying RF-based (wireless) Classroom/Student Response Systems:

 TurningPoint = over 5 years  eInstruction = over 3 years  H-ITT = 3 years  Interwrite = 2 years with radio-frequency (9 years with infra-red)  iClicker = over 2 years

The number of academic institutions the company is providing a similar system for:

 Interwrite = 950  eInstruction = 600  iClicker = 280  TurningPoint = 100  H-ITT = 20

The type and number of batteries required for each remote and their expected life expectancy:

 TurningPoint = 2 CR2032 (3.0V) lithium ion expected lifespan of 1 year  Interwrite = 3AAA with expected lifespan of 26 weeks (300 hours)  iClicker = 3AAA with expected lifespan of 200 hours  H-ITT = 2 AAA with expected life span of 1 year  eInstruction = 2 AA with expected life span of 1 year

4 of 9 Three customer referrals for universities similar in size to U of A: eInstruction  Saint Mary’s University – Dr. Adam Sarty – 902-420-5664  Universite Laval – Professor Danny Sohier – 418-656-2131  University of Calgary – Dr Ian Hunt – 403-220-6430

H-ITT  University of Florida  Michigan State University  University of Alaska iClicker

 University of Toronto (institutional standard) – Linda Murphy Boyer - 416-946-5341  University of Colorado at Boulder (institutional standard) – Michael Dubson – 303-492- 4938  University of Guelph (institutional standard) – Aldo J Caputo – 519-824-4120

InterWrite Learning

 University of British Columbia – Kelly Simmons – 604-822-4175  University of New Brunswick – Bev Bramble – 506-447-3080  UCLA – Rob Rodgers – 310-825-9149

TurningPoint

 Queens University – Luc Wauters – 613 533-6000  University of Wisconsin – Tanya Joosten – 801-422-8961  Ohio State University – Tom Stone – 614-668-0272

5 of 9 7) Value-Added Benefits of Each System The value-added benefits described by the vendors (in their own words): eInstruction . The ability of one receiver to work in a classroom with up to 1000 students . Superior numeric capability with 12 digits including a decimal point, + and – signs, * and / signs, ability to use fractions, brackets ( ,and ), as well as X and Y factors for more advanced calculations . CPS clickers use AA batteries with a one year life under normal usage. AA batteries are relatively inexpensive and are available almost everywhere. . Student Managed Mode can be used for high stakes testing to allow students to take a self paced exam with up to 7 different versions of a test given at the same time . Our software includes a patent Team Activity as an excellent way to review earlier lessons. Students are assigned to a team and compete for points similar to a Jeopardy game. . CPS integrates with WebCT classes using eInstructions’ CPS-WebCT Proxy Tool . A three line LCD screen, very much in favor with students. The screen shows the answer entered, and confirms that it has been sent and received. It also shows a battery icon which indicates the battery strength. . CPS has two ways to easily integrate with PowerPoint o CPS for PowerPoint . Easily create CPS questions using PowerPoint slides . Use pre-made PowerPoint slides to engage students using the CPS response pads . Add customer animations to a slide . Change the design and layout of a slide . Engage the students in a PowerPoint presentation o Adding a PowerPoint presentation to a CPS database . Use pre-made PowerPoint slides to engage students using the CPS response pads . Our system can be used with or without using PowerPoint for content. As a result, content can be enetered from a variety of other sources including: o Using textbook data banks through Examview** o Importing lessons from a word document o Using an existing paper test by entering only the answers into CPS. This, like other testing methods, eliminates the use of bubble sheets. o **Examview is a product from FS Creations, a division of einstruction. Take a look at http://www.fscreation.com . Our gradebook exports to a CSV file

H-ITT The H-ITT CRS software allows for verbal on-the-fly questions that are easily gradable. Displaying questions within the program (do not have to leave the program) in many formats such as PPT, Word, Excel, Xml, PDF, HTML, TXT, JPG, TIF, and many more. Written paper based tests are also provided for where students can work at their own pace. Implementing the H- ITT system does not require the instructor to teach differently than they currently do. H-ITT provides the tools to teach more effectively and efficiently using current materials and content. Pre-designed questions can be used but are not required.

6 of 9 iClicker

Features/Flexibility Selecting one clicker for an entire campus is quite an undertaking. In doing so, an institution should consider the needs and abilities of all users (and all potential users) on campus. It is common to have some instructors with technical abilities ranging from proficient programmers to those who do not know what a USB port is: you are also likely to have instructors who want to use a response system for research and data slicing, while other simply want to take attendance or reward students for participating in class. iClicker is a popular campus-wide solution because it meets the needs of the extremes and everyone in between. When the iClicker inventors set about to create their own response system, they had their own needs in mind (and those needs were as unique as each instructor). Therefore, they produced a system with extreme flexibility and unparalleled simplicity. The iClicker floating menu bar allows you to use iClicker with any application of your choice – anything you can show on your computer can be used with iClicker, including but not limited to PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Maple, Mathematics, pdf, Flash videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs, html, xml, Whiteboard, etc.

We deliver the software to you on a 256MB flash drive. You can launch the software from the flash drive, your hard drive, or even a server. Because we do not charge for our software, you can make as many copies of the software as you choose. In fact, it’s available for download right now at our website: www.iClicker.com . And because our software is open source, you can potentially tailor iClicker for you own purposes, like UT Austin or University of North Texas – Health Science Center has done. The PC version was programmed in Visual Basic and the Mac version in Real Basic.

The Remote The iClicker remote has 5 buttons. With the iClicker, you can ask multiple choice, true/false and yes/no questions. This is because our inventors researched more remotes with “more buttons” and found that the features which made them so appealing, turned out to be problematic. Apparently, their students got distracted by buttons and readouts. Tim Selzer says, “We have learned a lot by making all the mistakes. Many of the things I liked about the first sophisticated system we tried were in fact its downfall. The alluring features really turned out to be distractions. So, we asked ourselves what we wanted the students to do: we wanted them to talk, we wanted them to be engaged, and we wanted to get feedback from them. Most importantly, we wanted them to keep thinking about our content. With the other fancy system, they would think about the physics for awhile, but then they’d be thinking about how they’d enter their answer, what kind of feedback they were going to get if their answer got through, and they totally weren’t thinking about the physics anymore. The idea is that we want them to focus on the content, not on the technology. That’s really been the driving force for the iClicker.”

The Receiver The iClicker receiver is the only receiver to offer instructors a preview of voting results. On top of the receiver is an LCD screen that allows instructors to see the vote distribution as the students are actively voting and to see the final results when polling is closed. Instructors can choose to show students the results or not – either way, the instructor is privy to the information on how the class voted.

Speed iClicker is the fastest system on the market, collecting 750 votes per second. Additionally, each iClicker receiver will process up to 1500 student remotes in one room.

7 of 9 Accuracy iClicker boasts 100% accuracy in response collection and 0% of dropped or missed votes.

Frequency Our inventors chose the 915MHz range because their own campus administrators did not want anything to compete with the university’s WiFi frequency. iClicker is the only system operating at a frequency other than the 2.4GHz channel, so it will never interfere with campus (or home) wireless networks.

No Installation iClicker requires no hardware installation and no software installation. This system is completely portable so you can use it in the classroom and view responses and data in your office or at home.

Interwrite Response Interwrite Response is the most comprehensive and reliable response system on the market today. Only Interwrite Response offers the ability to operate seamlessly within PowerPoint, provides a built-in question authoring tool, and offers the flexibility to easily ask “on the fly” questions in combination with digital or non-digital teaching resources (showing a video, performing an experiment, or using a document camera). Once the session is started, the instructor can select the type of question, which results in a matching type of chart being generated. The software will graphically display and track the results of all responses to these ad-hoc questions.

In addition to the standard student voting, the Interwrite PRS RF clickers have a Self Paced Test and Homework modes and provide a unique way to collect data from students. Self paced mode allows students to take a paper based test and send responses in any order via the PRS RF clicker. Teachers can assign homework questions which are answered using the PRS RF clicker. When the students return to class, their homework responses are simultaneously sent to the PRS RF Receiver and automatically graded.

Interwrite Response is the only company with a full product line of response devices including the Interwrite Cricket device and VirtuAl PRS.

Interwrite Cricket is the newest member of the Interwrite assessment family and is a powerful yet simple to use clicker. Cricket “clickers” combine robust RF technology with a friendly look and feel to make real time student assessment practical for any classroom setting.

Virtual PRS for PCs and Windows Mobile PDAs are a software version of the PRS clicker that can be installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux personal computers and Windows Mobile PDAs with integrated WiFi. Virtual PRS clients can be used in conjunction with PRS RF clickers and RF receivers.

8 of 9 TurningPoint . Perpetual Licensing o No other fees of any kind o Students can re-sell keypad to each other o Create pre-owned marketplace for lower cost keypads

. No Charge Software o Updates and new platforms available at no charge o Instructors can install TurningPoint on their personal computers or machines at home and design interactive lessons from any computer without paying licensing fees o Students can install TurningPoint at no charge on their own computers

. Simple and Straightforward Costing and Licensing Model o Institution/students only buy keypads and receivers. All other services, support and training included o No other fees of any kind o No hidden or recurring registration fees

. No Charge Support Package o Unlimited 24-7 support while TurningPoint is standardized at UAlberta. o Unlimited on-line training while TurningPoint is standardized at UAlberta.

. Website Community o Turning Technologies award winning website is constantly evolving to enhance the TurningPoint experience for users. o Usergroups being added so users can communicate and share best practices, case studies and exchange presentations. o Source for daily personal training sessions and on-line tutorials o Anyone can download TurningPoint free of charge from the website o Enhancement service being added where any user can suggest improvements to the software and track the progress of their suggestions

8) Next Steps: Request for Proposal (RFP) The information provided by the RFI assisted in the development of a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) which was published on the Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) on June 20th, 2007. The length of the agreement will be for two years with the option to extend after that.

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