Getting Started with EVS

1. Getting Started with EVS improving the student experience in learning, teaching and formative assessment

2. Outline of the session: • Why use EVS • What the students think • EVS Hardware & Software • A step by step approach on how to use EVS • Suggested uses of EVS • Student information • Where to get help

3. Why use EVS? Could this be your lecture? I’ve just had a new text Where shall we go tonight? Now does everyone understand? I don’t, but I’m not saying Yes! No! – but you can’t hear me can you?

4. Why we use EVS? • Encourage active student participation • Engage with the whole class • Check and capture student knowledge • formative/summative • Give prompt feedback • Give quiet students a voice – including international students • Add interest and fun UH Assessment-for-Learning Principles, 2012 • Engages students with the assessment criteria • Supports personalised learning • Ensures feedback leads to improvement • Focuses on student development • Stimulates dialogue • Considers student and staff effort

5. What does an Electronic Voting System do?

6. What do the students think? EEVS project survey 590 students, 2011-12 EVS had highly positive (perceived) impact on students’ learning and satisfaction • Responding to questions made me think about the course material (84%) • EVS provided me with an immediate check of understanding (83%) • Using the EVS allowed problem areas to be identified (75%) • I enjoy using EVS in my learning (71%) Summative use of EVS has in some cases created unnecessary tension, anxiety and indicated inadequacies of the technology for formal examinations. • Not given enough time for answering questions • Not testing how easily you can use device but how much you know about the subject • Should be able to cancel answers as it is possible to press a wrong button accidentally • Unable to amend your answers once the question has moved on • Using the handsets for a test , made the test feel less important, almost ‘gimmicky’

7. Terminology • TurningPoint (TP) is a type of Electronic Voting System (EVS) or Personal Response System (PRS) • Software – TurningPoint is free to download from the website • Receiver has a USB connection already in all classroom computers • Interactive slide – a slide that takes voting (response) • Scanning unit – assigns Student ID to handset • Handset (Response Card) has a unique Device ID on the back

8. RF LCD NXT XR

9. How to download TurningPoint for PCs • Install TurningPoint software, version 4.3.2.1178, onto your computer. This version is being used by the University in 2012-13. (Note, you will be asked to register your details). • Click on the link to download below to download TurningPoint software • http://www.studynet2.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/technical_support.nsf/turningpoint

10. Download the ‘Turning Point’ software to your computer desktop http://www.turningtechnologies.com/responsesystemsupport/downloads/ Save it as an icon to your desktop

11. Activity 1: Please vote to demonstrate our live exampleQuestion:Which of these do you find most challenging in a class?Answers: • Engaging students • Giving feedback • Bridging the gap between teaching and learning • Teaching international students • Maintaining student motivation

12. Creating an EVS activity • Start TurningPoint (you must not have PowerPoint open) • Click on Insert slides • Select the slide type, and insert question e.g. Vertical slide • Add question at the top and answer in the box below

13. Writing an Interactive slide Objects you may find useful

14. Converting existing PP presentation to an interactive slide • Paste in slide from ordinary PP • The question must be in the top line and the answers in the box beneath (as in the interactive slides you set up from scratch) • Select ‘insert’ object then click on ‘charts’ • Select choice your choice of chart (graph) and the slide will be converted to an interactive question slide

15. Example: What day is it? • Monday • Not sure • Wednesday • Friday • Sunday

16. Setting the correct answer Click here

17. Modifying an interactive slide • Add more choices of answer • chart will be updated • Insert object • Correct answer indicator • Insert Countdown timer, edit the time

18. Activity 2. • Create a MCQ as an interactive slide in TurningPoint • Add the correct answer • Insert object to show the correct answer • Add a count indicator

19. How to pre-test your interactive session 1. Click on ‘Response Devices’ 2. Click on ‘Simulated Data’ 3. Run presentation – using ‘slide show’ 4. Don’t forget to reset to ‘response devices’ before you start your session.

20. Activity 3: • Use the ‘simulated data function’ and run a session • Create a report as above Example:

21. The TurningPoint Showbar The showbar appears when running your interactive slides. • % Toggles between % and counts on your chart • Repoll the Question • Response Grid, to see which participants have responded • Non-response Grid • Indicates the number of responses received during a poll. • Countdown timer • Indicates that polling is open and responses will be accepted. • Polling closed 1 2 3 4 6 5 7

22. Quick check: • Always start in TurningPoint programme (which will run PowerPoint). Make sure PowerPoint is not open. • Make sure the presentation is not in simulated mode • Have some spare handsets with you • Make sure students know how to use the handsets • Check everyone is on the right channel • Run a test slide to check everything is working • Run the interactive session. • Only use a compatible ‘presenter card’ • Ifsaving session data in a teaching room save to a memory stick 9. Re-set the session after saving ready for next time

23. Activity 4:Discuss how you could use EVS in your teaching

24. Suggested uses of EVS • Question and answer sessions – formative or summative • Seek opinions – e.g. ethical issues • Maths diagnostic tests • Drop quizzes e.g. best 4 from 5 scores • Team-based learning • Introduce competitive element to learning e.g. team-based learning

25. Some good practice points when using EVS…. • Let the teaching approach lead the use of technology not the other way round • Always start with a test slide, read out the questions and answers in full and tell the students when polling is opened and when it is about to close • Consider inclusivity and accessibility • Use formatively before using summatively (Burnstein & Leaderman 2001). • When ready to use summatively, ensure expectations clear and test conditions implemented (and contact an experienced colleague or the Assessment team for further support)

26. Student information • Handsets are issued to students free of charge • Replacement handsets carry a charge – equivalent to the loss of an ID card. N.B. student may be marked as a debtor if payment outstanding • Students are responsible for replacing the handset battery • Giving handsets to another student or being in possession of another’s handset is considered an academic offence – equivalent to cheating (like “loaning” an ID card) • Further help is available on the EVS page within Studynet (via EVS search on home page or go via LTI site). Put link on the programme page!

27. And the latest news... • Turning Point 5 the latest software will be installed in September 2012

28. Getting help • Help Desk tel. 4678 • LTI Knowledge Exchange • Help with Technology: EVS • Getting started Camtasia Video • Software download & online tutorials: • www.turningtechnologies.co.uk

29. Any questions ITEAM: Julie Vuolo J.Vuolo@herts.ac.uk Francesca Entwistle f.entwistle@herts.ac.uk Janet Webber j.r.webber@herts.ac.uk Liz Gormley-Fleming e.gormley-fleming@herts.ac.uk Fang Louf.lou@herts.ac.uk