Emerging ICT's : VIA Response

Emerging ICT’s:

VIA ResponseIDC 4U

By: Alisha Esteves

What are Classroom Response Systems?

Classroom Response Systems, sometimes called Student Response Systems, are a combination of hardware and software that allow teachers to:

Ask multiple-choice questions to their students

Allows the students to respond to the questions using a device

The responses are then computed into a graph to see the students’ answers (C)

Classrooms Before Response Systems

Students would not be able to pay attention for a long time: after 10 – 18 minutes of passive learning, an individuals attention lapses. (C)

The professor would be unsure if the students are actually understanding the content (C)

Interaction, engagement and participation are challenging with a large classroom (N)

What Classrooms Needed

The professors needed to know whether or not the students were understanding the concepts, and if they weren’t understanding the concept, then professor needed to know what was the knowledge gap or misconception causing this (N)

Students needed to be given the opportunity to respond and contribute their opinion in class discussions and debates (N)

Clickers

A device similar to a simplified television remote control used in the classroom setting (N)

First used in Universities and Colleges in 1998 in order to increase student interaction and participation (N)

“Putting up your hand in class is pretty complex thing, kind of dangerous, socially and academically. But everyone is willing to give anonymous answers. Everyone is equally involved and the answers are honest. And fast.”-Victor Edwards (C)

How Clickers Solved Issues in the Classroom

The main purpose of clickers is to allow the students to respond to a multiple-choice question designed to test for common misconceptions that the professor asks the class (N)

After everyone answers the question with their clickers, the results are projected on the screen .From the results, the professor can see whether or not the class is grasping the concept (N)

If student’s aren’t understanding the concept, the professor will then instruct the students to pair up and explain to each other why they think the answer they chose is right (N)

After this, the professor will get the class to answer the question again, if they are still not grasping the concept, he will then re-explain the concept, highlighting the misconception (N)

How Clickers Solved Issues in the Classroom

By doing this, the professor is able to ensure that students are grasping the concept (N)

Students are also given the opportunity to work in groups and interact with other students (N)

Students are able to participle in class anonymously, without having to worry about anyone judging their answer (N)

By asking the class questions, you are engaging the student and enabling them to pay more attention in class (N)

The Downside to Clickers

Clickers can be expensive and sometimes you have to buy a clicker for each different class (N)

The receiver, connection wires and software of the system costs several thousand dollars (N)

For large classrooms (300 – 400 students), a technician or staff member may be required to operate and maintain the system during lessons (N)

The Next Generation of Clickers:VIA Response

A more interactive and cheaper version of clickers combined with social media, cloud computing and mobile devices used in the University and College setting (F)

It is a cloud-based mobile application students can download onto a device of their choice (F)

What is VIA Response?

Focuses on increasing participation, communication and assessment in large classrooms by allowing students to respond to questions using device of their choice (VW)

Allows you to interact with your teachers and classmates both in and outside of the classroom (I)

About the Creator

Created by VIA Response Technologies (VRT) from Orlando, Florida (I)

VRT is a one-year-old software company that focuses on developing a more interactive and engaging learning environment through response platforms (F)

VIA Response is in the pre-commercial product sales stage (F)

The Two Parts of VIA Response

VIA Response

VIA Engage(Instructors)

VIA Connect(Students)

VIA Engage (Instructors)

VIA Response is divided into a platform that serves instructors (teachers, professors) on one side and students on the other (F)

Via Engage is the instructors side of the platform (F)

Allows the instructors to communicate with the students in and out of the classroom (F)

Has many tools to make the class more organized and lessen the work load for the instructors (F)

Free for instructors ! (V)

VIA Engage:What Instructors Can Do

Manage all of your classroom assessment activity in one-place:

Instructors can conduct Quick Polls to initiate class discussions and get the students’ attention

Teach main concepts through the discussion board

Create multi-question quizzes to assess students and see if they are understanding the concepts being taught (VH)

Get attendance through class polls (F)

Update the students’ marks (F)

Monitor class discussions and blogs (F)

Manage quizzes and homework (F)

VIA Engage:What Instructors Can Do

Questions And Assessments

A wizard allows you to easily develop questions and create a question bank

No limits to how you can build your formative exams, assessments and questions

The Question bank supplies performance feedback from the students over time (V)

VIA Engage:What Instructors Can Do

Increase interaction in the classroom:

Get the class to participate by creating polls for your lectures

The responses are sent to the cloud which keeps you polling and assessment data in a single area (VH)

VIA Engage:What Instructors Can Do

Grade Book

Manage all formative assessments in one place

Able to weight the categories

Able to personalize the Grade Book however you want so instructors can focus more enhancing the students’ educational experience (VH)

VIA Connect (Students)

VIA Connect is the student’s web-based response platform used in conjunction with VIA Engage (the instructors platform) (F)

VIA Connect is comprised of a web based application and an application for their device (F)

Students can download the application onto their notebook, iPad, tablet PC, iPhone, Android or Blackberry device (F).

Gives students the freedom to choose ! (F)

Helps Students Manage Work Flow and Gives Them Total Visibility

• Students can manage their in-class activities (such as polls) through a portal that they can personalize (F)

• Provides students with reminders of due dates and class activities (VW)

• Students are able monitor and anonymously contribute to class discussions or message the instructor (VW)

Attendance• Students can respond to

attendance polls by entering a password given by the instructor that day (I)

Participation• Students participate more

and contribute to class discussions by answering a range of question types:

• From objective-based writing exercises

• To self-paced homework assignments and assessments

• Class polls (F)

Students’ Grades• Students are able to see

the weight for each category (F)

• Students can see their updated marks to see how much more studying they need to do and what they need to work on (I)

Why VIA Response Is Better than Clickers

Clickers cost $50 and sometimes students have to buy more then one clicker depending on the company the professor prefers (F)

VIA Response is more flexible and functions better then clickers (F)

Students don’t have to buy a brand new device, they can use the one they already have and just purchase an application subscription that is 60% cheaper then clickers (F)

The Future of VIA Response

VIA Response is currently being previewed at 12 leading Universities on 3 continents

The future of next generation of VIA Response is still to be determined (P)

Bibliography (APA)

Bruff, Derek. (n.d). Classroom Response Systems (“Clickers”). Vanderbilt University. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/technology/clickers/#why (C)

Author Unknown. May 2005. 7 things you should know about Clickers. Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved April 2, 2012 from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7002.pdf (N)

Florida Venture Sourcing. (n.d). Via Response Technologies. Florida Venture Sourcing. Retrieved April 9, 2012 from http://www.floridaventuresourcing.com/startup/via-response/ (F)

VIA Response Technologies. (n.d). 2011. Via Response. Via Response Technologies. Retrieved April 9, 2012 from http://www.viaresponse.com/Whatisit.html (VW)

iTunes. February 27, 2012. Via Connect Mobile. Apple iTunes. Retrieved April 9, 2012 from http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/via-connect-mobile/id439216156?mt=8 (I)

PRLog (Press Release). December 9, 2011. Via Response Technologies Previews Dynamic New Educational Tool at 12 Universities Around the World. PRLOG (Press Release Distribution). Retrieved April 27, 2012 from http://www.prlog.org/11745845-via-response-technologies-previews-dynamic-new-educational-tool-at-12-universities-around-the-world.html (P)