There is now a Student Digital Collaboration Studio in Telus Centre room 139.

Student Response Systems (SRS)

iClicker is the Student Response Systems (or 'clickers') that we use in Telus Centre .

i>clicker is the recommended system for the U of A

Best Practices for Using Clickers
The following are links to some best practices for using clickers in the classroom as identified by various educational institutions:

• Ohio University provides a number of ideas for getting started with using an SRS.
• University of Wisconsin provide tips on effectively integrating and using clickers in the classroom.
• Columbia University, Center for Education Research and Evaluation provides a primer for effective use of audience response systems, including defining a clear purpose and designing effective questions.
• Iowa State University provides recommendations for using Turning Point SRS.
• Vanderbilt Center for Teaching provides an overview of classroom response systems and how to use them, including examples of activities and questions.
• York University provides a number of teaching strategies for using clickers.
• University of California discusses important considerations and provides classroom tips.
• Turning Point SRS provide best practice tips for using their system.
• H-ITT SRS provide best practice tips and examples from instructors using their system.
• EDUCAUSE online resources about using an SRS
  

• Useful Articles On Using Clickers:
  • Successful Clicker Standardization by Jim Twetten, M. K. Smith, Jim Julius, and Linda Murphy-Boyer (2007). Standardizing on a single clicker system enhances pedagogical support while reducing logistical support issues and student costs.
  • 'Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best Practice Tips' by Jane E Caldwell (2007) from West Virginia University provides a set of guidelines for writing good questions and a list of best practice tips.
  • 'Clickers in the Classroom: An Active Learning Approach' by Margie Martyn (2007) from Baldwin-Wallace College provides best practices for implementing clickers in the classroom.
  • 'Clickers: A New Teaching Aid With Exceptional Promise' by Douglas Duncan (2006) from University of Colorado describes common mistakes by new clicker users and how to avoid them.
  • 'Twelve Tips for Using A Computerised Interactive Audience Response System' by Lorraine J Robertson (2000) from the University of Dundee, UK, provides tips based on their experiences using an audience response system.
  • 'Maximising Dialogue in Lectures Using Group Response Systems' by Quintin Cutts et al (2004) from University of Glasgow show how to overcome impediments to dialogue in lectures using SRS (e.g. 'the clapometer'.)
  • Research on the Effectiveness of Classroom Response Systems online guide by Derek Bruff, Vanderbilt University includes a bibliography of research articles on the effectiveness of classroom response systems.
  • 'Designing Effective Questions for Classroom Response System Teaching' by Ian D. Beatty et al (2005) from University of Massachusetts identify several tactics and show how these tactics can be used to convert traditional (Physics) questions into SRS questions.
    

Audience response learning is a site that that provides 'Unbiased, Independent, Research-Based Information to Improve Learning in Classrooms with Audience Response Systems'. There is some useful information there, especially on how to use questions to improve learning and engagment.

TurningPoint Technology:

• TurningPoint Website: http://www.turningtechnologies.ca
• TurningPoint Software Downloads: http://www.turningtechnologies.ca/downloadsoftware.htm
• TurningPoint Online Tutorial: http://www.turningtechnologies.ca/trainingmods/basictutorial.htm
• TurningPoint Guides and Support: http://www.turningtechnologies.ca/support.htm

iClicker Technology:

• iClicker Website: http://www.iclicker.com
• iClicker Training: http://www.iclicker.com/training/training.html
• iClicker Software Download: http://www.iclicker.com/dl/dl.html

Synchronous Communications Systems

The University of Alberta has recently purchased Elluminate as its synchronous communications system.

• Elluminate
  Visit the corporate site for Elluminate to view live and archived demonstrations. This site also provides descriptions of this application's features.
• E-Learning Group, Academic Information and Communications Technologies (AICT)
  This service group has created an extensive collection of resources related to Elluminate. Select Guides on the horizontal menu bar to access online tutorials and other resources.

Smart Technologies (Sympodium, interactive pen display, digital whiteboard):

• Smart website: www.smarttech.com
• Training materials: http://www.smarttech.com/trainingcenter/windows/trainingmaterials.asp#sympodium
• Sympodium interactive Pen display:
  http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/Interactive+Pen+Displays/default.htm
• Sympodium user’s guide: http://downloads.smarttech.com/media/products/sym/guides/l250usersguide.pdf
• Whiteboard interactive: http://www.smarttech.com/trainingcenter/windows/trainingmaterials.asp
• Smart whiteboard user guide: http://downloads.smarttech.com/media/products/exp/guides/exp503_userguide.pdf
• Smart Online training: http://www.smarttech.com/trainingcenter/online/index.asp

Video-editing:

• imovie tutorials: http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/

SPSS:

• SPSS server 14: http://www.ualberta.ca/AICT/RESEARCH/NumStatsServers/SPSS-server-help.html
• SPSS 13 userguide: http://www.ualberta.ca/AICT/RESEARCH/NumStatsServers/SPSS-usersguide13.pdf
• Resources to help you learn and use SPSS (hosted at UCLA)