Purdue's system-wide deployment of a classroom response system

Purdue University's system-wide deployment of a classroom response system has grown to include use by over forty courses and one-third of all students. It has quickly become a staple, much like computers and projectors. It is used most heavily by faculty teaching large-lecture survey courses to conduct real-time quizzing, take attendance, and record extra credit. Information is later uploaded to WebCT Vista.Many faculty members have expressed their appreciation at having a single, standardized, and supported classroom response system. Many students have communicated that using a response pad in class enables them to participate to a greater degree, making it possible to concentrate on specific topics.Since piloting this technology and then implementing it campus-wide, we have worked extensively with eInstruction to develop an integration tool within WebCT Vista that allows secure, quick, and easy response pad registration, as well as aiding in the testing of new technology. We are currently awaiting our first batch of next generation receivers to upgrade our response system. Students using the response system for the first time in Fall 2007 will have new RF response pads containing LCDs and more advanced bidirectional communication.As with many other instructional technologies, implementing and managing a campus-wide classroom response system has been both a challenging and rewarding experience. Purdue's model has worked well, and growth has been dramatic.