About TPSVote!! Student Response App
Think, Pair, Share, Vote! Response System. Now with Open Response, which adds a great new level of participation, and makes the app useful for trivia contests as well.
Many K-12 schools, and universities have adopted electronic classroom response systems, also known as "clickers". Before, during, or after a lesson, an instructor may present a question, then ask the students to select the answer they believe is correct. The digital results are then projected on the board. The instructor then must decide whether the topic was covered effectively, or if remediation is required.
Electronic clickers are a modern, costly, adaptation of the time tested, and highly effective, paper response cards. Handheld clickers are expensive for both schools, and university students, and more importantly, they fail to provide immediate individual feedback to the instructor. When the instructor has the time to look at the individual responses, the students have already gone, and the teachable moment is gone.
Students may also purposely delay giving their vote. Some may wait to see where the trend is heading before making their choice, thus making much of the data useless. And, it's a cold technology
Using a response card is a much better option than "clickers". Students all vote silently, and simultaneously. The instructor then gets immediate feedback from the whole, and the individual. The individual weaknesses, and strengths become very clear. The instructor can then interact on an individual basis, and may provide an opportunity to give much needed praise to those that have struggled, but now have found success. A simple smile, thumbs up, or "nice job" can go a long way for a struggling student, especially the younger ones.
The students are not only interacting, and engaged,they are accountable for their learning.
I made this app as a replacement for the paper response sheets since my students forget everything, except their phones. I also find that the lighted display is an added benefit. For iPhone users, there are several flashlight apps that scroll through colors. For them, I post colored construction paper with the letter choice for their reference.
Students: Please check with your prof before using, he or she may not allow phones in the classroom!