eInstruction RFHUB Users Guide
InterWrite PRS
User’s Guide
Beta Documentation
InterWrite PRS Overview
InterWrite PRS is the most important, comprehensive assessment tool you will ever
use. Its use as an electronic audience response testing and polling system is unrivalled,
but the real appeal of PRS lies in its ability to provide an instructor with instant
feedback about each student’s understanding of the lesson or lecture. The InterWrite
Personal Response System (PRS) easily tracks and records each individual response
coming in from the audience. The instant feedback for the instructor and the students
is in the form of a chart of the response distribution that can be displayed after each
question is answered. The questions used to assess the students’ understanding of the
material being presented can be prepared in advance, or composed on-the-fly. This
flexibility is the hallmark of the PRS system, and what makes it such a powerful
assessment tool. Whether used to survey, review, or test, the PRS system meets the
challenge with an impressive collection of features that engages students and encourages their participation. Teachers can spend more time teaching and less time marking
tests and maintaining grade books. Response data are electronically gathered, scored
and recorded in grade books. A variety of report formats extend the considerable array
of class and individual student assessment tools available to the instructor. In addition,
PRS supports industry-standard XML formats, providing seamless integration with
electronic textbook courseware, grading applications and Course Management
Systems.
The versatility of PRS is evident in its widespread application. Teachers at all education
levels can use it to assess and test their students. Marketing researchers, political
analysts, and pollsters in all fields can use PRS to survey and electronically record
preferences, opinions, and votes. The PRS system can be used in any situation where
there is a need to gather, record and evaluate response data.
1Chapter 1
The PRS hardware communicates the response data to the PRS software. Two
different PRS hardware systems are available to satisfy the operating and budgetary
requirements of any organization. The IR (infrared) system features IR Clickers and IR
Receivers that use a patented, proprietary transmission protocol in a one-way transmission network to send data from Clicker to Receiver. The IR Clicker transmitter is a
small handheld, battery-powered device with numbered and lettered response
buttons, a power switch, an LED power/transmission indicator light, and an infrared
transmitter. The IR Receiver is connected to the computer and has a red LED power
indicator light and an infrared receiver. The IR Receiver decodes the transmitted data,
which are then relayed to the PRS software on the computer. The PRS software
provides the functionality necessary to establish an environment in which that transmitted data can be electronically converted quickly and easily into useful response
information.
2 Chapter 1
PRS Overview
The RF, radio frequency, hardware system features RF Clickers and RF Receivers that use a
two-way transmission protocol to send data back and forth between the RF Clickers, an RF
Receiver and the PRS software. The RF Clicker remote is a battery-operated device that
features an LCD display and a keypad that includes numeric, lettered and math symbol Input
Keys and a set of Navigation Keys. The RF Clicker’s LCD display makes it possible for the
student to see and edit Responses before they are sent and to receive, in return, status
messages about each data transmission. The USB RF Receiver hub is connected to the computer. It sends transmitted data to the PRS software on the computer and status messages from
the PRS software back to the RF Clickers.
The interactive, two-way transmission of the RF environment affects how PRS is used in the
classroom. Some additional features are available—features that cannot be supported in an IR
environment, while other PRS features necessary for IR are not required in an RF environment.
Where differences exist, the basic functionality will be described and those features that
pertain to RF only will be identified by this icon, which is included in the PRS logo on
RF product labels.
The InterWrite PRS electronic data collection process is divided into four sections. Each section
addresses a different aspect of the PRS audience response system from setup to assessment
and evaluation of recorded response data.
Classes is the section that gives a name to the group of participants, who will be referred
to as students throughout the rest of this manual, that is meeting for a specific purpose.
This is the setup phase of the PRS system. In the vernacular of this section of PRS, Classes
are defined and, typically, associated with a Roster of students.
The Lessons section is where Questions are defined and organized into Lessons.
Sessions is the section where the Questions in a Lesson are presented to the students in
a Class for their Responses.
The Gradebooks section is where the results of a Session, which have been scored, or
Marked, for each student in the Class, are recorded and totaled in a Class Gradebook.
3Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – Classes
Classes
The general makeup of the Class is defined in the Classes section. A Class is a
group of people, an audience, who, during a Session, respond electronically
to Questions that assess their knowledge of a subject, or poll their opinions.
Each Class definition consists of:
• Information about the Class – a Name that uniquely identifies it and a
Type that describes the hardware environment in which it will take place,
•a Roster of participants, students, that will be associated with the Class,
•a Response Map, which is used to assign each student a specific location
in a virtual seating chart, the Response Grid, and
• Default Settings for the two windows that can be displayed during a
Session. The Response Grid window is where response transmissions
from IR Clickers are acknowledged. The Chart window is where
response distribution is graphed.
The primary function of the Classes section is to uniquely name a Class and
type it. When PRS is used in an RF environment, the RF-Type Class is the focal
point of operation. The options on the RF Menu (described in the Menu
section of this chapter) illustrate this point. An RF Class Type is started and
stopped. RF Clickers scan for a specific Class and join it. A Class Roster does
not have to be in place when a Class is started. A Roster based on transmitted Student IDs is derived from Session results. The IR-Type Class must be
associated with a Roster, which can be associated with a Response Map.
Students are identified in PRS and most Course Management Systems by
their Student IDs. In an RF environment, the Student ID is saved in the RF
Clicker’s memory and is sent with each Response transmitted from the
Clicker, ensuring that the Response is associated in PRS records with the
Student ID, and thereby, with the student. In an IR environment, there is no
way to enter a Student ID into the IR Clicker’s memory, so the IR Clicker ID,
which is transmitted with each Response, is used to establish the link to the
Student ID. This can only be accomplished through the use of a Class Roster.
Class Roster
The Class Roster identifies the students in the Class and connects their
names and Student IDs to their IR Clicker ID numbers. A Roster can be
created locally in PRS as part of the Class definition. The student’s name,
Student ID, Clicker ID number, and other information are entered into a
student profile form, and each profile form is added to the Roster. Or, an
existing Roster can be imported into the Class definition. Rosters derived
from Blackboard (Chapter Seven), Rosters derived from the PRS Web
Registration Application (Chapter Seven), and Rosters used with other Class
definitions can be imported into a new or existing Class definition. In the RF
environment, the Class Roster is used primarily to link the transmitted
Student ID with the student’s name.
4 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – Classes
Response Map
Tab
Loaner Clickers
During a typical PRS Session in an IR environment, a Lesson is presented
to the students in the Class. A Question and its Response options are
displayed at the top of the Session dialog and a Response Grid or At-
tendee List is displayed at the bottom in the Response Area. Students
point their IR Clickers toward an IR Receiver and press the number/letter
button that represents their Response Choice for the Question. The LED
on the Clicker flashes while it is sending the signal to the Receiver. To
acknowledge receipt of the Response transmission, the student’s name or
Clicker ID number displays on the top line in a Response Box in the
Response Grid. When the Attendee List is displayed in the Response
Area, the student’s name is deleted from the Attendee List to indicate a
successful transmission.
When a Class is quite large, the Response Grid will be quite large, too,
making it more difficult for each student to track his Response verification in
the Response Grid. A Response Map, created as part of the Class definition,
provides the means of assigning, or mapping, each student to a permanent
position in the Response Grid. The students, as well as the instructor, can
easily verify that their Responses were received and recorded.
In an RF environment, there is no need to display a Response Grid. Status
messages regarding transmissions are displayed on the LCD screen on
the RF Clicker, so students can confirm their Responses have been
received and recorded without having to monitor a Response Grid at the
front of the room.
Capturing and recording student Responses during a Session is what PRS
is all about and is the key to its successful use. If a student has forgotten
his Clicker, or it is malfunctioning, he won’t be able to participate in the
Session. Therefore, we recommend keeping a few Loaner units on hand
to be pressed into service when needed. The process of registering
Loaner IR Clickers for a Class is described in Chapter Three Classes, Class
Roster. Loaner RF Clickers can be configured by selecting the Configure
Clickers option from the RF Menu, described later in this chapter.
Response
Window and
Chart Window
Default Settings
Tab
A Results Chart is displayed after the Question’s Timer has expired or the
Question is stopped. It charts the Response distribution among the
possible Response Choices. It’s a useful tool in an academic environment
because it makes it possible for an instructor to immediately assess the
students’ level of comprehension of the material being covered. The
Default Settings for both the Response window with its display of the
Question, the Response Choices, and the Response Grid or the Attendee
List and the Chart window with its display of response distribution are
part of a Class definition. Some of the default settings established here
can be changed on-the-fly at the beginning of a Session.
5Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – Lessons
Lessons
Questions
The Lessons section is the staging area for your questionnaires. Lessons
are made up of sets of Questions. The Lessons containing the Question
Sets are organized in the Lesson Tree. The Lesson Tree is structured much
like a file directory, making it very easy and intuitive to plan, prepare and
organize large numbers of Lessons in advance.
A Lesson is presented during a Session. At the beginning of each new
Session, the Lesson is associated with a Class. The Questions in the
Lesson, or a selected subset of the Questions, are presented to the Class
during the Session. The electronic Responses of each student in the Class
are recorded and saved in a Session file. The Responses in the Session file
can be graded, Marked, and added to a Gradebook.
A Lesson can be copied, renamed, imported, and exported. A new Session
for a selected Lesson can be started directly from the Lesson section,
eliminating the need to go to the Sessions section to initiate the Session.
In addition, a variety of Reports can be created from PRS Lessons. This
Lesson Reporting function gives an instructor an easy way to access and
list the Questions and Response Choices in a Lesson. The importance of
this feature becomes apparent when a Lesson is presented in a Self Paced
Mode Session or as a homework assignment for RF. The Questions and
Response Choices are not displayed during this type of Session, so the
Report function provides the instructor with a convenient way of making
them available to the students.
A Lesson’s Questions can be composed in PRS. These Questions are
stored in a native PRS XML format to support industry standards, making
them available for export and import. Question Defaults are set as part of
the Lesson definition. These default settings influence the presentation of
the Questions during a Session.
Many textbook publishers provide electronic Question Sets with their
textbooks. Most use the QTI XML storage format for their Question Sets,
which is supported by PRS, so they can be easily imported directly into a
PRS Lesson. PRS’s powerful Question Editor can then be used to modify
any Question in the imported Question Set, to add additional Questions to
the Question Set, to copy Questions into other Lessons, and to select a
subset of the Questions for presentation during a Session.
6 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – Lessons
PRS PowerPoint
Add-in
Another powerful Lesson presentation tool is the PRS PowerPoint Add-in.
When InterWrite PRS is installed on your Windows computer, a PRS
Toolbar is automatically added to your Microsoft PowerPoint software.
On the Mac, the PRS PowerPoint Add-in has to be manually installed, but
once installed, the Add-in works the same on both systems.
The PRS Toolbar becomes part of the PowerPoint application. It is used to
make any slide in a PowerPoint presentation into a PRS Question Slide.
When a PowerPoint Slide Show with one or more PRS Question Slides is
run, PRS is launched, if it isn’t already running. When the PRS PowerPoint
Slide Show is begun, a New Session dialog is displayed. During the
course of the Slide Show presentation in an IR environment, every time a
PRS Question Slide appears, a Response Grid or Attendee List displays to
verify that the students’ Responses to the Question on the Slide have
been received and recorded.
In an RF environment, the Start RF Class dialog is displayed, the RF
Class is selected and started, and the students join the Class before the
PRS PowerPoint Slide Show is started. When the PRS PowerPoint Slide
Show is begun, a New Session dialog is displayed. It is not necessary to
display a Response Grid in RF.
The recorded Responses from a PRS PowerPoint Session are saved in a
standard PRS Session file. The file is listed in the Sessions Section List Win-
dow, making PowerPoint Session results accessible to the Session functions
described next.
A similar process is available to InterWrite users who have both
InterWrite and PRS installed on their systems. Multiple Question Slide-like
pages can be created in InterWrite and tagged as PRS Question Slides, and
run in a PRS Session. In addition, single PRS Question Slides can be
inserted “on-the-fly” into any InterWrite presentation.
7Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – Sessions
Sessions
A Lesson is presented during a Session to the students in a Class for their
Responses. A Session can be started from the Sessions section, or from
the Lessons section. Below is a summary of the process leading up to,
and including, the Session.
• The Class definition establishes a Class Name and Class Type.
IR Class Type
· A Roster of students must be linked to the Class definition.
· A Response Map should be set up to indicate where each
student’s Responses will appear in the Response Grid.
· Default Settings can be established for the Response window
and
the Results Chart window.
Class Type
· A Roster can be linked to the Class definition, but it’s not
required.
· Default Settings can be defined for the Results Chart window.
• The Lesson contains the Questions that will be presented to the Class
during the Session.
• At the beginning of the Session, the New Session dialog is displayed.
· The Audience type is selected.
· Self Paced Mode can be enabled.
· The Class participating in the Session is selected.
· A Lesson is chosen for presentation to the selected Class.
· Presentation options are set and default settings are reviewed.
In an RF environment, the same New Session dialog displays, but
several options are grayed out, because their settings have already
been established. It is not necessary to designate a Class, as the RF
Class has already been started and the students have joined it. The
default Audience Type is designated as part of the Class definition.
The Audience Type and the Self Paced Mode settings are addressed
when the RF Class is started. An additional option is added to the
New Session dialog for an RF Class Session—the Collect Homework
checkbox. This option is described in Chapter Five Sessions.
• The results of each Session are saved in a Session file, which is listed
in the Sessions Section List Window.
Sessions can be renamed, resumed, reviewed, marked, and exported.
Reports on a number of different aspects of a Session can be created.
8 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – Sessions
Self Paced Mode
Insert Question
No Lesson
An option available when profiling a Session is Self Paced Mode. A Self
Paced Session allows the instructor to configure a timed Session wherein
students can answer Questions in any order and at their own pace during
the designated time frame. Any Lesson can be chosen for presentation
during a Self Paced Session. Other Session settings that are not relevant
to a Self Paced Session are grayed out. A specialized Response Grid is
displayed for an IR Session that allows students to verify Responses and
track unanswered Questions. In an RF Self Paced Session, messages
regarding the status of each transmitted Response are displayed on the
LCD screen.
One more important feature of the basic – that is, non-Self Paced – PRS
Session is the ability to insert impromptu Questions during the Session.
For example, based on class discussions between Questions, or on a high
percentage of incorrect Responses to a Question, an instructor may
decide to approach the material from a different perspective, or try to
isolate or clarify the source of the students’ confusion by adding one or
more ad hoc Questions to the Session. The value of this feature in terms
of instant assessment is immeasurable. An instructor can be immediately
and effectively responsive when he perceives a weakness in the students’
understanding of the material.
While the purpose of this manual is to describe the features of PRS, it is
important to note that one can easily use the assessment and testing
functionality of PRS’s audience response system without using its Lesson
capabilities. No Lesson is an option on the New Session dialog. When
you select this option, only the Response Area is displayed for IR, and
only the Session Toolbar is displayed for RF.
InterWrite PRS – Gradebooks Section
9Chapter 1
Gradebooks
InterWrite PRS is a powerful, interactive tool, particularly in the classroom. Not only
does it free teachers from the more tedious aspects of teaching (grading tests, maintaining grade books), but it provides instantaneous assessment and feedback. Every
teacher knows each class has its own dynamic—no two classes are the same. The PRS
system can be used to present and review content in a way that keeps the students in
each class engaged and to immediately evaluate their level of comprehension, giving
the teacher the flexibility and functionality to react accordingly.
The Gradebooks section is the section where electronic Gradebooks are
defined. The results of marked Sessions are recorded and added to the
Gradebooks. A variety of Reports can be created based on the data in the
Gradebooks. Gradebooks are stored in a format that makes them readily
accessible for export to third party Course Management Systems (CMS), such
as Blackboard, WebAssign and WebCT. A PRS Blackboard Registration
Application (Chapter Seven) has been developed that links the Clicker ID
of the registering student’s IR Clicker to his Blackboard Student ID. Class
Rosters set up in Blackboard can be imported into PRS Class definitions,
and exported PRS Gradebooks can be imported into Blackboard. In an RF
environment, where student Responses are linked directly to the Student
ID, the transfer of data is even easier.
10 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – Screen Elements
Screen
Elements
The main screen of each of the four PRS Sections has the following elements
in common: the Menubar, the Section Tabs, the Function Buttons, the Table
Header Buttons, and the List Window.
Menubar
Section
Tabs
Function
Buttons
Table
Header
Buttons
New Screen Shot needed
Sort Indicator Arrow
List
Window
The menus on the PRS Menubar provide options for:
• setting Preferences on the File Menu,
• starting and stopping Classes and configuring RF Clickers on the RF
Menu,
• establishing the communication link between the IR Receiver and the
PRS software on the Connection Menu,
• offering another way of moving from section to section using the View
Menu, and
• providing additional information about using the PRS system on the Help
Menu.
The Menus on the PRS Menubar are described in detail in the next section.
The Section Tabs provide a way of moving from one section to another. Each
of the four PRS sections has a set of Function Buttons that allow you to
create, edit, and delete the components of that section with additional,
specialized functions specific to the section.
Each section has a List Window where the work product of that section is
displayed in a table—Class Rosters, Questions, Sessions, Gradebooks, etc. A
feature of each List Window is the ability to click on a column Table Header
Button to sort the data in the List Window by the contents of that column.
For example, in the Classes Roster List Window shown above, a click on the
Last Name Table Header Button will order the entries in the Roster List
Window alphabetically in ascending order based on the students’ last names.
A green Sort Indicator Arrow will display on the Table Header Button used
to index the contents of the table. Click on the Table Header Button with the
Sort Indicator Arrow to toggle between ascending and descending sort order.
This feature is available in every dialog that has a List Window.
PRS Menus
11Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
File Menu
Preferences Customer ID By default, in an IR environment, each IR Clicker is assigned a
The File Menu provides the options to set system Preferences and to Exit
the PRS application.
unique string of six numbers. This numeric string is the transmitter’s ID. Any
IR Clicker can be used with any InterWrite PRS installation. Programmable IR
Clickers are different in that they can be programmed with unique IDs that
will be accepted and recognized by only one InterWrite PRS system—the
InterWrite PRS system whose Customer ID matches the one used to program
the IR Clickers. So, for example, if an elementary school teacher wants to
have an IR Clicker for each child in her class that is numbered in a way that’s
easy for the children to identify and remember, she can purchase Programmable IR Clickers that can be assigned unique IDs, which are associated with
the Customer ID of her InterWrite PRS system, and which cannot be used
with any other InterWrite PRS system. That unique Customer ID is entered
here in this field.
If the Customer ID gets changed, click on the Set to Default button to return
the Customer ID to its original assignment.
Default Data Directory This Preference shows the current location of the
Data Directory. Click on the Browse button if you want to navigate to a
different directory location for the Exports, Gradebook, Lessons, Reports,
ResponseMap, Roster, Session, and Settings folders.
Default System Font By default, the display font used throughout the
PRS system in Windows is Comic Sans MS. The default font on the Mac is
Arial. Click on the Down Arrow to display a list of the fonts installed on
the computer.
Font Preview When you select a font from the drop-down list, an
example of the font selection is displayed here. Click on the second Set
to Default button to return to the default system font when PRS is
restarted.
Exit Use this File Menu option to exit and close the PRS application.
12 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
Menu
Start Class This menu option displays the Start RF Class dialog, the same dialog
Stop Class This menu option is selected when you want to end the RF Class.
Joined List This menu option displays the complete list of RF Clickers that joined the
Configure Clickers By default, an RF Clicker is set to Normal and does not require any
The RF Menu provides a one-stop shop for the settings that are specific
to the RF environment. Many of the options described here will make
much more sense when you have read Chapter Three Classes and understand them in the context of the Class Type and the Class System Types,
Open and Closed.
displayed when PRS is started up (and an RF Receiver is installed).
RF Class. When you stop the Class, this list is deleted.
additional configuration. A Normal Clicker is the property of the student
and can be used in any Class whose Class System Type is designated as
Open.
A Loaner Clicker is an RF Clicker that can be loaned to a student during a
Class when his Clicker has malfunctioned, or he has forgotten it. An RF
Clicker configured as a Loaner Clicker will require the student borrowing
it to input his Student ID before he joins the Class, ensuring that his
Responses will be credited to him during that Class. Loaner Clickers can
be configured for both Open and Closed Classes.
A Closed Clicker is an RF Clicker that is linked to the Class ID assigned to
a Closed Class System Type. Closed Clickers are automatically assigned a
unique Join ID to identify each one in the Closed Class. Whereas Normal
Clickers are typically student-owned and can be used in any Open Class,
Closed Clickers are the property of the school and remain in the class-
room. Each Closed Clicker can then be assigned to a specific student in
the Closed Class, so that Johnny always uses Clicker 1 and Suzie always
uses Clicker 2, and so on.
A Master Clicker is a special RF Clicker that can be used by an instructor
to send commands to a Session from anywhere in the room. Master
Clicker Commands are described in Chapter Two PRS System Installation.
The Closed Loaner Clicker setting is used to set up a Loaner Clicker for
use in a Closed Class. Any student can use a Closed Loaner Clicker
because, as is characteristic of any RF Clicker designated as a Loaner, it
prompts the person using it to enter his Student ID before he joins the
Class, in this case, the Closed Class.
A Closed Master Clicker is a Master Clicker used to send commands to a
Session that is run in a Closed Class.
Scan for Receivers This RF Menu option will look for and attach to any RF Receivers on the
system. Use this menu item only when an RF Receiver is attached to a
USB port on the computer. Or, when the RF Receiver has been moved
from one USB port to another after the PRS software has been started.
13Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
Configuring
Clickers
Normal is the default Clicker Type. Normal Clickers require
no configuration and can be used in any Open Class. The
option appears on the Clicker Type menu so that you can set
a Clicker that has been configured previously as a Loaner,
Master, Closed, Closed Loaner, or Closed Master Clicker
back to Normal.
The basic process for configuring RF Clickers is the same, no matter which
Clicker Type configuration you choose.
1 Select the Clicker Type from the
drop-down menu.
2 When you choose one of the
Closed configurations, select a Class
in the RF Closed Classes window.
The Class ID you assigned to the
Closed Class will display.
3 Click on the Setup button to display
the Setup Instructions in the
Instructions window for the Clicker
Type you chose.
4 Turn on all the Clickers, as
instructed, and press the Quick
Jump number displayed in the
angle brackets (< >) on each
Clicker.
5 The “Configuration Class” name is displayed on each LCD. Press the
Enter/Send key to join each Clicker to the Configuration Class.
6 If the Clickers have been configured for Closed, each Clicker will display
the ID: field. Enter a unique ID for each Clicker. Press to save the ID.
The LCD display confirms the Clicker Type assignment. The Instructions
window on the Configure Clickers dialog will list the Join IDs assigned to
each of the Clickers you configured. You can Close the dialog, or select a
new Clicker Type and configure additional Clickers.
14 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
Configuring
Clickers for a
Closed Class
Configuring an
Clicker as a
Master
Connection Menu
The Student ID is attached to each transmission sent to the PRS software. In
the Open Class paradigm, the student enters his Student ID, which is saved
in the memory of his personal Clicker. In the Closed Class model, where
Clickers are owned by the school and stay in the classroom, there are two
ways to set up the Closed Clickers so each will have a unique ID to bundle
with transmissions.
If the Closed Clickers will always be used by the same 30 students, you
can assigns IDs of 1 through 30, for example, label the Clickers accordingly, and assign a specific Clicker to each of the 30 students.
However, if the Closed Clickers are going to be used in the classroom by
different groups of students throughout the day, you might consider
configuring those Clickers as Closed Loaners. Clickers configured as
Loaners, regardless of whether they are used in an Open Class or a
Closed Class, will prompt for an ID before they join the Class. So, each
student in each Closed Class Session will have his Responses attributed
directly to his Student ID.
Master Clickers are specially configured RF Clickers that can send commands to the PRS software during a Session to remotely control the
Session presentation. This is true of Master Clickers configured for both
the Open Class and the Closed Class. The command key assignments are
described in Chapter Two PRS System Installation.
The Connection Menu is used to:
Port Check
• specify the COM Port to which the Receiver is connected,
• simulate Clicker input from the computer keyboard,
• test for both the COM Port connection and for the receipt of a signal
from a Clicker.
The Port Check menu option is used primarily to detect IR
Receivers. The USB-connected RF Receiver is automatically
assigned to a COM Port and the assignment is noted on the
Connection Menu.
As part of the installation of the IR Receiver (Chapter Two), the COM port
to which the IR Receiver is connected must be communicated to the
InterWrite PRS software. The number of COM ports displayed on the
Connection Menu will vary with the number of COM Ports on the
computer. Select from the list the COM port to which the IR Receiver is
connected. If you don’t know which COM port it is, or if you want to test
the connection, select a COM port in the Connection Menu, click on the
15Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
Port Check menu option, verify the IR Receiver is powered-on, and send a
signal from a powered-on IR Clicker to the IR Receiver. If the IR Receiver
is connected to the COM port you selected in the Connection Menu, a
Clicker Identified message will appear in the black Port Check window. If
the Port Check window remains blank, select another COM port in the
Connection Menu and repeat the transmission check process.
Transmitter Test
As indicated in the white message box on the Port Check window, the
Port Check feature verifies that a signal from an IR Clicker is received by
the IR Receiver. Not only can you use Port Check to verify the IR Receiver COM port connection, you can also use it to test an IR Clicker.
Verify the IR Clicker does not need new batteries. (Under normal operating conditions, the LED indicator light on a powered-on IR Clicker is
bright green. Change the batteries when the LED indicator light is dim.)
Select the Port Check option and send a transmission by pointing the
tapered end of the powered-on IR Clicker toward one of the IR Receivers
in the room and pressing a numbered button. If nothing shows up in the
Port Check window, there is a problem with the IR Clicker. Try resetting
it. Straighten a paper clip and stick the end of the paper clip into the hole
on the back of the IR Clicker. The hole is located to the right side, near
the battery pack. Push until you feel a slight click. Power on the IR Clicker
and rerun the Transmitter Test.
16 Chapter 1
InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
Key Input If you are learning how to use the InterWrite PRS system and/or you want
to simulate a Session, you can set up PRS to accept input from the
computer keyboard that simulates Clicker input signals. When you want
to test a Lesson, you can run a test Session without having a PRS Receiver
connected to your computer.
1 Select the Key Input feature on the Connection Menu.
2 When you are using a Response Map, make sure the Response Grid
(Class definition) has enough Response Boxes, in addition to those
assigned to the students in the Roster, to accommodate the number
of simulations you intend to use. When there is no Response Map in
place, the grid will roll over.
3 Click on the New Session Function Button in the Sessions Section.
4 Start the Question.
5 To send a simulated Response to the Question, type a letter, which
identifies a unique ID (there are twenty-six unique IDs, one for each
letter of the alphabet). Then, type the number of your test Response
Choice.
5 Use the SHIFT and CTRL keys in combination with the letter key to
indicate a High Confidence Level or Low Confidence Level (see the
following Clicker Operation Instructions section), respectively. For
example, the Key Input SHIFT + b + 1 would be interpreted by the
Key Input Response Simulation option as: “Respondent ‘b’ has high
confidence that the first Response Choice is the correct one.”
As you enter these alphanumeric combinations from the computer
keyboard, each will register as a Response in a Response Box in the
Response Grid displayed below the Question and Response Choices.
View Menu
The View Menu lists all four of the PRS Sections and indicates with a
diamond which section is currently being displayed in the PRS Window.
You can move to another section by selecting it from the View Menu, or
by clicking on its Section Tab in the PRS Window.
Help Menu
17Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
InterWrite PRS
Help
Check for
Updates
Clicker Operation
Instructions
This menu option displays a Help file for the PRS software.
This option links to the GTCO CalComp Web site where it checks for the
current version of the InterWrite PRS software. If there is a newer version
of the software, you will be given the option to download it. You should
check for updates periodically to make sure you have the latest and
greatest version of the PRS software.
RF Clickers and IR Clickers are used to electronically transmit a student’s
Response to a Question presented during a Session. The basic operation of
the RF Clicker and IR Clicker may not be intuitive to the first-time user.
We’ve included Basic Operating Instructions for both the RF Clicker and IR
Clicker on this menu. In addition, although the IR Clickers have a limited
selection of keys when compared to the RF Clickers, they can respond to
most Question Types. The Response process is not as straightforward as it is
with the RF Clicker, so an instruction set has been included on this menu for
responding to various Question Types using the IR Clicker.
Basic Instructions
The first instruction set describes the basic operation of an RF Clicker.
18 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
Basic Operating Instructions for IR Clickers
Responding to Different Question Types Using the IR Clicker
19Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
20 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – PRS Menus
Self Paced Session Instructions
This set of instructions describes how to respond to Questions during a Self
Paced Session when using an IR Clicker.
Confidence Level
A Confidence Level designation allows a student to qualify his Response
to a Question. By attaching a High Confidence Level indicator to a Response,
a student is saying that he is very sure about the correctness of his Response.
When a student attaches a Low Confidence Level indicator to his Response,
he is basically saying his answer is a guess and he has little confidence in its
correctness.
IR Clickers have an H key and an L key in the bottom row of keys. Pressing
the H key followed by a Response value key attaches a High Confidence
indicator to the Response. Pressing the L key plus a Response value key
attaches a Low Confidence indicator to the Response.
21Chapter 1 InterWrite PRS – Manual Organization
Clickers do not have H and L keys. The key is used to indicate Low
Confidence and the key is used to indicate High Confidence. When a
Confidence Level is attached to a Response from an RF Clicker, the Confidence Level Indicator should follow the Response. Confidence Level Indica-
tors can only be used with True/False Question Types and single-choice
Multiple Choice Question Types.
By default, when a Confidence Level is not indicated, all Responses are
assigned a Medium Level of Confidence. The instructor should indicate at the
beginning of a Session, or before a Question is presented, that he wants a
Confidence Level attached to the Response(s).
Example Files Click on this menu option to view examples of a Class Roster and a Response
Map, among others, in the native .csv format. This links to the GTCO CalComp Web site, where the examples are found.
About The About Help Menu option displays an information window with the
PRS version number, system information, and contact information for
GTCO CalComp.
Manual
Organization
This InterWrite PRS User’s Guide covers all aspects of the PRS system,
including the installation, set up, and troubleshooting of the hardware. A
chapter is devoted to the installation and set up of the InterWrite PRS
Web Registration Application, a Web-based application that makes it
possible for students to register online for those classes using the PRS
system, and the PRS Blackboard Registration Application, which makes the
export and import of information between PRS and Blackboard possible.
The primary focus of this User’s Guide, though, is the PRS software. A
chapter is devoted to each of the four tabbed Sections of the PRS software with detailed descriptions of each section’s functions and procedures.
Chapter One InterWrite PRS Overview This chapter introduces the
InterWrite PRS system, identifies the primary screen elements, describes
the Menu options on the PRS Menubar, and outlines the organization of
this manual.
Chapter Two PRS System Installation Both of the PRS hardware
systems feature Receivers and Transmitters, or Clickers. Both are easy to
install and operate. The Clickers are handheld, battery-powered devices.
AAA batteries are easily installed in the back of each type. IR Receivers
are connected to each other, if more than one is being used, to a power
supply, and to the serial port on the computer. The IR Receiver setup is
completed when the COM port is selected on the Connection Menu.
22 Chapter 1InterWrite PRS – Manual Organization
Each RF Receiver is connected to a USB Port, which is automatically
detected by the PRS software.
Chapter Three Classes Describes how to set up a Class definition.
Chapter Four Lessons Describes how to add branches to the Lesson
Tree, define and organize Questions, import Questions into Lessons, and
set up PowerPoint Lessons.
Chapter Five Sessions Describes how to set up and run a Session, how
to insert impromptu, unplanned Questions during a Session, how to
rename, resume, review, mark, and export a Session, and how to create a
Session Report.
Chapter Six Gradebooks Describes how to set up a Gradebook, add
Marked Sessions, export Gradebooks, and create Reports based on Gradebook data.
Chapter Seven PRS Registration Applications This chapter first describes
how to install and set up the Web-based PRS Registration Application, and
then how to install the PRS Blackboard Registration Application and set up
the PRS Tab in Blackboard. Both applications are included on the InterWrite
PRS CD.
The optional PRS Web Registration Application is used to register PRS
Clickers over the Internet. The application includes an Administrative
section that supports the organization and maintenance of the Internet
registration process.
The PRS Blackboard Registration Application is used to establish a
connection between the student’s IR Clicker and his Blackboard Student
ID, so Roster information can be exported from Blackboard for use in a
Class definition, and Marked PRS Sessions can be exported from PRS
Gradebooks for use in Blackboard.
Appendix Regulatory and Warranty Statements.
23Chapter 2
PRS System Installation
The InterWrite PRS system consists of the PRS software, the optional PRS
Web Registration Application and PRS Blackboard Registration Application, and the PRS hardware. Setup, installation, and operation of the two
PRS registration applications is detailed in Chapter Seven. The setup and
installation of the InterWrite PRS software and hardware is covered here.
InterWrite
PRS Software
Windows
Installation
Install the PRS software first so the appropriate drivers are
in place when you install the hardware.
The PRS software for the Mac and Windows is included on the InterWrite
PRS CD.
PRS is compatible with Windows 2000 and XP. The PRS application software
must be installed on Windows by an Administrator.
1 Log in as Administrator. Insert the PRS CD into the CD drive on your
PC. The installer will autorun.
If it doesn’t, click on the Start button on the Windows Task Bar and
select Run from the menu. Type X:\setup.exe (X represents the CD
drive letter).
2 Select the Install InterWrite PRS Software menu option.
3 Follow the onscreen instructions for the software installation.
For the Mac installation, Tiger (10.4) and Panther (10.3) are
automatically supported. To run InterWrite PRS on Jaguar
(10.2), you must first download the free version of Java
1.4.2 available for 10.2.6 and above.
Mac
Installation
PRS is compatible with Mac OS X 10.2.6 and above. The InterWrite PRS
application software must be installed on the Mac by an Admin.
1 Insert the PRS CD into the CD-ROM drive on your Mac. An InterWrite
PRS icon will appear on your desktop.
2 Double-click on the InterWrite PRS icon on the desktop to display the
CD’s contents. Double-click on the Install InterWrite PRS icon.
3 Follow the onscreen instructions for the software installation.
24 Chapter 2PRS System Installation – PRS Hardware
PRS
Hardware
The PRS hardware, Receivers and Transmitters (Clickers), is available in
two transmission types—IR (Infrared) and RF (Radio Frequency). The IR
Receivers and IR Clickers support a one-way, line-of-sight transmission
from Clickers to Receivers and on to the PRS software. The RF Receiver
Hubs and RF Clicker Remotes support two-way radio frequency transmission. Responses are transmitted from RF Clickers to RF Receivers to the
PRS software and status messages are returned via the Receiver to the
individual Clickers. Both PRS hardware systems are used to send, capture
and decode signals that are ultimately relayed to the PRS software on the
computer, where they are interpreted as Question Responses. Each
Response has a code attached to it that identifies the Clicker it came
from. The software establishes the connection between that unique
transmitted code and the student’s identity, providing the basis for
recording Responses and attributing them to the student. In the IR system,
the unique code is the Clicker ID. It is matched in the Class Roster to the
Student ID and student name. In the RF system, the Student ID is the
unique code transmitted with each Response. As the Student ID is the
unique identifier of students in the Class, a Roster does not have to be in
place in order to have the Responses attributed correctly and recorded.
The Clickers are small, battery-operated, handheld devices. IR Clickers
have a keypad that consists of four rows of lettered and numbered keys
and a Power button. The RF Clickers have an expanded keypad that
includes Input Keys and Navigation Keys. A two-line LCD screen displays
Responses as they are entered and the returned status messages.
The Receivers receive and decode data transmitted to them from the
Clickers. The IR Receiver sends the decoded data via a serial connection to
the computer. The RF Receiver uses a USB connection. In both cases, the
decoded data are analyzed and recorded by the PRS software.
If you are installing a Mixed PRS System that uses both
IR and RF PRS hardware, don’t mix up the Power Supply
cables. The Power Supply for IR is slightly different than the
one for RF, and they cannot be used interchangeably.
25Chapter 2 PRS System Installation – RF Receiver
Receiver
Installation
The RF Receiver does not rely on line-of-sight transmission, so it does not
have to be positioned at the front of the room. Just be aware that the RF
Receiver works best when it is not sitting on a metal surface (such as your
computer box). The PRS RF Receiver ships with a 9V Power Supply,
Power Supply Plug Adaptors, a USB cable.
1 Plug the Power Supply into a wall or power strip outlet.
2 Plug the other end of the Power Supply into the RF Receiver.
3 Plug the square USB B connector into the RF Receiver.
4 Plug the flat USB A connector into an available USB port on your
computer.
The RF Receiver is automatically assigned to a COM Port and that information is communicated to the PRS software, so there is no need to set
the COM Port on the Connection Menu.
In a Windows installation: The unsigned RF Receiver
driver is already installed on your computer. Nevertheless,
Windows may need some coaxing before it will recognize
the new hardware. Be persistent and do not let Windows
worry you about the driver being unsigned. This will not
in any way affect the operation of the RF Receiver or PRS.
LED Light Phases The RF Receiver green LED light has three phases:
• Fast Flash No USB connection
• Slow Flash Scanning for a free channel, or one with less noise
• Solid On Working
26 Chapter 2
PRS System Installation – RF Clicker
Clicker
Setup and
The RF Clicker ships with the batteries installed, so there is no real setup
involved.
Operation
2-Line
LCD
Display
Power
Switch
Clicker Key Quick Reference
INPUT KEYS
Input Keys
Multiple Choice
Option Keys
Numeric Keypad
Navigation Keys
Scroll Up
Scroll
Down
Numeric Keypad Enter numeric Responses and Response Choices
Decimal Point Enter a decimal point in a numeric Response
Minus Sign Enter to indicate a negative number
Multiple Choice/
Alpha Character
Keys
True/False
Response Keys
Confidence Level
Indicators
Enter/
Send
Cycle/
Backspace
FUNCTION
for numbered Multiple Choice Questions
Enter numeric values, e.g., Student ID and
numeric Responses
Press twice to enter a forward slash (/) for
fractions
Enter your Response Choice(s) to a Multiple
Choice Question
Switch to Alpha Mode
Enter Response to True/False Questions
Switch to Alpha Mode
= Low Confidence and = High Confidence
Enter a Confidence Level after a single-choice
Multiple Choice Response, or after a True/False
Response
Menu Key
Minus Sign
True/False
Response Keys
Decimal
Point
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