Students register clicker via eInstruction’s online web site (CPSOnline), WebCT or Blackboard using the serial number displayed on the third line of the LCD screen.  The clicker can be registered into multiple classes.

 

 

The only maintenance required is changing two (2) double A (AA) batteries once every 2-3 years with normal usage.  The clicker comes equipped with two AA batteries already installed.  The AA batter was chosen because they are readily available at any store, are inexpensive, and are easy to install.  The battery compartment slides open with the press of a thumb.

 

 

When students register their clickers online and sign up for specific classes, the class roster is automatically populated.  The professor merely downloads the roster from his online account to a folder on a notebook computer, dedicated classroom computer or thumb drive.  The professor’s online account is automatically set up at the time of adoption.

 

 

In addition to the technical support provided by eInstruction listed below, John Burgess and Jim Knight will work closely with university staff and professors to ensure smooth set up and use of CPS.  Both www.CPSUniversity.com and www.eInstruction.com provide 24/7 instructional videos that walk CPS users step-by-step through set up and use of CPS.

 

eInstruction is the leading response technology company with the most experience and provides unparalleled technical support.  At the beginning of each semester, we have over 20 experienced technicians ready to assist university staff, faculty, and students.

 

Here is some of what we offer:

 

*Toll free phone support 7 AM to 6 PM CST MO-TH, 7 AM to 5 PM CST FR

*Additional university phone support 7-9 AM CST during peak semester hours

*24-hour response Error Submission Form

*Email support

*Text chat support

*Live training via WebEx

*Other online support: FAQs, Tips, User Guide, Knowledge Base, & Videos

 

The CPS software comes with a built in QuickStart Guide that launches each time CPS software is opened and there is an extensive Help library built into the software.  Users can also check log files, test clickers, and check for free software updates.

 

We have provided this support to small and large institutions, e.g. Purdue University – 50 faculty and 12,000 students.  Our total client base is over 800 institutions.   We are approaching 95 university standardizations.

 

 

In-class set up consists of plugging the RF receiver into a USB port and opening the software.

 

When the clickers are turned on, the CPS system automatically recognizes the clicker and displays the student clicker number in the clicker LCD screen and in the professor’s computer screen.

 

 

With several hundred thousand students nationwide using our Classroom Performance System (CPS), the reliability for attendance, pop quizzes, full exams, etc. has never been an issue.  Since the inception of the product in 2000, we have not had one instance of an answer being submitted that was incorrectly received and scored.

 

CPS has a re-grade capability for curving an exam and for fixing questions that were ambiguous.

 

Student Assessment Mode allows students to answer questions at his/her own pace during a paper quiz, test, or exam.

 

Attendance can either be taken when engaging a question or separately.

 

One RF receiver handles 1,000 response pads at one time.

 

 

eInstruction supports the use of already existing PowerPoint applications with our proven Power Point folder capability.  Users organize any set of existing PowerPoint presentations within our CPS Power Point folder and engage them as needed.  CPS manages the screen so the Power Point screen is never blocked and is always available allowing the user to build his/her questions as normal PowerPoint text, graphics or videos.

 

In response to customer requests, eInstruction has released a PowerPoint plug-in that enables the user to engage CPS within Power Point if desired.

 

 

Power Point is not required to engage the full functionality of CPS.  The user has complete freedom to utilize CPS independent of Power Point.

 

 

CPS questions can be engaged at any time using verbal questions mode or using the question generator.  The user has complete freedom to create questions on the fly and/or coordinate them with our Chalkboard device or any other electronic whiteboard or overhead projector.

 

 

CPS database can be easily copied to/from a thumb drive for maximum transportability.

 

Data can be uploaded to CPSOnline and/or Blackboard/WebCT. 

 

Data can be presented via histograms or 10 other report formats or exported in 8 different formats.

 

The latest CPS software release includes the ability to perform data slicing.

 

 

The latest version of CPS software is fully compatible with Blackboard.  Students can even use their Blackboard account to register their clickers for classes. 

 

CPS software has been fully compatible with WebCT for some time.

 

 

CPS recently reduced both its standardized and non-standardized prices. 

 

The students pay approximately $18-20 for the clicker at the bookstore.

 

The standardized registration fee is either $35 one-time or $13 for three terms ($39 max).  The non-standardized registration fee is either$50 one-time or $15 for four terms ($60 max.). 

 

If a CPS clicker is lost or stolen, students only pay $18-20 for a new one at the bookstore.  The registration fee already purchased applies to the new clicker.

 

When the student is finished with his/her clicker, most bookstores buy back clickers for about $12-14.

 

This pricing model provides maximum financial flexibility and minimum replacement costs for the student.

 

 

In addition to the technical support provided by eInstruction listed below, John Burgess and Jim Knight will work closely with university staff and professors to ensure smooth set up and use of CPS.  Both www.CPSUniversity.com and www.eInstruction.com provide 24/7 instructional videos that walk CPS users step-by-step through set up and use of CPS.

 

eInstruction is the leading response technology company with the most experience and provides unparalleled technical support.  At the beginning of each semester, we have over 20 experienced technicians ready to assist university staff, faculty, and students. 

 

Here is some of what we offer:

           

*Toll free phone support 7 AM to 6 PM CST MO-TH, 7 AM to 5 PM CST FR

*Additional university phone support 7-9 AM CST during semester peak hours

*24-hour response Error Submission Form

            *Email support

            *Text chat support

            *Training web-ex activities available prior to using the system

*Other online support: FAQs, Tips, User Guide, Knowledge Base, & Videos

 

The CPS software comes with a built in QuickStart Guide that launches each time CPS software is opened and there is an extensive Help library built into the software.  Users can also check log files, test clickers, and check for free software updates.

 

We have provided this support to small and large institutions, e.g. Purdue University – 50 faculty and 12,000 students.  Our total client base is over 800 institutions.   We are approaching 95 university standardizations.

 

 

Professors can post their CPS grade book and question & response reports on CPSOnline, WebCT or Blackboard.  When students register their clickers at CPSOnline, WebCT or Blackboard, they create a password protected account where they can view grade reports, question & response reports, class information, receive study reports, etc.

 

 

CPS is used at more than 700 universities worldwide.  For reference, please feel free to contact the following people.

 

Jim Julius, San Diego State University 5,000 students, jjulius@mail.sdsu.edu

Ed Evans, Purdue U, 12,000 students, edevans@purdue.edu

Zach Goodell, VCU, 8,000 students, zggoodel@vcu.edu

Marshall White, U of New Hampshire, 4 year user, marshall.white@unh.edu

David Mcconnell, U of Akron, 85 faculty, 3 year user … dam6@uakron.edu

Mark Pike, Kent State U, Recently standardized on eInstruction after an extensive 1-year study of many clicker brands, jpike@lms.kent.edu

 

Other references provided upon request.

 

 

Some of our client institutions are beginning to ban the use of cell phones, PDAs, and laptops in classrooms while others are beginning to ask about this migration path.

 

eInstruction is the leading innovator in the student response pad marketplace.  We are prepared to do whatever is necessary to stay ahead of the curve on technological innovations and/or respond to customer needs and wants.  We are listening.

 

Some of our client institutions are beginning to ban the use of cell phones and laptops in classrooms while others are asking about this migration path.  The main concern about devices capable of communicating with the outside world is cheating.  Since clickers do not communicate with the outside world, there is opportunity for this kind of cheating.

 

 

www.CPSUniversity.com was created to give professors a place to share their stories, best uses, and pedagogical practices.  We are publishing a number of papers and/or links related to education theory and practices.  We are also in the process of creating an online video series of professors using CPS in their classrooms.  As educators, we are supremely interested in learning gains resulting from the successful implementation of innovative educational technology.

 

A number of our professor clients give presentations on CPS best uses and pedagogical practices at education conferences.  For instance, Professor Gregory DeBourgh, Department Chair of the School of Nursing and Ed.D. at the University of San Francisco recently gave a presentation on CPS at a Nursing College Conference in Vancouver, WA the Fall of 2006.

 

eInstruction has the following published on its web site five papers that pertains to pedagogy and successful applications of pedagogy.

 

 

 

If presenters have their presentation materials prepared ahead of time, they can easily branch their presentation in any direction at any time by using the verbal question mode or by quickly typing questions in the question creator.

 

The new version of the CPS software allows presenters to use CPS within Power Point so presenters can create new slides on-the-fly.

 

eInstruction is constantly upgrading its software based on customer input.  If any feature is desired in the future, we will certainly endeavor to implement it.

 

 

CPS supports both anonymous and ID’d polling with the click of the mouse.

 

 

eInstruction was the first student response company to successfully support the MacIntosh operating system.  Several generations later, eInstruction has the best MAC compatible software in the market to addition to a new series of online training videos.  CPS supports MAC OS X and above.

 

The Gen 2 CPS RF clicker with LCD screen supports numeric responses of up to 12 characters, e.g. -12.34567890 and fractions, e.g. 2 2/3.

 

CPS also has a great deal of variety and flexibility in composing multiple-choice questions on the fly.  It also has a built in answer key generator called FastGrade for paper tests that is as easy to use as pointing and clicking.

 

 

Polling results can easily be displayed as histograms, horizontal bar charts, pie & exploded pie charts, doughnut & exploded doughnut charts, and as numeric output.

 

After the presentation, reports can also be generated in 10 different formats.

 

In June, the next release of CPS software will have data slicing capabilities.

 

 

All instructors have complete access to all questions in any combination both during and after a presentation and across presentations.  So, they can easily repeat questions and show before and after results.

 

 

CPS software has student collaboration capability.  Students can either work together then respond with one clicker or answers can be grouped according to preset criteria like political leanings, gender, age, personal preferences, etc.

 

 

eInstruction has over 300,000 Higher Ed RF clickers in the market.  CPS has never had a systemic problem with them, i.e. no battery or chip problems, etc.

 

One of our competitors had such a problem at the University of Florida where several thousand pads failed over a semester and had to be replaced.  eInstruction has never had a large or small replacement activity such as this. 

 

CPS clickers are designed and manufactured in the US in Holland, Michigan and Denton, Texas so we have tight control over the quality and durability of the product.

 

 

CPS sells the clicker to the bookstore at $15 net where students usually purchase them for $18-20.  The university has the option of purchasing the clickers at the same price as the bookstore.  Doing this would save students the cost of the bookstore mark up.  The university also has the option of subsidizing the registration fee if it so chooses.

 

 

The price breaks are indicated in the standardization price sheet.