What is a PRS System?
PRS stands for Personal Response System, also known as Audience (ARS) or Classroom Response Systems (CRS), but more popularly as “clickers.” A PRS system has three parts:
1. A Receiver: typically a small device with a radio receiver and plugged into the Instructor computer USB port.
2. Clickers: typically one per student, they are hand held devices that can take organized or unorganized polls (anonymously or otherwise) in real time from a local audience.
3. Software: these systems typically interact with software like Microsoft PowerPoint as part of interactive presentations.
Where can I get the clickers at PugetSound?
The PRS system that we have purchased is made by one of the leading vendors, Turning Point Technologies. We have one computer based receiver and two hand held receivers that can be used anywhere, and 50 clickers.
Checkout
The PRS receiver unit and the clickers are available for checkout from the Media Desk in the Tech Center of the Library.
Software Install
To use the computer based version, the TurningPoint software must be installed. Both the TurningPoint Windows version which integrates with PowerPoint and the TurningPoint AnyWhere (for Mac or Windows) are free downloads on the Turning Point website.
Try It Out
The software has already been installed in the Lib 020 Presentation Room and in the Lib 118 Library Bibliographical Instruction room. If you want to try the system out, you can schedule one of these rooms.
Classroom Use
If you want to use the system in an electronic classroom, the software will need to be installed in advance by ResNet/Lab Services. Call the HelpDesk at x8585 at least one week in advance of the date you need to schedule the installation.
Turning Point System Resources
Below are selected getting started guides. For complete documentation including how to use advanced features, see the TurningPoint User Documentation page.
- The Quick Start Guide
- Basics of Creating and Running Slides with Office 2003
- Basics of Creating and Running Slides with Office 2007
- The Basic User Guide for MacIntosh Users
Resources for Practical Use in the Classroom
- A basic overview of PRS classroom use - Educause Review Article on Clickers in the Classroom
- Good scholarly overview - Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips
- The Complete Bibliography - The Vanderbilt Center for Teaching Bibliography on Classroom Response Systems includes extensive references on discipline specific use
- Online tutorials, best practices and case studies at Turning Point Audience Response Community
Some Sample College Clicker Information Sites:
Books and Articles
An Alternative to PRS Clickers: Cell Phone Based Polling
There are now several web applications that perform real time polls using cell phone text messages.
They are free or inexpensive, web-based, and an good alternative to expensive PRS clicker systems. You just ask a question and people respond with a text message from their cell phones (or PDAs or laptops or any device that can send standard SMS text messages) to a designated phone number. The results are tabulated and appear on your account on the application web site.
Here are three such web based applications: