During Fall 2008, students may come to your class equipped with any of three possible types of response devices. Be aware that each device is significantly different from the other in both design and operation. Please be prepared to address the possibility of various device types appearing in your classroom by understanding their major differences and use.

• RF model keypad (flat, white/dark gray trim): This is currently the most prevalent keypad on campus. It has been available for a couple of years and will still be sold by the bookstore through Fall 2008. This is the simplest device to use, at this time.

What you need to do: Follow the instructions in the documentation given under the At the Session section under the Faculty Tab at clickers.umd.edu.

What students need to do: Students can access instructions for using the RF from the clickers.umd.edu web site under the Students tab. Instructions explain how to change channels, and is otherwise intuitive to use. Students confirm their responses by looking at the blinking green light on the keypad.

• XR model keypad (blue/gray trim & LCD screen): This is newly available for Fall 2008. This keypad has more features than the RF and is, therefore, somewhat more complex to use because of menus and additional buttons/functions. However, it has the advantage of allowing students to confirm their responses through the keypad's LCD screen and allowing text or numeric answers (if you wish use such questions).

What you need to do: Follow the instructions in the documentation given under the At the Session section under the Faculty Tab at clickers.umd.edu. HOWEVER, because the interface is more complex for the user, be aware that students initially may need time to adjust to it, so you may want to remind them to practice with it before class or provide a couple of "test" questions in class before your "real" questions.

What the students need to do: Students can access instructions for using the XR from the clickers.umd.edu web site under the Students tab. The instructions explain how to navigate the menus, enter responses, and change channels.

• iPod Touch or iPhone G3 (and other mobile web accessible devices) : Approximately 145 students will be participating in the Mobility Initiative pilot (http://mobility.umd.edu/) during Fall 2008. Instead of purchasing a clicker, students can use their iPhone or iPod Touch. If a student attends your course with one of these devices, he/she can respond to questions using a feature called ResponseWare Web that is built-in to the current version of the TurningPoint software.

What you need to do: If a student is participating in the Mobility Initiative and is going to use an iPhone or iPod Touch, you will need to select Tools > ResponseWare Web from the TurningPoint toolbar. A login box will appear with a pre-loaded login ID and Password. Once logged in, you will see a Session ID that the students will need to enter into their ResponseWare Web software available on their device. More detail is given in At the Session documentation for the PC under the Faculty Tab at clickers.umd.edu.

What students need to do: Students can learn how to purchase a license and use ResponseWare web by visiting the Students tab at clickers.umd.edu.

Recommendations

At your first class, ask your students which device they will be using. If there are any combination of the three types of devices, make sure everyone knows how to operate them. You can refer them to the clickers.umd.edu, Student Tab, for instructions.