| ITS Home >> Teaching and Learning >> CUClickers Student Response System >> FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
General Questions
What does a student response system do?
According to an Educause document titled 7 Things You Should Know About Clickers, "The system allows for active participation by all students and provides immediate feedback to the instructor-and the students-about any confusion or misunderstandings of the material being presented."
How does it work?
The instructor's receiver and the students' remotes communicate using radio frequency (RF) technology. Some earlier clicker systems used on campus utilized infrared (IR) technology. While IR clicker systems require line-of-sight between the remotes and the receivers, necessitating a fairly involved receiver installation, RF remotes only need to be in the general vicinity of a receiver (usually 200-300 feet).
RF systems do require that remotes and receivers are configured to use the same communication frequency. Frequency settings are an important aspect of the system, and receivers that are in close proximity to one another should be configured to use different frequencies. If they use the same frequency, remotes may send their answers to the wrong receiver and "pollute" that receiver's result set.
What is the difference between CUClickers and i>clicker?
CUClickers is the name of the ITS service that utilizes the i>clicker system. While i>clicker is certainly at the center of the service, CUClickers includes centralized support, faculty training, integration with CUConnect, and other features.
How can CUClickers be incorporated into my class?
There are many pedagogical uses for a student response system. Occassionally, ITS will be sponsoring training sessions that cover classroom use. The Ohio State University has published helpful resources at http://telr.osu.edu/clickers.
Why did ITS choose i>clicker to be the hardware and software for the CUClickers service?
A faculty committee evaluated several clicker systems and found i>clicker to be the system of choice. A subsequent online forum also indicated that i>clicker is favored by the majority of those who participated in the discussion. Based on this input, the campus chose to build CUClickers around the i>clicker system.
How do I get a CUClickers receiver?
Departments and instructors of any kind can get Instructor Kits from the IT Service Center. Click here to request Instructor Kits.
Where can i>clicker remotes be purchased?
Student can purchase i>clicker remotes at the CU Bookstore. Instructor kits checked out from ITS come with two instructor remotes. These remotes work the same as student remotes.
Where do students register i>clicker remotes?
A student needs to register his or her remote in CUConnect. Click here for registration instructions.
Can I upload results into my CULearn grade book?
Yes. Click here for instructions on how to set i>clicker software to work with CULearn.
How do I create manual rosters and/or roll calls?
Instructions for doing this are in the PC User Guide. Instruction are on page 11.
Back to Top
Hardware setup
How do I set up a CUClickers system?
Connect the i>clicker receiver to your computer with the included USB cable. The receiver should immediately power itself on. (Note: the receiver draws power from the computer’s USB port. Please make sure the computer has sufficient battery power or is plugged in.)
The computer would typically be connected to a data projector to allow students to see questions and responses. However, the system functions without this connection.
What kind of batteries does the i>clicker remote take? How do I change them?
The i>clicker remote takes three AAA batteries. To remove the battery cover, you have to push down a small tab next to the battery compartment. The instructions suggest using a key for this, though many keys are too big.
What do I do if the spring in the battery compartment wears out?
The CU Bookstore will have replacement springs available.
How do I turn on my i>clicker remote?
Once you remove your clicker from its packaging, you will need to pull the tab on the back of it to activate the batteries. On the front of your clicker you will notice there are 6 options: A, B, C, D, E, and On/Off. The On/Off button is what you choose to both turn it on (resulting in a sold blue light by the “Power” indicator at the top of your clicker) and off (removing the solid blue light).
How do students register their i>clicker remote?
A student needs to register his or her i>clicker remote in CUConnect. This will associate a student’s i>clicker remote with his or her CU Login Name. Click here for registration instructions.
Back to Top
Software setup
What software do I need to run the CUClickers system?
To run the CUClickers system in a classroom, you need the software folder containing the i>clicker program and other assorted files. (You’ll only need to run the i>clicker application.) Click here to get the software.
How do I get the software?
Click here to get the software. You will only be downloading a .zip file that once unzipped is a folder with the i>clicker and i>grader applications —no installation process is necessary.
What is the software folder called?
The i>clicker software folder is called either MyCoursePC or MyCourseMac, depending on whether you’re using the Windows or Mac version.
What operating systems work with CUClickers?
For Macintosh, users must run Mac OS X 10.4 (“Tiger”). The Windows software works on Windows XP and Windows Vista. A patch that allows the software to run on Windows 2000 is available.
How do I run the software?
Double-click on the i>clicker application on a Mac, or i>clicker.exe on a Windows computer, then choose either Start Session or Resume Last Session. Make sure to launch i>clicker from the appropriate folder for the class.
How do I load a class roster?
Faculty teaching courses that appear in CUConnect’s Faculty Course Toolkit can download a CUClickers specific roster. This downloaded file must be renamed roster.txt and placed in the software folder for the course you are teaching. Click here to learn how to download and place the roster file.
How do I update the software?
To update, open the folder that includes the i>clicker program. Instead of opening i>clicker, open Web Update on a Mac or WebUpdate.exe on Windows, and follow the instructions. The software update can run fairly quickly.
If I have three i>clicker software folders and I want to update, do I run Web Update once, or do I need to do it three times?
You will need to run Web Update for every copy of the program you have. If you have three software folders, you’ll need to run Web Update three times—and you’ll need to run the specific Web Update inside each folder.
Does the update process erase my session data?
It shouldn’t, but it is wise to back up your data. When backing up your data, please be aware of FERPA guidelines and of IT Security practices that can help keep data safe.
How do I upgrade my i>clicker software to the new version?
You will need to download the upgraded i>clicker software from ITS for each class you have the old software for, then copy over your class data into that folder. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
Do I need different copies of the software for different classes?
Yes. You should duplicate the MyCourseMac or MyCoursePC folders, and rename them with the class section to keep class rosters and results separate. Thus, your computer may contain a copy of the program folder for each course you are using CUClickers in. Remember to run the Web Update in each folder.
What does the i>clicker software look like when it runs?
Once a session is started, the i>clicker software runs by default as a very small toolbar with few options in the upper-left corner of the screen. This is so it can run in front of other presentation materials, such as PowerPoint slides, without getting in the way. However, it’s also possible to use the small toolbar to bring up other pop-up displays, such as a chart of current results, which do take up more space.
How do I add questions to the software?
You don’t. The i>clicker program only controls the reader and collecting student responses. It doesn’t have a way to present questions or polls. Since the main i>clicker window is just a small toolbar, though, it’s designed to be used with another presentation method, such as PowerPoint.
Back to Top
Mac and Windows differences
Are there any major differences between the Mac and PC versions of the software?
Not really, though be sure to run the right version for the operating system.
What are some of the minor differences between the two versions?
There are some minor differences that relate to the operating system in use. For example, the program you’d open on a Mac is labeled i>clicker, while the Windows version is i>clicker.exe. Also, the PC software is located in the MyCoursePC folder and the Mac version is in the MyCourseMac folder.
How do I make a copy of the software folder using a Mac? Using a PC?
On a Mac, ctrl-click (or right click) on the folder or icon you’d like to copy (probably MyCourseMac, if you’re duplicating the original folder), then select Duplicate. A copy appears.
In Windows, right-click on the folder you’d like to copy, then select Copy from the menu. (This will probably be the MyCoursePC folder.) Right-click where you’d like the duplicate version to appear, then select Paste from the menu.
Back to Top
Get Help
IT Service Center
303-735-4357 (5-HELP)
help@colorado.edu |
