PRS FAQ'sProtected
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PRS FAQ's:Basics:How do faculty members begin to use PRS RF?This information is included in the Getting Started Using Clickers section. What is the current price for PRS RF? Students purchase the PRS RF at the bookstore; the current price is $50 new and $37.50 used. Will the bookstore buy back a used PRS RF? Yes, if PRS RF is in good working order the bookstore will buy it back for $25. What is the technology used for signal transmission? The PRS RF system operates in the 2.4GHz frequency range and uses a Direct Spread Spectrum Sequence (DSSS) technology. Range for the system in Free Space is 150 feet. How many students (Clickers) can participate in a session? There can be 2047 Clickers used per Receiver. Up to 4 Receivers can be used concurrently, making the theoretical limit for the system 8,188 Clickers. Are there recurring registration charges for students? No, there are no ongoing registration fees required of the school or the students to continue using the system. The only cost of the PRS RF system is the hardware. The initial cost is up front—purchasing the system. The only recurring costs are for replacement batteries. Can the PRS RF System be used in Anonymous mode? Yes. Anonymous mode gives the instructor the option of collecting students’ responses without the associated Student ID that identifies the student. Do I need to manually create a roster? No. PRS RF provides the ability to easily and reliably associate a specific student in the class with a specific Clicker. Using this information, the class roster is then automatically created. The Clicker ID is captured with the Student ID at the time the student joins the class and participates in a PRS Session. As such, a direct and immediate association is established between the student and the Clicker. Student names would have to be manually associated with the Student ID or a student roster may be imported from ISIS. What batteries do the RF Clickers use and how long do they last? The PRS RF Clicker uses three (3) AAA batteries – standard alkaline batteries. One set of batteries is included with the purchase. The batteries are installed in the battery compartment, the cover of which is secured with a screw. The average life expectancy of the three AAA batteries in the PRS RF Clicker is estimated at 26 weeks with typical use. Variations in battery life will occur based on the unit’s sleep time setting and on how often Self Paced Test and Homework modes, which typically consume more power, are used. The PRS RF Clicker has a battery level indicator that displays at power up. A diagnostic battery display in the Setup Menu provides an indication of the percentage of battery life remaining. When the battery gets very low, the PRS RF Clicker will display a “Low Battery” warning. Hardware and Installation:How are the RF Receivers powered and connected to the computer?The PRS RF Receiver (also known as Hub) is connected to the computer via any USB port. Where should I place the RF Receiver in the classroom? The PRS RF system is a very portable system. The Receiver does not rely on line-of-sight transmission, so a special wall mount is not necessary. The only caveat regarding the placement of the RF Receiver is that it should not be located near anything made of metal, including the computer box. Metal serves as a shield to the RF signal. Otherwise, after the Receiver is connected to the computer, it can be placed anywhere in the room. Is the PRS RF system RoHS-compliant? Yes. The PRS RF system complies with the European Union’s strict environmental standards referred to as RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances). PRS RF is compliant for the following six substances restricted by the RoHS regulations: Lead, Hexavalent Chromium, Mercury, Polybrominated Biphenyls, Polybrominated Biphenyl ethers, and Cadium. Lack of Data Collision and Interference from Other Systems:How many channels does the PRS RF system use and how does it find a channel?The PRS RF system partitions the 2.4GHz frequency band into 78 separate channels with two PN code options, providing up to 156 channel combinations. Of these 156 channels, 26 are allocated to broadcasting class information from the Receiver. The 130 remaining channels are used to send data from the Clickers to the Receiver. The PRS RF Receiver selects channels dynamically. At startup, the Receiver performs a scan of the entire 2.4GHz spectrum and selects the channels that have the least amount of RF energy. This ensures that, in all likelihood, other products operating in the 2.4GHz band will be avoided. Channels 1-9 and A-D are the designated channels used by the RF Receiver to broadcast the class. PRS will display the assigned channel to provide a quick jump directly to that channel, so students can avoid having to wait for the scan to complete, which can take several minutes. Can the RF Receiver detect conflicting RF Receivers in adjacent areas? The PRS RF Receiver scans the entire environment and looks for energy on all channels in the 2.4GHz frequency band in order to avoid other PRS RF Receivers in nearby classrooms. The PRS RF Receiver also broadcasts a 16-bit Receiver ID as a unique identifier for the Clickers in the classroom, set by each faculty member. How does PRS RF deal with interference from or with other radio sources? PRS RF uses a DSSS (Direct Spread Spectrum Sequence) technology called Wireless USB that provides a high level of noise immunity from other systems. With DSSS, the signal is spread across the entire channel and reconstructed at the Receiver. By spreading the signal across the channel, PRS RF minimizes interference with other systems that might be in close proximity. Classroom Techniques:What types of questions are supported by the PRS RF Clickers?The RF Clicker keys include the numbers 0 through 9; alpha characters A through E, T and F; a decimal point; and the minus (negative) sign. The entire alphabet can be accessed by pressing one of the alpha keys and scrolling up or down to the desired letter (not recommended). A forward slash can be entered into an answer by pressing the decimal point key twice. A space can be entered by pressing the decimal point key three times. Question types supported by PRS RF include Single Answer Multiple Choice, Multiple Correct Multiple Choice, True/False, Answer Series, Numeric, and Survey. Lettered response choices or numbered response choices can be designated for both of the Multiple Choice question types, and for Answer Series and Survey question types. How do students enter their responses on the Clicker and will they know when their responses have been received? The PRS RF Clicker has an LCD display that is 2 lines by 16 characters. The keys pressed by the student appear on the first line of the display. The second line shows status messages returned by PRS. The response is sent when the Send/Enter key is pressed. A status message, such as Received, will appear on the second line of the Clicker display when the response has been processed. Can the students change their responses? The instructor can set the number of chances, from 1 to 99, a student has to answer a question. PRS tracks the number of times a student responds to a question. Only the last response is saved. How are the results reviewed with the class? When the question timer is stopped, or time runs out, a Response Chart is displayed. The Response Chart graphs the distribution of the responses to the question and the correct response (instructor’s choice). Students and instructors appreciate the instant feedback. It opens up opportunities for discussion and reveals areas of weakness in the level of comprehension of the material being covered. Software:What are the software license restrictions?When PRS is purchased, the software is site-licensed to the institution purchasing it for use with the PRS hardware. This means that the institution has the right to make as many copies of Response as needed for use on the institution’s computers that are connected to the PRS hardware. Copies of Response can also be made for personally owned computers that are used for class preparation or teaching at the institution. How can I use my Microsoft® PowerPoint files with PRS? Any slide in a PowerPoint Slide Show can be turned into a PRS Question Slide. There is a PRS PowerPoint Add-in for both Mac and Windows users that makes it easy to set up PRS question slides in PowerPoint (PowerPoint 2008 is not currently supported). All of the PRS question types are supported by the PRS Add-in. How do I create questions using PRS? Questions can be easily created in several ways. A question authoring tool is included in the Response software. You can use this authoring tool not only to create questions in Response, but to insert a new question or insert an existing question from your lesson library. The PowerPoint Add-in module provides a way to quickly and easily turn any Microsoft® PowerPoint slide into a PRS question slide. The XML import function makes it possible to import prepared questions, responses and correct answers provided by book publishers into your Lesson. And finally, ad hoc questions can be created “on the fly” during a PRS Session. Can I import graphics into my questions? Yes, the PRS software supports standard graphic formats such as .jpeg, .png, and .gif. Can a question be created "on the fly" during a class? Questions can be created by choosing Collect Responses and utilizing Impromptu Mode. Can the results of a question be displayed “on the spot”? The software provides the option to automatically show a graph of the audience responses as soon as the question timer expires or is stopped. Other option settings allow the instructor to show the correct answer for each question or hide the correct answer until after all of the questions have been presented. Response can be run in a No Lesson mode, where the questions originate in a separate application, or are written on a blackboard or displayed on an overhead projector. Even in No Lesson mode, responses are automatically charted and displayed. Does the Response software have a “summary” feature that allows the instructor to immediately display a question’s results for class discussion? Yes. Responses can be displayed in a graph format allowing the instructor and students to see the distribution of responses. A “% Correct” value can be selected for each question’s responses, providing additional information for the instructor. The correct answer can be toggled on or off – depending on the instructor’s teaching style. At the end of a question, the instructor can view the details of the responses – who responded and their individual responses – in a tabular format. Is the Interwrite PRS system software and hardware compatible with other Clickers or Receivers? With other software applications? The Interwrite PRS software is proprietary and operates only with the Interwrite PRS RF hardware at this time. The Response software is provided at no additional charge to Interwrite PRS hardware users. PRS employs XML and CSV file formats to provide the ability to export data to other systems. What technical support is available for Interwrite PRS RF? Live phone support is available at 1-800-856-0732 or 1-480-443-2214 (outside the US). Or, you can submit your question via the online form. In addition, the Interwrite support site maintains a Support Forum, where you can discuss your PRS questions and issues with fellow PRS users and access training videos. |
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