Academic Technology Center
Teaching with Technology Collaboratory

Delivering Verbal (on-the-fly) or PowerPoint Slide Questions in CPS

Why?

You do not need to prepare questions ahead of time in the CPS software database. You can use CPS in conjunction with a PowerPoint presentation, questions on a blackboard, or with spontaneous questions that come up during lecture. Be aware that no text for verbal questions will appear in the CPS window. CPS will, however, record the answers and/or feedback for verbal questions and save it so that the responses may be used at a later time (i.e. grading, attendance records, planning for future lessons, etc.).

  1. To start a verbal question, load up CPS. From the Settings Menu, select Delivery Options.
  2. Click the Receiver tab and select the Detect CPS Receiver button. CPS will attempt to communicate with your CPS Receiver.
  3. Once the receiver has been detected, close out of the Delivery Options window.
  4. Back at the main CPS application window, select the Engage tab.
  5. Click the Engage Verbal button.
  6. The Verbal Questions Setup dialog box appears.
  7. Give the session a name and select whether or not you would like the session to be recorded in the gradebook.
  8. Before you begin, you will need to tell the system which pad numbers you are using (You only need to do this once at the start of a session).

    9. Note

    If you are using the bookstore model, select your class from the drop-down list under Class.

  9. Click the Create button to set up the response pad numbers.
  10. Enter your lower and upper range numbers from the response pads and then OK. These numbers appear on the top or inside of the CPS kit. If you are combining more than one CPS kit, you need to include the range of both kits. For example, if you are using kits #1-32 and #65-96 your range will be #1-96.
  11. You will now see "Default Class" in the class box. Click OK to start verbal questions.
  12. CPS will minimize to a smaller toolbar.
  13. Select the Options button to set any preferences you would like, such as "Show correct answer" or "Show pads that have responded".

Delivering Verbal Questions

  1. Click the Verbal button to start a question.
  2. Choose your question type.
  3. A Ballot Grid window appears with your class response pad range in boxes.
  4. Select the Start button when you are ready for students to begin responding.

    5. Note

    There is also an option in the Options button window to automatically Start a question. If the Start button is grayed out, that means students can begin responding at any time.

  5. When a student enters their answer, their pad number in the grid flashes blue to indicate that their response was tabulated by the receiver. If a student tries to respond again, their number flashes green to show that they have already responded with the same answer or yellow with a different answer. A red "X" indicates that the button pressed is not an available answer. (For example, if a student accidentally presses "D" for an "A-C" multiple choice question.
  6. Clicking the Show/Hide Pads button keeps the pad numbers filled in on the screen to let you know when everyone has finished entering their answers.
  7. When you are ready to end the question, click the End button.
  8. A graph showing the distribution of answers appears.
  9. Selecting Correct answer highlights the number of correct responses in a different color.
  10. Selecting None makes all answers the same color.

Related Resources

Maintained by itweb@wpi.edu
Last modified: Apr 02, 2008, 08:46 EDT
[WPI] [ATC] [Home] [Back] [Top]

Academic Technology Center - Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609-2280
Phone: +1-508-831-5220 - Fax: +1-508-831-5881 - atc-ttc@wpi.edu