Minutes:GGHC2011 2011-03-31

Summary

Decided on a Group Response System. The teacher has a teacher unit and each student has a student unit.

Before each question, the students get up and form into a group (different group each time). The teacher gives them a narrow topic, and they discuss to try to make sure everyone will get the question right. They go back to their desks and answer individually. They get green, yellow, or red depending on whether their entire group, some of their group, or none of their group, answered correctly.

The teacher configures each question as they go. The teacher unit can be plugged in as a usb keyboard and dumps to any text editor.

Student units:

• microcontroller
• supercap or AA bats
• trasmitter/receiver pair
• clear case and sturdy buttons
• LED display

Teacher units:

• microcontroller
• supercap or AA bats
• trasmitter/receiver pair
• clear case and sturdy buttons
• LED display
• USB connector

Minutes

Existing ideas:

• Logic bricks (robot?)
• Group response
• Roger's microcontroller
• Laser/IR shaker

New ideas:

• Hot potato
• Timebomb hallpass
• RFID attendance

Originally no one was in love with any one idea.

Ross championed Group response system

• Similar to what's been done, but group dynamic is novel
• Turns quizzes into games
• Driven by teaching technique, not tech
• Gets students moving around

New idea: we can give students a topic before asking them the question, and have them answer separately. Example: teacher says "topic will be color mixing", question might be "what color do you get when you mix red and blue paint?" Trying to guess the question is a game in itself, gets students thinking actively.

How do we dump data?

• SD - expensive, not necessary
• Output keystrokes as a usb keyboard

How do we split students into groups?

• Display on student unit? Maybe needs more thought

Powering units. Maybe supercaps, or just AA batteries if we don't have time.

Need sturdy buttons and case. Maybe use see-through case.

We can call it IQ: Interactive Quiz

Teacher sets answers one at a time. Simple interface.