It is a combination of hardware and software that adds interactivity to meetings, classrooms or other group settings. The hardware and software package constitutes the “audience response system,” often shortened to “ARS”
In most audience response system setups, a facilitator – or an ARS technician – advances through a presentation that has been projected onto a large screen. Participants, which could range in number from 2 to 3,000 interact with the presentation via wireless hand-held keypads. The facilitator poses a question and offers several possible responses. [Yes/No, True/False, Multiple Choice or Text entry, ranking] Once all participants have selected a response (or time runs out), the aggregated data is graphically displayed within the presentation for all to see.
Audience Response improves learning, builds consensus, facilitates the decision-making process and is always engaging
Audience response allows for either anonymous or traceable interaction. In polling environments – such as delegate voting or executive decision making – respondents can remain anonymous
Data On The Spot [DOTS] Combines Advanced Keypad Technology With Cutting-Edge Software To Create Interactive Environments
Audience Response hardware and software offer a variety of options to cater to your specific interactive needs. A typical audience response system is comprised of the following components:
- base station (receiver)
- wireless keypads (one for every participant)
- audience response system software
In addition to the above items, a computer is needed to run the software and connect to the base station and be connected to a projector.
The system runs like this:
- DOTS software is loaded onto the laptop (i.e. the computer used to facilitate the presentation)
- The receiver is connected to the presentation machine
- The facilitator presents a question to the audience
- Participants use their wireless keypad to select the choice they think is either correct or their opinion
- The system receives the participant answers and stores them in a database which resides on the presentation machine as part of the audience response software
- The software instantly displays a graph representing the results (e.g. 32% said “yes,” 68% said “no”)
- The data can later be retrieved in a variety of reporting formats
- It should be noted that many of our clients choose to use one of our [DOTS] laptops for the interactive software and we manage, with the use of a switcher, to seamlessly switch back and forth between the presenter and his/her presentation and our software
Reporting and available options!
After a question has been displayed on the screen and the results are in, you can choose to show the results or hold off showing the results. It may be sensitive data that you’ve harvested and you may want to analyse the data at a more convenient time or you may want to show the results instantly. The choice is yours.
Data can be saved in Excel, Word or PDF or imported into any data management software you are using. Obviously this allows you to easily move the data results to team members, management etc.
