Lecturer Resources
Questions? Look here.
Can’t find an answer? Email us at support@participate.co.za
TurningPoint is now PointSolutions.
The system and software have been given a makeover with the addition of some colorful accents. Nonetheless, the underlying process remains unchanged, so there is no need to worry. Furthermore, TurningPoint has been rebranded as PointSolutions. Any relevant support materials will be updated accordingly to reflect this change.
Your Account & Access
Access web voting via ttpoll.eu.
Your account can be accessed at: instructor.turningtechnologies.eu
(You will NOT have any licensed account on turningtechologies.com)
NOTICE: We have learnt that some lecturers mobile sessions have been dropping when they connect to the Wi-Fi. We recommended you plug your laptop into an available LAN port in the classroom to connect to the internet as this connection offers much more stability.
Guides & Downloads
You can download a PDF with step-by-step walk-through to set up and run online web sessions via your instructor account.
Follow these steps to run your class successfully every time.
Follow these steps to enable Mobile responses and create your own session IDs.
Download the installer for MAC & PC.
Download the installer for MAC & PC.
PointSolutions Desktop Instructional Software
Learn about the different facets of PointSolutions desktop that are most important to you.
PointSolutions Web Instructional Software
Learn about the different facets of TurningPoint WEB that are most important to you.
Browse or search our comprehensive user guide for TurningPoint web.
FAQ
See the below for information specific to clickUP.
- Proceed to your Module’s Course Content Area on ClickUP, e.g. ZEN 161 S2 2018.
- Hold cursor over the + sign on the left, right at the top of the screen, then click on Content Area.
- Type in a Name, such as ‘Register your Clicker’ & make it “Available to Users”. Once done, press Submit.
- (A): Click on the newly created content area from the menu.
(B): Click on the Build Content button.
(C):Click on the Turning Account Registration. - (A): Give your module a name, such as “Register your clicker device / account“.(B): Add a description, such as (feel free to copy and paste the example below):(C): Press Submit.
Please use your @tuks.co.za email when registering your clicker.
You do not require a Subscription. Scroll below and click on the Skip button.
- Click on the link that was just created. It will automatically take you to your online account.
- Navigate to the Blackboard tab. Select the module that you want to connect to (eg: Course ID – p_clicker training_2020)
Click on the blue Add button to move it to your Active Courses. - It will now be linked to your online account. Students can now register their clicker and/or device.
- If you’re using the TurningPoint software suite, please ensure that you log in with the EXACT same email used for ClickUP.
- Instructors with PointSolutions Accounts but have not connected their courses in the integration
Set your participant list to ‘auto’. Save your session file at the end of class. Your session file by default is saved locally on your computer or you can save it on a flash drive or network location. You can still at a later stage ‘connect’ your course they and then once connected drag and drop the session file in to the course and will then be able to upload the results.
- Instructors with PointSolutions Accounts and have connected their courses in the integration
This is the desired state you should be in. You will be able to associate your saved session files to your course and upload the results as expected. The session will still exist on your computer / flash drive and the results will also now exist in ClickUP grade centre.
- Students with PointSolutions Accounts but have not connected their courses integration
a. Student who have a PointSolutions account that is not linked to Blackboard will show up as an “Unassigned Device” in the instructor’s results manager. Once the student links their account, the instructor’s course will show this the following day once the course in PointSolutions is updated. We have an automatic nightly syncing process that updates the course every night.
Note: Clicking “Update” from the manage tab of the PointSolutions dashboard does not trigger a full update of the course. You must go to https://instructor.turningtechnologies.eu/, log in to your PointSolutions account, select your course, go to the “Roster” tab, and select “Update Course” in order to manually trigger a full update of your course
- Students who join sessions as guests
This means that the student did not sign in to any PointSolutions account when joining the session. We recommend avoiding this by making sure instructors have the “participant must sign in to account” setting turned on in the ‘enabling mobile responses options’ (this also exists in PointSolutions Web/Pro). The instructor will be able to upload results but they will get an error message. You can assign the guest responses to a participant in the roster once you know who the results are supposed to belong to.
- First check their internet connection is active
- Then check the region settings in their app, it must be set to Europe/Africa/Middle East/Russia region. This can be changed by the students in their app settings.
Changing previously set region on PointSolutions Desktop
- In order to reset PointSolutions App and be able to choose again the region you are connecting to, you will need to delete a file called “TurningPointCloudConfig.config” located as per below, depending on your Operating Systems.
- NB: Please ensure that TurningPoint is closed before deleting this file.
on PC: C:Program Files (x86) > Turning Technologies > TurningPointApp > Application
on MAC: Control-click or right-click on the application, choose Show Package Contents, navigate to Contents/Resources, and remove the file TurningPointCloud.config.
Once deleted, reopen the TurningPoint desktop app, and when prompted, select the region on which your account is activated. Log in using your credentials for this account.
If your session drops ( instructor looses internet connection during session)you must log back in to ‘enable mobile responses’
Note: There will be a pop that offers you to ‘reclaim’ the session – you must do this to ensure no data will be lost.
It is recommended that you connect to a LAN cable to connect to the internet rather than using the WiFi on your laptop. This will reduce the risk of loosing your connection during class.
It is also a good idea to have aback up connection like a 3G dongle or create a ‘hotspot’ from your phone, these options will also work.
With our PointSolutions desktop software download, content and results are self-contained to your computer. Poll in PowerPoint, over top of any application or deliver self-paced assessments. You can also sync your data with ClickUP. PointSolutions desktop is a versatile, full-featured tool that helps instructors engage and assess with interactive questions. Use PointSolutions software to evaluate learning, gather valuable data, and give everyone a voice no matter how big the class, training session or event. Download it HERE
A complement to our PointSolutions web(Pro) platform, the web dashboard download lets you collect results online while enjoying our industry-leading native PowerPoint integration or Anywhere polling. With PointSolutions web(Pro), all your results are available in your account online, whether you use PowerPoint or Anywhere. PointSolutions web(Pro) features a streamlined interface making it easier than ever to engage, assess and track learner progress. This works in tandem with other PointSolutions web(Pro) polling environments, which support online polling and scheduled homework and surveys. Download it HERE
- Click and drag the TurningPoint icon into your Applications folder.
- Locate said folder and then run the TurningPoint application from within it. Your regions should now load successfully, as the app has been given internet rights.
- We typically suggest pinning TurningPoint to your dock for easy access.
- You can delete the original file.
This process basically happens to protect your computer from running anything malicious. By moving the file into your Applications, you’re installing TurningPoint, and allowing your Mac to scan the files continuously to make sure that nothing untoward is happening.
This is a normal behaviour of MACs, the instructor needs to go into their settings and allow screen recording.
Please see the link: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchld6aa7d23/mac
More resources
Please click below to download the full presentation that was delivered by David Wilson during the clicker training sessions in December 2019 and January 2020.
Download here. (30mb)
Abstract
Background: Student response system or clickers is an electronic application where a receiver in the instructor’s computer captures responses to questions from student keypads. Used effectively, clickers can promote learner engagement and serve to improve learning. It can be used in a variety of ways such as to provide feedback to learners and instructor, to start discussions, for peer evaluation, for formative and summative assessment, to build a learning community, and to experiment on human responses.
Aims and Methods:
Using our experience in the use of this technology and literature review, we provide twelve tips for successful use of the student response system.
Results and Conclusions:
We have found these strategies useful and envisage that the application of these tips can help maximize learner engagement and learning.
DOWNLOAD THIS PDF
The key to keeping participants engaged and involved is asking the right questions. Audience response technology can provide the tools for interactive presentations, but utilizing the system to its full potential takes more than “yes” and “no” responses.
Asking meaningful questions that permit attendees to employ critical thinking or reveal interesting results will not only keep audiences awake, but will also encourage interaction, collaboration and communication. Seeing instant feedback allows speakers to understand and address the needs of audiences in real time.
DOWNLOAD THIS PDF
The key to keeping participants engaged and involved during presentations is to ask the right questions. Our response solutions can provide the tools you need to incorporate meaningful questions that inspire participants to think critically while encouraging interaction, collaboration and communication.
DOWNLOAD THIS PDF
Jane E. Caldwell
Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506
Audience response systems (ARS) or clickers, as they are commonly called, offer a management tool for engaging students in the large classroom. Basic elements of the technology are discussed. These systems have been used in a variety of fields and at all levels of education. Typical goals of ARS questions are discussed, as well as methods of compensating for the reduction in lecture time that typically results from their use. Examples of ARS use occur throughout the literature and often detail positive attitudes from both students and instructors, although exceptions do exist. When used in classes, ARS clickers typically have either a benign or positive effect on student performance on exams, depending on the method and extent of their use, and create a more positive and active atmosphere in the large classroom. These systems are especially valuable as a means of introducing and monitoring peer learning methods in the large lecture
classroom. So that the reader may use clickers effectively in his or her own classroom, a set of guidelines for writing good questions and a list of best-practice tips have been culled from the literature and experienced users.
Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) has stood the test of time. Recently Anderson & Krathwohl (2001) ha ve proposed some minor changes to include the renaming and reordering of the taxonomy. This reference reflects those recommended changes.
Writing Good Clicker Questions
Credit: Science Education Initiative – Contact Stephanie.Chasteen@Colorado.edu
Consider question
- Mechanics
- Depth
- Goals
The best clicker questions ….
- Are often focused on conceptual understanding
- Deal with important ideas in class
- Have common student mistakes (consider answers from past exams or quizzes) as the wrong answers.
- Result in a lot of discussion and debate among the students.
- Require analysis and reasoning (not simple memorization).
