Interactive response system is an educational technology that gives the educator an ICT (information and communication technology) edge to quickly gather and assess learner responses to the questions asked during the classroom learning session. An audience response system is provides interactivity between teachers and students or audience. An interactive response system promotes group activities among audience or students. It aid students in their learning through fun and interactive manner.
Interactive response systems are generally used in the following mode. First, an educator asked questions from his handset in different formats such as yes or no, multiple choice question, numeric, text, alphanumeric etc to the students. The learners read the question and give their responses to the questions using wireless handsets, which look like mobile keypads. The Interactive response systems have a receiving device integrated to the educator’s classroom computer that receives the responses of the students, send by their handsets. Interactive response systems software installed on educator computer produces reports in the form of graphic charts such as bar chart and pie chart showing the number of student participated in the test and their answers. Teacher can track individual responses, gather data for reporting and analysis of student using Interactive response systems. The results can be exported to various file formats like excel, PDF, HTML etc. Educators then use these reports to assess the student and improve their learning skills. Students are more engaged in the lessons and develop team sprit using Interactive response systems. Interactive response systems are modern teaching aids to promote active learning. By delivering lessons in conjunction with Interactive response systems, it is easy to keep the student attentive and focused about the subject during the classroom sessions. Many, schools, colleges and universities now use Interactive response systems to interact with students. Interactive response systems truly can make every session more efficient and rapidly catches the student’s attention. The technological development in this system has made them economical and teacher friendly.
An interactive response system helps teachers to find pattern about what student has learnt and which areas he should improve to get the excellent results for students. It has been scientifically proven that the students who learn through an interactive response system grasp even difficult concepts much more easily than the students who learn lessons using traditional technologies. It has also been noticed that the use of interactive response system helps in improving attentiveness, knowledge retention during session. Even the quiet and shyest student can give his response spontaneously with confidence through interactive response system. It can be integrated with visualiser to ask spontaneous questions.
