Getting Started

New Users Guide for Instructors

ITSC provides and supports the Personal Response System (PRS) in HKUST. If you decide to use it in your teaching…

1.

Contact ITSC at prs@ust.hk or 2358-6200 if you have any questions on how to use the PRS.

2.

The HKUST iPRS system supports both the ordinary handset and the smart-phone/tablet. Advise your students to install the HKUST iLearn Apps from apps store. Or they can go to ITSC Service Desk at Rm 2021 (Lift 2) to borrow an own ID-encoded PRS handsets. The handsets will be loaned to them for the duration of their study at HKUST.

3.

Email prs@ust.hk if you have any questions about the PRS or using it in class.

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A brief summary on how to use PRS

1. Preparation before going to class

  • To use PRS, click here to check if the room is equipped with the necessary equipment for iPRS. The new PRS is now available in all the central classrooms and lecture theaters.
  • Your students need to check out their own PRS handset if they do not have one yet.
  • Before going to class, you should prepare some questions which you will ask your students.

2. Steps in using PRS in class

  • Activate the PRS software program in your PC, and start a new PRS session.  Enter your Course Code at the Create New Session dialog box correctly.
  • Display the question you want to ask the students together with its answer options. You can do this using the PRS software program or other means such as an overhead projector.
  • Give the students time to respond to the question.  More time will be needed for a larger class or for a difficult question.  Start the countdown by clicking the "start" button in the PRS program.
  • Students respond by clicking the appropriate buttons on their handsets. Signals will be transmitted to the PC for processing by a receiver.
  • Once the response time is over, PRS will display a response distribution chart showing the number of students in each category.  You may provide the correct answer of that question at this point, or you may provide the answers of all questions when you end the session.
  • Repeat the steps for another question if necessary.
  • At the end of the session, you are advised to save your data.

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A few hints

1.

Questions must be multiple-choice type of up to 10 selections.

2.

Instructors can have a choice of 'Known' or 'Anonymous' mode when collecting data from students.
'Known' means the system will record the identity of the students responding, 'Anonymous' means otherwise.

3.

The questions used in a PRS session can be set:

  • as a "text file" in a thumb drive using Notepad or Wordpad
  • as a MS Word or PowerPoint file
  • on a piece of paper to be handed out to students
  • on an OHV transparency

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PRS Resources for download

Sample questions for PRS sessions:

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