University of Wyoming Instructional Computing Services

Classroom Performance System (CPS) Instructions

Last Update:  8 September, 2006; R. Hill

CPS allows you to ask questions in class that students answer by striking keys on personal keypads (or "clickers") brought to class.  The results are shown on a computer monitor, normally projected to be visible to the whole class.  Students seem to benefit from  this participation, and it can reveal gaps in their understanding during the lecture itself. 

I.  Necessary Elements and Preparation

CPS Online website http://www.eInstruction.com

Where students register their keypads, and where your instructor accounts and class rosters are maintained.

CPS program cps.exe

Run this to compose questions (in the ".cps" database, below), and to administer questions in class.  Work with version 4.01.1064.  Database files from previous versions can be opened in subsequent versions.

CPS databases xxx.cps

You create these files to use in class, containing the written questions you plan to ask, the list of valid keypads, and the records of responses entered from the students.

What you have to do to prepare:

1. Install the CPS program, which can be downloaded from the vendor eInstruction at the CPS Online web address above.  Version exist for both Windows and Mac OS X.  Choose the DOWNLOADS link from the top menu bar, and, for a Windows system, select "Windows Update for CPS" even if you don't have CPS already installed, or select "CPS for PC Service Releases" if you already have version 3.60 or later.

2. Create a new user account for yourself:

   1. Run CPS (the program cps.exe).  You will need to "Open a new database."

   2. "Classes" tab -->  "New"...(fill in fields)...  "Have you taught using CPS in the past?"  Answer: No -->
      Enter Instructor setup code for UW (which can be obtained at the ECTL, 766-4847) -->

   3. Specify class parameters, entering a title for "name" and dept/number for "designation."

   4. Enter your choice of username and password --> personal data

   5. Complete the class creation and setup from step 3.b below.

3. To create a new class, with an existing instructor account, run CPS and from the "Classes" tab, choose "New." 

   1. If you already have a an account, enter your username and password. 

   2. Note the Class Key and announce it to your students. 

   3. Print class info and Student Enrollment Instructions if desired.

4. Run the program, cps.exe, to set up a CPS database (a ".cps" file on your local computer)

5. Prepare questions in advance, if you wish.  See "To Set Up Questions..." below.

6. Obtain the class roster from CPS Online at http://www.einstruction.com.  You will need to do this on every change to student enrollment, to keep the keypads registered in your course.  See the directions for "Synchronizing your class..." under NOTES at the end of this document.

7. Find out if your classroom has a receiver; if not, arrange with Andy Bryson, Instructional Media (6-2035)  to borrow one.

What you have to do in class

1. Run the program cps.exe.  In Windows, you may have to kill the Quick Start Guide with the Task Manager.

2. Open your CPS database.

3. Choose, and "Engage" a lesson.  In "Session," check "Include in Gradebook" and select "Class Participation" from the list.

4. Start a question and allow students to click their keypads; responses show on the grid.    See the "Administering Questions" options below.

5. Discuss the results.

6. Start next question and repeat.

7. Close the CPS program and continue with your class.

What students have to do to prepare:

1. Buy a keypad and course access.  (Course access can be purchased online during connection.)

2. Register in your course, at http://www.einstruction.com (under the "Students" tab), using the Class Key that you gave them.

3. Note keypad number (to detect their own response success in class).

What students have to do in class:

Students bring their keypads to class.  In the classroom: 

They answer your questions by pressing a key while aiming the light at the sensor, checking for a logged response by keypad number on the grid.

II.  The Facilities of CPS

To check keypads and attendance:

Run cps.exe and open the database file ("--.cps").
Click the "Class" tab and select the class name from the list.
Choose "Attenance..." to show the keypad number grid, and have students click their pads.
If student keypads don't show lights flash when keys are pressed, batteries or keypad may be bad.

To set up questions in advance of a class session:

Open the database file (".cps"). 
Click on the database file name, then Tools, and "New Lesson." 
Then click on the lesson, and Tools, and "New Question." 
Choose from the templates menu-- true/false, multiple choice, etc.
Type in the question and answers.

For a quicker start in the classroom, synchronize your class (update the roster using CPS Online, from the www.einstruction.com website) before you leave your office.

To examine results from a class session:

Run CPS, and click the "Gradebook" tab.  Make sure the dates at the bottom cover the session of interest. 

You can "Export" the gradebook to MS Excel.  Or (Windows, but not Mac OS X users) choose "Question Grid Export" from Reports (below) to see comma-separated values data of each student's response to each question (numbered sequentially in columns, correct answers beneath).
or
You can view the results in as a formatted report (Windows only).  Select the session you want to examine.  Click the "Reports" tab, select a session, and "Generate."   Uncheck "Filter out students who didn't respond" to see what everyone did.  Select the type of report.  Here are some of the most useful:

Instructor Report

Displays responses indexed by student

Question Report

Displays responses in detail indexed by question

Response Report

Displays simple response statistics for each question

To allow students to examine their own results, upload the session to CPS Online in "Reports."  Select the session and right-click.

NOTES

Student Payment Terms:  Students may use the same keypad in another course, by registering it with another Class Key, but the authorization provided by the enrollment fee is good only for one semester.

Preparing Written Questions:  A graphic (like a JPEG image) is referenced from a question, not embedded in it, and should be in the same directory as the database file containing the question.

Administering Questions:  In addition to the written questions prepared as part of a lesson, you can use:

• Verbal:  For questions you ask from the lectern or have embedded in a projected presentation.  The response grid will show, with no question displayed above it.  If you want to type the questions into the CPS screen, live, so that they show as you ask them, select "Show large screen" on the lesson options.  Choose the appropriate range of responses by clicking on a square button.  Verbal questions appear in the various results in the order asked, but unlabeled.

• Chalkboard:  The response grid will show, with a paintable canvas above.  You can draw simple curves and diagrams, and ask questions based on them.

• PowerPoint:  You can run your PowerPoint presentations from within CPS, providing the questions on slides.  See us or the documentation for help.

Detecting Response:  On the grid, which shows the keypads by number, student keypad clicks will flash blue for a valid response, red if the response is out of range, yellow if they've already answered.

Synchronizing your class:  Obtain the class roster from CPS Online at http://www.einstruction.com periodically.

The first time, you must log on at the CPS Online website above using the "Instructors" tab.  Click on CPS Connection and follow the direction to "Export" (even though, from your point of view, the operation is an import of the student roster to your database file).
a.  Browse for the name of your database (the ".cps" file on your local computer).
b.  Click "Open Database."
c.  "Create New Class" the first time, entering a name (such as "Section1") for the class, i.e., the group of students, in the edit window.

The other times that you use this class,
a.     either use CPS Online Export and check "Open Class" and select the class name from the window
        or open the database, choose "Classes", right-click on the name of the class, and choose "CPS Online Synch."
b.  Click "Export" to transfer the list of students from the CPS Online site to your local database.
c.  Check that the students are listed by opening the database file (running cps.exe) and clicking "Classes."

More Information:  EInstruction.com provides a lengthy User's Guide in PDF format at their website under "Customer Support" (on the left navigation bar).  You might find the Tips and FAQ links useful, as well.  And the CPS "Quick Start Guide" is useful for brief overviews.

III.  Assessment of Effectiveness

The University of Colorado website offers documents that are useful to prospective and current faculty adopters.  See these links:

Jackson and Trees (Dept. of Communication):  http://www.colorado.edu/ftep/technology/FTEPMichele%20jack.pdf
    In particular, see the "Recommendations" sections toward the end.  Here is the Summary from that paper:

Contrary to the marketing discourse surrounding student response systems, clickers do not necessarily tap an unmet need or desire in students to avoid the experience of the large classroom. Yet, from an instructional viewpoint, there are advantages to developing alternatives to the traditional lecture. Complexity arises because students are not only accustomed to large lecture (and their responsibilities therein), they may prefer it for the way it fits with their learning style. From this study, it appears that while "clicker classrooms" are certainly not large lectures, neither do they provide the experience of a small seminar. In fact, they do not appear to be any one thing at all. Clickers are a tool that can support many pedagogical approaches. If we are going to make them effective, we need to learn more about these variations.

Back to "Faculty Help" at http://www.uwyo.edu/ctl/Inst_computing/Faculty_Help.asp.