The psychology department has just started their first series of lectures using a Personal Response System. Today was the first lecture (Introduction in Psychology) and they decided to try it out on all 500 first year students....
I simply had to go and have a look. And it worked! Students were able to respond to questions and the answers streamed in and were immediately presented on screen. It really works amazingly well. The next challenge is to use it in a meaningful manner. I wonder if they will start using it for quick intermediate tests in the lecture hall.
For all those interested: They have chosen to use the Interwrite system made by GTCO Calcomp. This decision was strongly based on the large number of students and the large size of the lecture hall that needs to be covered.
For all those interested in a broader perspective visit the website of Steve Draper at the University of Glasgow, who has written a lot on Personal Response Systems (PRS)/Electronic Voting Systems (EVS).