Electronic Voting Systems (EVS)
What are Electronic Voting System?
Electronic Voting Systems (also known as Audience/Personal Response Systems) can be used within lectures and classes to increase student engagement and promote a deep and thoughtful approach to learning.
The systems are simple in principle. You pose a question on the screen, and invite students to vote on this question. After polling is complete, you see a bar chart of the responses that were received.
However, they can be a very powerful teaching tool. Examples of ways that EVS can be used include:
- Diagnostic testing: find out what your students already know
- Contingent teaching: use the results of polls to change your teaching plans to deliver exactly what the audience needs
- Promoting class discussion: poll and ask for feedback on why different responses were chosen
- Peer instruction: Encourage students to discuss questions, convincing each other of the correctness of their answers
The latter method has been developed by Eriz Mazur, Professor of Physics at Harvard. You can find out more in a short YouTube clip.
All of these uses have one common purpose: encouraging students to be actively thinking about their subject in lectures.
Electronic voting systems at UCL
UCL has made a substantial investment in the TurningPoint electronic voting system. This integrates neatly with PowerPoint, making designing voting questions straightforward (although it can also be used without Powerpoint on both PCs and Macs).
Approximately 1200 voting handsets are held centrally, with additional sets having been purchased by individual departments. For 2011/12 they can be booked in two ways:
- ELE has approximately 800 handsets and additional receivers that can be loaned to departments or groups of academic staff for either a term or the full academic year.
- A smaller number of handsets will remain available as a pool set which can be borrowed by staff and booked through AV for shorter periods (www.ucl.ac.uk/mediares/av)
We are now seeking expressions of interest from departments that would like to use electronic voting in 2011/12. LTSS will work with these departments to ensure that the staff have the skills and confidence to use the system effectively.
Staff development and support
The Learning Technology Support Service provides a course in the use of electronic voting, together with ongoing support. We are also happy to advise on ways in which EVS can be used within teaching and on the design of effective voting questions.
Software downloads
Software downloads for using UCL's electronic voting system are available on the software download page. You will need to use your UCL username and password to log in to this page.
MBBS Year 1
Further information for MBBS Year 1 students using electronic voting will be here shortly.
