Tips on clicker usage, quirks, and bugs.

TMA is Teacher Managed Mode and is used for single questions one at a time.  SMA is Student Managed Mode where you will answer multiple questions such as on a quiz or exam.  Only the instructor can control the mode.

The biggest problem by far for new clicker users is not enrolling properly.  You think you are enrolled, but CPS will never hear your clicker unless you complete the online enrollment process fully and successfully.  You must enter the serial number correctly including the first letter "r" (lower case r as in ralph).  You must enter the class code correctly as many times as it requests.  You must record your username and password so you can log back onto your online account and correct any mistakes.  You must complete all information online if you are paying for your CPS usage with a credit card.  At the end of the process you must "logout".  If you close the browser window before hitting the logout key, your information will not be set up properly.  Record the Pad ID number assigned for your clicker for the course you have just enrolled.  If the number is 0001 you have made an error in the enrollment process and entered the wrong class key number.

In general, do not turn your clicker on until the instructor starts and displays the CPS software.

If you do power the clicker on but touch no other key before the CPS software is started, you will see the serial number displayed.  This is useful and necessary for finding out this number in order to enroll in a course.  If you touch any other key but the power key, then the clicker will try to join something and the screen will display "Joining......."  Pressing additional keys has no effect.  If you now press the power down key, but do not hold it, the screen will display

Join:

_ _

It is asking for the receiver number.  If you press a two digit number like 33, the pad will display

Join:

33

If you now press Send, the screen will go back to Joining.......  as it tries to find receiver 33.

To turn the clicker off, keep holding the power key down and the clicker will power off.  It may take up to 5 sec.

The power key must be depressed and held for 3-5 seconds in general for anything to happen.  Bouncing it once or bouncing it repeatedly does nothing, or causes erratic behavior as above.

You can tell that you have successfully joined a class and the CPS software is listening for you by observing that your proper clicker pad number is displayed on the top line of the LCD screen.  The second line will usually say "TMA Mode".  This is meaningless at this time and is just a default message.

Turning your clicker off after CPS is running and you have joined a class but before the class is over is generally a bad idea.  Once you have successfully joined, stay joined.  If you turn your clicker off by accident, CPS still thinks you are joined but of course it cannot hear anything you send.  If you now turn your clicker back on, your clicker will send a join signal to CPS but CPS will be confused because it thinks you are already joined.  Behind the scenes, the two have to talk to each other for a while, but you should be ultimately rejoined.  Depending upon what CPS is doing this may take a while, up to 4 minutes!

Once an instructor has engaged a CPS lesson in any mode, CPS will not let you turn the clicker off until the lesson is stopped.  The clicker is not broken.  Once the lesson is stopped power control is returned to you.  In SMA mode, the instructor can give you the power to turn off your clicker even though the lesson is still engaged by other students.  However, this is not the default and the instructor must do this.  Students cannot turn off their clickers if a TMA mode is engaged.

One of the most common uses of the clickers  is for the instructor to use the Course Attendance option.  This may be done to record actual attendance data or just as a method of ensuring that you have successfully joined a class. The most common sequence of events is as follows.  The Instructor starts and displays the CPS software on the data projector.  Students are now told to power on their clickers.  The big JOIN screen does not have to be displayed with the new style clickers, but if it is, there is no harm.  A large grid  may appear on the data projector with the enrolled clicker numbers.  Nothing will happen until the Instructor mouse clicks on the Start button.  After this, if you have successfully joined, the box with your clicker number should turn blue.  If not and your clicker screen indicates you have successfully joined, try sending any key (e.g. A, SEND) and your box should turn blue.

Pay attention to the status messages that appear on your clicker screen.  If it displays "CLEAR ANSWER", hit the clear key.  If it says "RECEIVING" or "SENDING" or "PLEASE WAIT" do not hit any keys while this is in progress.  The software is sometimes slow to respond in  large class.

If using the clicker for a series of multiple choice questions, the clicker will automatically jump to the next question after your response has been received (not after you send it).  You can skip over this question or go back by using the arrow keys that look like < and >.  Note that if you go back to a question and want to change your answer, you must first clear the old answer with the "clear" key.  A common mistake is just punching in the new answer.  Your screen will display both such as "AB" instead of "B" and CPS will record this as an incorrect answer!

When taking a multiple choice exam in SMA mode in a large class be extra careful that you wait for the clicker to send your answer and for the software to record it.  After you submit your answer the screen may display "PLEASE WAIT".  Do not hit any key until it finishes.  You can always ensure that the software has correctly received your answer by using the arrow keys to scroll back through your responses.  If the software has correctly recorded your answer, say choice D on question 16, the screen will display

Q:16              RECV'D

D

If the RECV'D flag is not there, it has not recorded your answer, probably because you hit another key before it was finished  recording your response.  If there is no RECV'D flag, you can still submit the correct answer.  But first CLEAR the D answer, then reenter D, then hit send.  It again jumps to the next question, but use the arrow key ONLY IF NO OTHER MESSAGE LIKE "PLEASE WAIT" is on the screen, and go back to the question.  RECV'D should appear.  If not try again.  If you do not clear your answer first, it thinks you are trying to send something like DD and will not accept it as a valid answer.

In a few very cases, VERY RARE, the clicker seems to lock up.  If a lesson is engaged you may not be able to power it down.  In this case, open the battery cover and remove one battery.  Wait a few seconds, then replace the battery and power the clicker.  Wait for a while (up to minutes!!!) but the clicker should then rejoin the class.