Classroom response systems: your input request

We use turner technology and I hate them. The first half of the semester they didnt work and then we still hardly ever use them and they are not really easy to use and a lot of people have problems with getting theirs to work. I don't understand the real point of them and I thought it was a HUGE HUGE waste of money and some were smart enough not to buy them, wish I could say I was one of them.

I have investigated so far: Turning technologies, eInstruction clicker, and Webclicker. Have you had any experiences, positive or negative, with any of these products as a student? Any input would be most welcome.

Also, what would you think of using this technology for quizzes and testing?

I have used the iClicker so I can't give you any advice about the products that work with smartphones. Except to say that it is a great idea to choose one that doesn't require an extra piece of equipment! It's easy to leave the iClicker lying around, but I never forgot my phone :)

As for using them for quizzes and testing. I think it depends on whether these quizzes are for grading or to promote discussion.

For grading - definitely NO. You are asking the entire class to move at one speed through an exam (assuming you can only put up one question at a time). As a fast test-taker, I would go nuts waiting for the slowest person in class to finish. And I would bet the slower test-takers would be having major anxiety trying to rush through questions.

To promote discussion - YES. I have seen the iClicker work well for this. You toss up a question in the middle of lecture, poll for responses, and then ask students to explain why they chose each answer. I think it helped students who otherwise wouldn't speak in class to see that they were not alone in their reasoning (i.e. 25% of the class agreed with you on that answer - you aren't stupid). It made them more willing to speak up and engage. It also tells you, as the instructor, whether or not you are teaching effectively. If 50% of the class chose the wrong answer you know it's time to back up/slow down and address the confusion. I think this technique was helpful for students who were poor exam takers and struggled with NCLEX-type questions. They got to hear how stronger testers worked through tricky questions.

We use the system for short (about 5 questions) quizzes at the beginning of each class to test everyone on the reading, so the instructors can make sure we prepared for the lecture that day. It's nice to have the easy 20 or 30 points of those quizzes put into the final grade, and it's DEFINITELY nice to be able to see that if 50% of the class is picking the same wrong answer, the instructors should probably clarify or spend some time explaining that topic.

I've used iClicker and another brand similar. I don't particularly care for iClicker just because it makes me nervous so I end up pressing the button 4 or 5 times to make sure I've keyed in the right answer. With the other brand of clicker (I'll edit in the brand name if I can remember) there was a small screen on it that showed your name, the answer you picked, and confirmed that the teacher's computer received your answer. That made me feel much better.