What is Audience Response Technology?
What is audience response? Basically, it is a mixture of software and hardware created to add interactivity to meetings, classrooms or other group interactions. The software and hardware package makes up the “audience response system,” sometimes shortened to just “ARS.”
In the typical ARS setup, a facilitator – or a nearby ARS technician – progresses through a presentation that has been projected onto a large screen. Participants, which could range in amounts of 2 to 20,000, interact with the presentation through wireless hand-held keypads. The facilitator asks a question and offers several possible answers. Once all participants have selected a response (or time runs out), the aggregate data is graphically displayed within the presentation for all to see.
Audience response allows for either anonymous or non-anonymous interaction. In polling environments – such as delegate voting or executive decision making – respondents can stay anonymous. In classroom environments, conversely, professors may want to use the ARS to capture student responses as part of quizzes or to take attendance electronically.
Due to its unique versatility and its contribution to ROI, audience response technology is used across a broad spectrum of industries. AV production companies use audience response systems for large-scale meetings and conferences; corporate trainers use portable audience response systems for on-the-road employee training; universities and other educational institutions employ ARS in both small classrooms and large lecture halls.
Audience response with traditional presentation techniques
These are just a few of the possible benefits:
- Creates an interactive and fun learning environment
- Provides tracking features to gather individual responses
- Tallies and displays data immediately
- Speeds up decision making
- Improves attentiveness
- Emphasizes participant ownership of group decisions
- Offers anonymous polling
Audience Response Systems mix advanced keypad technology with state-of-the-art software to create interactive environments
ARS software and hardware provide many options to fulfill your specific interactive needs. A typical audience response system contains the following components:
* base station (receiver)
* wireless keypads (one for each participant)
* audience response system software
In addition to the above items, a computer will be needed to run the software and hook up to the base station. The computer should also be attached to the projector that is being used for the presentation. Different audience response systems will have different computer requirements, so check with your ARS vendor to determine if your computer meets the minimum requirements.
The system runs like this:
1. Audience response system software is loaded onto the presentation machine (i.e. the computer used to facilitate the presentation)
2. The base station is attached to the presentation machine
3. The facilitator presents a question to the audience, as well as a list of potential answers
4. Audience members use their wireless keypad to select the answer they think is right
5. The base station receives the participant answers and collects them in a database that resides on the presentation machine as part of the ARS software package
6. The software immediately displays a graph representing the results (e.g. 32% said “yes,” 68% said “no”)
7. The data can later be retrieved in a variety of reporting formats
To learn more about how ARS can help your organization, visit our audience response resources.
