Use of Audience Response Systems in Extension Programs.

Audience response systems have evolved to the point that use in traditional extension programs can be very productive.  Audience response systems are a method of collecting interactive data during an event.  These systems can also be referred to as student response systems in the education arena.  These systems usually consist of a method for each audience member to provide feedback and most modern systems are wireless.  The audience response concept has been around for some time.  In 1966, audience response systems were used to evaluate the response of a theater audience to movies and TV shows.  These early systems used hard wired controllers with a dial to rate the shows from dull to great.  In 1972 an IBM executive developed the Consenor for use in meetings to gauge the level of agreement on a topic. In the late 90’s, systems began to be used in classrooms with many of these systems being permanently installed in classrooms.  The first example of these systems use in Extension is 2005 when specialists with the University of California evaluated their use in extension programs.  There are several commercial versions of systems that offer portable systems that may be ideal for use in many Extension programs.  The cost of these systems has dropped enough to make the adoption of the technology feasible.   The cost of a system that included 50 keypads in 1995 was over $16,000 now the cost of a comparable system is less than $4,000.  The main differences between these systems aside from cost are their ability to integrate into PowerPoint presentations.  The use of this technology in Extension programs allows for the collection of data that may help in reporting and program improvement.  In many cases the interactivity alone may increase the uptake of knowledge through keeping the audience members engaged.