Wireless Question and Response in the Lecture Hall
Several universities are using wireless response devices to provide more feedback and interaction between lecturers and their large classes. An article from the online version of the Boston Glove describes the experiences of students and professors at www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/09/13/on_campuses_handhelds_replacing_raised_hands.
Professors put up multiple choice questions during the course of the lecture, and then can monitor the results on their computer in the front. Students are required to buy the $36 devices, and because they each have unique codes, the professors can track the responses of individuals as well as the class as a whole. This allows the instructor to alter the content of the class if the whole group is not doing well, or respond to the needs of only those that are not answering correctly. (It also acts a de facto attendance mechanism, much to some students consternation.)
These devices have been gaining in popularity for K-12 classrooms. The informal , ongoing assessment of how the students are picking up information can provide the teacher with valuable information to use in pacing or adapting their instruction.