Student Response Network (SRN) is a powerful “virtual Clicker” student response system designed for use in school computer labs or with wireless laptop groups. It does away with the need for personal handheld “clicker” devices by providing a software-only solution for use with networked Windows desktops or laptops.
SRN Client before connecting to the SRN Server
If your school or training center has a computer classroom with a projector, then you really should add Student Response Network to make it a real powerhouse of learning. There are so many educational advantages when using audience response systems. Just take a look here. As for the Student Response Network, you’ll quickly find that it costs a tiny fraction of the price of hardware-based “clicker” solutions and actually offers a few nice extra features that you can find out about elsewhere at this site.
SRN Server – the teacher has full control
Furthermore, with SRN there is NO installation required. Simply copy the SRNserver folder to the host PC (typically the teacher’s PC) which should be connected to a projector. It can run from ANY folder on that PC, including from the Desktop or My Documents folders. You can even run it from your trusty USB stick! Administrator access is NOT required, so ANY teacher should be able to set up the SRN Server for their own class. Then Copy the SRNclient folder to each PC that will be participating. Like the server, the client can be run from any folder on each PC, including the Desktop or a server-based folder. Open the SRNclient folder and double-click the SRNclient program and connect to the running SRN server.
SRN Client once connected – compact and ready to go!
Once setup, ask your questions however you like – via a Word document or Powerpoint slideshow on the projector or just ask them verbally! You can use Student Response Network to get responses for:
- “Beat the Buzzer”-type gameshow questions (first-in gets to answer)
- Yes/No or True/False questions
- Multiple Choice questions (up to four way – A/B/C/D)
As each client selects their response, the server receives them – instantly. When all responses are received, a bar graph can be displayed showing tallies of all the responses from the class. Actual responses from each individual can be selectively displayed and SRN can even keep a scoreboard of correct answers throughout a session. In the end, every response from every person for every question is provided in spreadsheet form.
Student Response Network will give teachers back their important teaching role by providing them with a teaching tool unlike any other – and more importantly without the need for specialist IT support.
Please take some time to find out a little more about Student Response Network and download a free trial using the menu at the top.
Related articles: Who Should Use SRN? / Thinking about buying Clickers?
SRN looks like a great product Stu. I’ll be giving it a whirl at my new school (DET) in 2009.
By: omns on January 7, 2009
at 9:07 am
Hi Stu
Looks excellent and a very generous offering. I spent some time a couple of years back trying to find alternatives to the expense of buying clickers..this will be a lot of fun in a range of settings..great stuff!!
Roger
By: Roger on January 10, 2009
at 6:41 am
Hello Stu,
I got your link from your comments on Greg Whitby’s bluyonder blog. I am a Primary School teacher in Parramatta diocese and also the Technology Coordinator. We are investigating using Interactive White Boards in the primary classroom and this sounds very interesting. Would be even better if you could include a short video on the website to showcase this idea, and explain visually how it works, what the learning looks like and its benefits. Looking forward to finding out and seeing more of this in action.
By: Felicity Wallace on January 13, 2009
at 7:56 am
Hi Felicity. This is brand new software. I’m looking to create such videos, but have to wait until school returns!
In the meantime, feel free to download the trial to see what it can do. Basically, pretty much anything you can do with clickers you can do with SRN, it’s just that you have a computer or laptop in front of you with SRN. You pay a LOT more to have the freedom of a hand-held clicker for each student. I see SRN as a great add-on to your schools existing computer lab or wireless laptops pod.
Here are a couple of generic YouTube videos explaining clickers:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJMubAKSt3I – General discussion on clickers
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=I4A62QyAUHM – general discussion on clickers
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=N5GjtBvzqK8 – SMART Senteos in use in Grade 6
In that last one, every student has a Tablet PC AND a Senteo hand-held clicker. With SRN, they could have done away with the Senteos and probably saved over US$1000.
By: paralleldivergence on January 13, 2009
at 8:13 am
Stu, we need more educators like you who innovate the basic ideas and make things more teacher simple so they can focus on the teaching!
The whole idea of harnessing student voice is excellent and needs support by your type of product. I’ll have to catch up with Felicity and see how she is planning to use the product.
Thanks for the info.
By: Greg Whitby on January 14, 2009
at 9:34 am
Thanks Greg. I think if we are going to try to bring all those teachers who are struggling with integrating ICT, we need to EXTEND what they do now in class using ICTs – not REPLACE what they do now with ICTs. If we can get that message through to all teachers, I feel they won’t be as threatened by the rapid changes occurring around them. I too would like to see how Felicity sees it working. Give the teacher a practical and reliable tool and as professionals, they’ll work out for themselves how they can apply it.
By: paralleldivergence on January 14, 2009
at 11:25 am
Stu
Thanks for what looks to be an excellent app (and other ICT insights elsewhere!)
I’ll follow your work with interest in 2009. As a classroom teacher I really appreciate your efforts.
By: Tony Searl on January 17, 2009
at 8:19 pm
Hi Stu
Another great idea. Well done.
Does SRN work OK with the Novell based system developed by Nev and Mark for the Hunter/Central Coast?
Alan
By: Alan Doherty on January 29, 2009
at 12:13 am
Hi Alan, yes, no problems at all with Netware.
By: paralleldivergence on January 29, 2009
at 2:54 am
Having problems getting this to work? Is there a problem if the internet settings on our network connect via a proxy server?
Please help, would love to present this to the school
By: KBauer on February 5, 2009
at 7:55 am
Hi KBauer. Do you mean a problem getting it to run or a problem downloading it?
The server/client model is not working outside your school, so it’s not going to the internet at all and the proxy should not be an issue.
You may need to check your firewall only on the PC running the server module. If someone can logon as Administrator on it, it should give you the option to unblock access for the Server program.
If you have some other firewall program, you’ll need to tell the firewall to trust the SRN Server module (it’s very safe to do so).
By: paralleldivergence on February 5, 2009
at 9:50 am
Hi stu great introduction to SRN all who saw thought instantly what a great idea.. Can we use it between schools???
By: John on March 11, 2009
at 6:21 am
Hi John. You mean with two computer labs in two separate schools connected via video conference and a bridgit session? Absolutely, but there is a limit of 40 clients per server.
By: paralleldivergence on March 11, 2009
at 11:14 am
Another excellent program! Bravo Stu!
By: Darren Galea on March 20, 2009
at 1:29 am
One small step for ‘man kind’?
One giant leap for a ‘kind man’!
Mull
By: Glenn on April 7, 2009
at 12:41 pm
I showed this to the teachers at two schools on Tuesday. On Friday the one with whiteboards was already using it and had wonderful reports of students engaged, excited and promising to try harder next time. Now teachers are learning to use excel to examine the results too. Great stuff Stu, thankyou.
By: kelly on May 1, 2009
at 9:48 am
I am most happy to report that all worked really well today and the students (Stage 3 classes) enjoyed using SRN. With 8 computers the students were responding as a team. They were very engaged and asked if they could use this at home.
You are a wonder!
By: Deirdre - Teacher Librarian on May 11, 2009
at 6:31 am
This product seems like a great asset for teachers. It will be extremely useful for class discussions!
By: wj32 on June 30, 2009
at 1:04 am
Is SRN licenced to NSW DET schools? we are expecting Year 9 laptops soon. Are schools then licenced to use the software on our IWB’s or do we need to purchase additional site licences??
By: Stephen Clayton on September 17, 2009
at 8:31 am
Hi Stephen, Click on ORDER at the top, and then click the link at the top of the page referring to NSW Public Schools. NOTE that the link can only be opened from within a NSW DET school.
By: paralleldivergence on September 17, 2009
at 9:14 am
Hi Stuart,
awesome presentation – thanks for giving us a taste of this great resource! I can’t wait to use this with my education students.
Thanks,
Kate
By: Katey on September 23, 2009
at 4:18 am
Glad you liked it Kate.
By: paralleldivergence on September 23, 2009
at 9:51 am
I can’t wait to try SRN. I have used hand-held SRS in my classroom with PowerPoint presentations. Unfortunately I have to share the set with others. Using SRN would allow me to use it at any time. Thanks for the quiz boxes too. I use them to review before a test. I’ll send them along as I perfect them.
By: Maurita Bartnikowski on October 16, 2009
at 6:41 pm
Thanks Maurita.
By: paralleldivergence on October 16, 2009
at 11:28 pm