MessageGrid: Providing Interactivity

1
MessageGrid Providing Interactivity in a
Technology-Rich Classroom
Roy P. Pargas and Dhaval Shah Department of
Computer Science, Clemson University pargas_at_cs.cle
mson.edu, http//www.cs.clemson.edu/pargas/messag
egrid
July 17-19, 2005
What is MessageGrid? MessageGrid is a web-based
software package that facilitates any class
activity in which individual students or teams
input responses that the class needs to view in
their entirety. The activity may occur in class
or out of class, synchronously or asynchronously,
and in almost any type of course laptop,
distance-education, or traditional-classroom
(with a web-connected computer attached to a
projector). The input may be in text form --
e.g., contributions to a discussion, answers to
recitation answers, solutions to problems, or
data to be merged -- or may be images, movies,
audio files, hyperlinks, Word or pdf documents,
spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, swf
animations, or any other type of file that a
browser can display. Unlike a discussion board,
MessageGrid can display all the student responses
at the same time in a grid, table, or chart,
allowing comparisons among and mergers of
entries. The instructor has the option to keep
student submissions anonymous or private. It
also allows the instructor to add to (critique,
correct, elaborate, etc.) the posted responses,
making the saved product suitable for students to
study later. Technology MessageGrid is being
developed using Microsoft VisualStudio.NET 2003,
Internet Information Services 6.0, and SQL Server
2000.
Situation The classroom is changing! More
universities are mandating that entering
students arrive on campus equipped with laptop
computers with wireless capability. Without being
asked, students arrive on campus with laptop or
tablet PCs, PDAs, and smart phones. Powerful
technology has become commonplace and a growing
number of instructors are eager to take advantage
of the tremendous potential that technology can
bring to the classroom. Instructors scan the
classroom to see row after row of laptops each
with a student eager to put it to use.

• Problem / Opportunity
• It is at this point that a sobering fact quickly
  becomes obvious to both instructor and student
• there is a surprising scarcity of software that
  can facilitate
• teaching, promote interactivity, and enhance the
  learning
• process in a technology-rich classroom.
• Since January 2004 at Clemson University, a
  multidisciplinary group of faculty members
  teaching what are called laptop courses, have
  collectively designed software that allows
  students to use their computers to submit
• responses to questions
• documents prepared by students
• digital images taken by students
• PowerPoint presentations
• student-edited video clips
• links to student-developed web pages
• links to any other web page
• Under instructor control, the software can
  provide
• peer-learning (students observe other students
  work)
• class discussion and collaboration,
• anonymity (students do not know who submitted
  work)

Future Work Development of the software and of a
comprehensive User Guide will continue through
the end of summer 2006. We are currently seeking
funding to conduct formal assessment of the
effectiveness of MessageGrid as a teaching and
learning tool during the 2006-2007 school year.
If proven effective, we will seek funding to
disseminate the software to educational
institutions during the 2007-2008 school year.
If you are interested in learning more about
MessageGrid, send email to Roy Pargas,
pargas_at_cs.clemson.edu
Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge
support in the form of a multi-year Faculty
Fellowship from the Clemson University ETS-OTEI
Laptop Faculty Development Program and a 2003
Content and Curriculum Development Grant from
Microsoft Corporation.