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Choosing Audience Response System Software |
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| Step 5: Decide on a Plug-in or
Standalone Package |
| Just as there are two basic choices in
hardware
(infrared or radio) there are also two with software. They
are; a
PowerPoint® plug-in, or
a standalone software package (application). Each has its
advantages, and disadvantages. |
|
| The single greatest advantage of a plug-in is the
very short learning curve. Since this type software handles
all aspects of electronic voting and since it becomes an add-on
feature to
PowerPoint® the new user
does not need to learn how to create interactive questions.
It is basically a matter of typing the question on a
PowerPoint®
slide, and adding a 'polling' object to the slide by clicking a
button on the plug-in's toolbar, or by inserting a "polling
slide" rather than a standard slide. |
|
| Most plug-ins actually provide a slide layout
template (identical to
PowerPoint's) which reserves
space for the graph. When the presentation is run, the
presenter begins polling either automatically when the slide comes
in, or on command. Once audience voting is complete, a standard
Microsoft Graph is displayed in the reserved area of the slide. |
|
| Because they are so easy to use, plug-ins are
most popular among the 'solo presenter' group, and in the general
classroom training environment. The disadvantage to plug-ins
is that their graphs are something less than than
'high-end' and
that they run in PowerPoint's memory space. If
PowerPoint® goes down, so does the plug-in. Fortunately, Microsoft has
substantially improved PowerPoint's
stability in Office 2000 and higher. But still, it is very
important that you keep your Office installation up to date. (use
the
Microsoft Office Update Center to check for updates) |
|
| Standalone applications are more often the choice
of Audience Response professionals. Typically, theses
applications are
written in the C, C++, or C# languages which are very stable and
robust environments. Also, their presentation modules
usually include high quality graphics, suitable for use in
high-end Audio Visual productions. |
|
| You will find that most standalones
are more feature rich than most in plug-ins (but there are
exceptions).
Most standalones will allow you to create questions on-the-fly (ad hoc) do
side-by-side comparisons (pre/post) and all you to use photos as bar
fills. |
|
| Theses standalones however, can take some time to
master with dozens of details to remember for each presentation.
And generally, they are more expensive than the plug-in variety.
If a standalone is what you need, plan on getting trained. Not all
standalones require training, but the learning curve will be much
shorter if you are taught the basics in a hands-on environment. |
|
| Ultimately, the best choice between a plug-in and
a standalone may both. Certain user groups within your
organization may benefit more from a plug-in, while others may
need a more robust feature set found only in a standalone. The
point is, you don't have to find one software package that does it
all. |
|
| Step 6: Decide on a Brand and Dealer
|
| The most popular plug-ins in the USA are:
TurningPoint,
PowerCom,
PowerPoll,
and
OptionPower.
In Europe, add PPvote, and
QuestionWizard
to the same list. |
|
| The standalones we like best and which have a
solid future are:
OptionFinder,
MeetingNet, and
wInquiry. These three are also available in Europe. |
|
| Once you put together your dream package of
hardware and software, seek out dealers who can put as much
of it as possible in a single package. Many smaller dealers
will provide the best value in that they often provide training,
support, and products from multiple Audience Response
manufacturers. |
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Proceed to our "Try It
Out" page |
|
