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Students Having Clicker Problems?

Send them to BOL225 for a replacement clicker or for help in programming and registering their clickers.


Student Response Systems (SRS)

Announcements

Get Started Using Clickers?

Get Training or Attend a Workshop?

Frequently Asked Questions, FAQ's

Help Files and Guides

Current Faculty Users

Product Evaluation

Faculty Development Program

UW System Curricular Redesign Grant


Announcements

January 11th, 2006: Help for the Spring semester: Getting Your Participant List and Helpful Info for Students

Guide on How to Obtain Student Registration Information or Participant Lists (TPP Files) at http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/docs/TurningPointParticipantList.pdf

Helpful PowerPoint for Students on Obtaining, Registering, and Programming their clickers at http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/docs/Clickers.for.Students.ppt

October 25th, 2006: Using Clickers this Spring? Sign up for a workshop TODAY!

SRS I, Getting Started/Basics Workshop, December 6th at 10:00AM
SRS I, Getting Started/Basics Workshop, January 8th at 10:00AM
SRS III, Advanced Uses Workshop, January 17th at 10:00AM (must have completed SRSI Workshop)
SRSII, Getting Points Into D2L Workshop, February 2nd at 1:00PM (must be currently using clickers in the classroom and completed SRSI Workshop)

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July 13, 2006: Using Clickers in the Fall?

>Attend a SRS I Workshop - Basics of Using Turning Point.
>Submit your course name and course number to LTC@uwm.edu to open a clicker registration account for your students.
>Submit an order for clickers to the Bookstore.
>Contact Classroom Support (or x2382) to get your classroom outfitted with the needed hardware and software.
>Download Turning Point and begin creating interactive slides to use in class.
>Get your students ready by e-mailing them the Student Handout.
>Download your participant lists at myclicker.uwm.edu.

March, 10, 2006: SRS Workshop III: Advanced Uses of Turning Point

Sign up now for our SRS Workshop III: Advanced Uses of Turning Point

SRS Workshop III covers advanced uses of Turning Point software in a 1.5 hour session. We will demonstrate how to gather demographic information to use in creating reports or to perform real-time demographic comparisons by response option. We will discuss how to cross-reference the responses of one question to another set of responses. This function, called data slicing, is particularly useful for analyzing demographic information. Next, we will illustrate how to use comparative links to compare the responses from several slides on a single slide's chart to be used for pre-post questions. We will discuss using conditional branching, which allows you to control the order of slides in your presentation based on the responses received from the audience allowing for targeted lectures based on student comprehension and response to a question. Based on the audiences’ response to a question, the presentation navigates to somewhere else in the presentation. Finally, we will cover the TurningPoint Parser, which is a tool that automatically creates TurningPoint slides from Microsoft Word files from previous exams or publisher’s files.

**Please note that you must have attended the SRS Workshop I and be actively using or have previously used Turning Point in your course prior to attending this workshop.

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Faculty Development Program

UWM developed a faculty development program to introduce faculty to clickers and to get faculty thinking about design and integration issues surrounding clickers. For more information, review UWM SRS Faculty Development Program.

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Getting Started!

Please click here to download a quick guide to Getting Started!.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

What are Student Response Systems (SRS)?
What are Some Functions (or Uses) of Student Response Systems (SRS)?
Is there a resource that I can use to learn more about using clickers in the classroom?
When can I download student response system software (Turning Point 2006)?
Who will download the software and set-up the hardware in the classroom?
Where can I get training?

I am a MAC user. Is TurningPoint Mac Compatible?

What hardware is needed to run a student response system (SRS)?

Will my classroom PC have a receiver?

Where can students obtain a clicker?

Do I need to order clickers?

What if a student's clicker breaks?

Where can my student register their clicker?

Where can I obtain a list of my students' clicker information?

How does the student clicker registration at clickers.uwm.edu work?

Where can I get the student handout?

Why can't I extract data or see results by participant?

Why are my students seeing yellow or red lights on their clickers?

Why isn't my students reponses registering?

Who can my student who needs help registering or using their clicker contact?

My presentation refuses to start on slide 1. Why does it keeps starting

Why did my slide refuse to poll? The show bar didn't appear either.

Do I have to save my session file to the session fodler after giving a presentation?


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

General Information

What are Student Response Systems (SRS)?

A Student Response System (SRS) is a wireless response system that allows faculty to request information and for students to respond by using a “clicker” or hand-held response pad to send his or her information to a receiver. When presented with a question, the student presses a button on a hand-held response pad or clicker, which sends either an infrared or radio signal to a receiver attached to a computer. The computer records and/or displays the response per the instructor’s preference.

SRS have the potential to provide the means for introducing active student participation and engagement into lecture classes. Student response system technologies equip the student with a personal response unit, or “clicker”, for answering questions posed by the instructor in class. The potential for transforming traditionally passive large lecture classes into stimulating interactive classes is great. Student response systems can engage the attention of students, make them active participants in their learning, and provide them with immediate feedback on their understanding of material. They also provide faculty with information on students’ understanding of course concepts and the ability to adjust course activities based upon student responses. Class responses can also be used as a prompt for classroom discussion and other activities.

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Functions (or Uses) of Student Response Systems (SRS)?

1. SRS will increase student attendance and participation. Students have to attend class regularly. When they are in class, they have to pay attention. Further, instructors can use SRS to creatively ENGAGE students in their own learning. Engagement is a natural fallout of the ongoing feedback functions of SRS, and is reinforced by the use of SRS to foster collaborative learning (discuss-then-click exercises).

2. Instructors (and student) can gauge students' retention of the reading material based on student assessments administered via SRS at the start of class. The information obtained can identify weaknesses in the information retained and can be used to customize instruction by targeting lectures. For example:

2a. Instructors can use low-stakes quizzing composed of 10 items to make sure that students have done their reading before they come to class.

3. Instructors can assess students' complete knowledge of course content. Instructors would distribute hardcopy exams can be given, students can take them at their own pace, and the results can be automatically graded and exported to a D2L-usable format.

4. Instructors can develop guided lectures based on immediate assessments of students' knowledge in a specific area. Targeted lectures will strengthen student weaknesses based on the results of the assessment. Instructors can find out whether students understand key concepts during lecture and tailor the remainder of their lecture accordingly. For example:

4a. Instructors can offer feedback to students on a specific calculation or example that can then be worked through and mastered in detail.

5. Instructions can foster critical thinking skills by asking questions throughout lecture using SRS that requires a synthesis of the information received in order to provide a correct answer.

5a. For example, in a science class such questions can address the formulation and testing of hypotheses based on already presented observations. Instructors can design to elicit responses ranging from experimental methods (dealing with what CAN be done) to ethical questions (what SHOULD/SHOULDN'T be done). The latter are pathways not only to critical thinking skill development, but to overall scientific literacy.

6. Faculty can stimulate class discussion based on immediate student responses or feedback received from SRS data received. For example:

6a. Instructors can perform correlations on the spot -- e.g., gender and attitudes towards gay marriage -- that demonstrate provocative connections among ideas for further class discussion.

7. Instructors can gain immediate student feedback -- both quantitative and experiential -- as formative assessments of the course in order to make adjustments as needed.

8. SRS can provide students with instant feedback on the success or failure of their efforts allowing subsequent correction and study skills development. At the same time, it can provide faculty with feedback on student performance allowing for intervention.

9. SRS can be utilize to for data collection to conduct research or assess teaching. For example:

9a. SRS will allow the collection of student demographic data at the start of a semester and later correlation of this data with student response to course content and challenge questions.

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Is there a resource that I can use to learn more about using clickers in the classroom?

Clickers in the Classroom by Douglas Duncan is now available on reserve!!

This is a brief book (less than 70 pages) that is a good introduction to any instructor thinking about using clickers. The book is very helpful and uses some evidence from Duncan’s class as well as other classes at other universities. Some of the information we have found most useful surrounds grading, cheating, student impact, and preparation.

We have placed several copies of the book on 2-day reserve at the Library. The books are under “Learning Technology Center.”

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Software FAQ

When can I download student response system software (Turning Point 2006)?

Turning Point 2006 can be download from the LTC server. Complete the form and note that you are a current Turning Point user.

You will receive an e-mail with download instructions. The link is only active for 48 hours, so make sure to download immediately.

Please use the evaluation version of the software.

Contact us or Turning Technologies at 1-866-746-3015 for assistance.

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Who will download the software and set-up the hardware in the classroom?

If you are using a classroom PC, classroom support will load the software onto the PC's and install the USB receiver.

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Where can I get training?

You can receive training through the LTC. To review our schedule and sign up for a workshop visit: http://LTC.uwm.edu/workshops.html.

Turning Technologies offers training on their site as well at http://turningtechnologies.com.

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I am a MAC user. Is TurningPoint Mac Compatible?

Turning Technologies recently released a Mac version available at http://turningtechnologies.com. Please check with the LTC on limitations of the MAC version. Unless you are going to create the slides on a Mac and poll students from your Mac laptop, we do not recommend the Mac version until Fall 07.

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Hardware/Receiver FAQ

What hardware is needed to run a student response system (SRS)?

A receiver is needed that connects to the USB port of your computer. It allows you to recieve signals from the students' response pads (clickers).

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Will my classroom PC have a receiver?

Contact classroom support to have your classroom outfitted with the USB receiver.

Response Card/Clicker FAQ

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Where can students obtain a clicker?

Student can obtain clickers from the bookstore for approximately $48.

Do I need to order clickers?

The first thing you should do if you want to use clickers is to contact the Bookstore to order clickers for the fall or spring. There is limited availability.

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What if a student's clicker breaks?

If the clicker breaks, the student needs to purchase a new one. However, if the clicker is defective, it can be replaced by visiting BOL225.

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Where can my student register their clicker?

Student's can register their clickers at: myclicker.uwm.edu. Students will be required to log-in using their ePantherID and password. There courses will be populated based on their registration in PAWS and whether their course is using a clicker. Faculty can log-in on this site to download their students' information (Participant List or tpp file). Faculty will need to import the roster into Turning Point. Come to a workshop or stop by for more details.

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Where can I obtain a list of my students' clicker information?

Once students register their clickers, faculty will visit myclicker.uwm.edu to download their students' clicker information or tpp file. For instructions on this process, visit: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/docs/TurningPointParticipantList.pdf

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How does the student clicker registration at myclicker.uwm.edu work for students?

Clicker Registration Guide

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General Use FAQ

Where can I get the student handout?

You can download the student handout here.

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Why can't I extract data or see results by participant?

This usually occurs when your participant list is not loaded correctly. Make sure your participant list is imported and loaded. If there are problems, set your Participant List to AUTO.

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Why are my students seeing yellow or red lights on their clickers?

Please review the student handout for an explanation of lights. Yellow means receipt of the response could not be confirmed (polling closed, clicker not programmed, regsitration not accurate). Red means that the response was not received.

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Why isn't my students reponses registering?

Check your participant list (Edit Participant List) to make sure their clicker ID is accurate, verify they are programming their clicker accurately, and verify they are seeing green when they press their response.

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Who can my student who needs help registering or using their clicker contact?

Please have them contact the Help Desk at help@uwm.edu, 414.229.4040, or in BOL225.

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My presentation refuses to start on slide 1. Why does it keeps starting the slide show in the middle of my presentation?

This is a PPT issue, and not a TP issue: the presentation is set up previously as a slide show of some sort, which was set to start the show at a given slide *other* than the 1st. If you just go into Slide Show and then Set Up Show, you can change it back to the default "All" which starts the show at the first slide.

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Why did my slide refuse to poll? The show bar didn't appear either.

Your slide became inactive. This can happen when you copy a slide from another presentation or insert foreign objects on a slide. Click on Insert Obect --> Charts --> Vertical to make the slide interactive once again.

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Do I have to save my session file to the session folder after giving a presentation?

No, you can save your session file directly to your flash drive. You will need to load your session data on the desktop in which you are extracting data or generating reports.

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Help Files and Guides

Student Handout

Guide on How to Obtain Student Registration Information or Participant Lists (TPP Files) at http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/docs/TurningPointParticipantList.pdf

Helpful PowerPoint for Students on Obtaining, Registering, and Programming their clickers at http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/docs/TurningPointParticipantList.pdf

Clicker Light Indicator PowerPoint

Turning Points Tips to Using

Turning Point User Guide and Help

Assigning Points, Exporting Grades, and Importing to D2L


PPT PDF Clicker Registration and Use

PPT PDF Startup Procedures: First Tasks

PPT PDF Managing TurningPoint Files I: The Presentation File

PPT PDF Managing TurningPoint Files II: Importing and Selecting a Participant List (.tpp) File)

PPT PDF Managing TurningPoint Files III: Editing a Participant List

PPT PDF Managing TurningPoint Files IV: The Session (.tpz) file

PPT PDF Creating and Customizing your First Slide (Multiple Choice) Slide

PPT PDF Creating Slides Using TP Templates

PPT PDF Converting Non-Interactive TurningPoint or PowerPoint Slides into Interactive TurningPoint Slides

PPT PDF Importing (Parsing) MS-Word Quizzes into TurningPoint Slides

PPT PDF Creating Demographic Slides and Linking Demographic Responses to a Participant List

PPT PDF When and When Not to Identify Correct Answers and Assign Point Values to Responses

PPT PDF Creating Comparative Links to compare responses to pre- and post-test questions

PPT PDF Comparing Responses to different questions by Data Slicing

PPT PDF Merging Sessions

PPT PDF Generating Reports

PPT PDF Export/Import of TurningPoint Session Files I: Putting the D2L Export Scheme in the Right Folder on our Computer

PPT PDF Export/Import of TurningPoint Session Files II: Exporting .tpz (Session) Files to csv Files Ready for Import into D2L

PPT PDF Export/Import of TurningPoint Session Files III: Importing CSV Files into D2L that Contain Student Response Data Exported from TurningPoint

PPT PDF Using your X-Drivefrom Campus Computers (except School of Business)

PPT PDF Troubleshooting I: Some students' clickers don't work

PPT PDF Troubleshooting II: All clickers fail

PPT PDF Troubleshooting III: My session data won't save, I get error messages when I try to use it to generate reports, it takes too long to save my session data, my tpz file is corrupt…

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Users of Turning Point SRS for Fall 2007

Class Section Class Title Instructor
AFRICOL 100 LEC 003 Black Reality:Afrn-Am Scty (D) Erin N Winkler
ART 100 LEC 001 Basic Art Experiences Raoul G Deal
ART 106 LEC 001 Art Survey William J Andersen
BUS ADM 200 SEC 001 Business and Society Lawrence P Kahn
BUS ADM 230 LEC 401 Intro to Information Systems Joanne Lazirko
BUS ADM 230 LEC 402 Intro to Information Systems Joanne Lazirko
BUS ADM 230 LEC 403 Intro to Information Systems Joanne Lazirko
BUS ADM 293 LEC 001 Business Ethics Lawrence P Kahn
BUS ADM 293 LEC 002 Business Ethics Lawrence P Kahn
BUS ADM 350 LEC 403 Principles of Finance Esther Ancel
BUS ADM 350 LEC 404 Principles of Finance Esther Ancel
BUS ADM 360 LEC 403 Principles of Marketing Laurie M Brachman
BUS ADM 391 LEC 004 Business Law I Margaret G Zickuhr
C L SCI 205 LEC 001 Intro to Diagnostic Medicine Susan M Stalewski
COMMUN 103 LEC 407 Public Speaking William M Keith
GEO SCI 105 LEC 001 Earth, Air, Fire and Water Barry I Cameron
HCA 212 LEC 001 Drugs Used and Abused John Dellinger
HCA 220 LEC 001 Leading Hlthcare Professionals M Scott Stegall
HMS 200 LEC 001 Introduction to Kinesiology Erika Sander
NURS 326 LEC 001 Nur Sci II-Aging/Long Trm Care Janet E Bitzan
NURS 331 LEC 900 Foundation-Clinical Practice I Rochelle M Nelson
PHYS 107 LEC 401 Physics in Everyday Life Debashis Dasgupta
PHYS 107 LEC 402 Physics in Everyday Life Debashis Dasgupta
PSYCH 101 LEC 409 Introduction to Psychology Katie E Mosack
PSYCH 101 LEC 410 Introduction to Psychology Katie E Mosack
SOC WRK 206 LEC 001 Society/Poverty/Welfare Prog David J Pate
SOCIOL 101 LEC 405 Introduction to Sociology Kent T Redding
SOCIOL 102 LEC 404 Social Problms in Amer Society Thomas S Moore
SOCIOL 104 LEC 402 Intro to Social Psychology Sally A OConnor

Users of Turning Point SRS for Spring 2007

Don Janczak NURS 707
Alan Aycock Anthro 104
Raoul Deal ART 100
Hector Torres Psych 101
Jan Bitzan NURS 326
Ann Williams Anthro 102
Erika Sander HMS 200
David Pate SOCWRK 206
David Pate SOCWRK 851
Susan Stalewski CLSCI 421
Susan Stalewski CLSCI 432
Susan Stalewski CLSCI 549
Laurie Brachman BUS 360
Larry Kahn BUS 200
Larry Kahn BUS 293
Mary Gruhl CES 210
Margaret Zickuhr BUS 391
Jim Hastings Psych 101
Jim Hastings Psych 205
William Anderson ART 106
Cathie Whitcroft NURS 331
Joanne Lazirko BUS ADM 230
Esther Ancel BUS ADM 350
Wm Keith COMM 103
Kent Redding SOC 101
Scott Stegall HCA 307
Scott Stegall HCA 340
Robert Clare BIO SCI 104
Chris Schultz GEO SCI 105


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Curricular Redesign Grant

The UW SRS Project involved faculty and staff from four UW institutions and was designed to learn how instructors can use student response systems to actively engage students and facilitate student learning. Instructors from four UW campuses were supported as they redesigned their courses and integrated SRS-based learning activities.

The impact of these SRS activities on teaching and learning are being assessed and "best practices" are being developed. The project will result in a faculty development program to introduce instructors to student response systems and how to use them effectively. One of the outcomes of the project will be a Student Response System Web site for faculty which is currently in development and should go live by the Summar 06 for LTC staff and faculty developers, which will include the best practices, resources on student response systems, and the faculty development program for integrating SRS into courses.

For more information view our UW System Clicker Site.

May 2, 2005: Learning Technology Center receives a Curricular Redesign Grant

University of Wisconsin System, Office of Learning and Information Technology, awarded the LTC and its partners (CIPD, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh, and UW-Whitewater) a Curricular Redesign Grant to support your proposal entitled Student Response Systems - Exploring Potential and Assessing Impact. The UW SRS Project involves faculty and staff from four UW institutions and is designed to learn how instructors can use student response systems to actively engage students and facilitate student learning. Sixteen instructors from four UW campuses will be supported as they redesign their courses and integrate SRS-based learning activities.

June 17, 2005: LTC Announces Awardees for Summer Student Response System Curricular Redesign Grant

We received numerous proposals for our summer redesign project. Proposals from the following faculty and teaching academic staff have been accepted as part of the SRS Curricular Redesign Grant.

Janet Bitzan, Nursing, Nursing Science II
Barry Cameron, Geosciences, Earth, Air, Fire, & Water
Raoul Deal, Visual Art, Cultures and Communities
Joanne Lazirko, School of Business, Introduction to Info Systems
Sally O'Connor, Sociology, Social Psychology
David Osman, Psychology, History of Psychology
Anderw J Petto, Biological Sciences, Anatomy and Physiology
Erika Sanders, Human Movement Sciences, Introduction to Motor Development
Susan Stalewski, Health Sciences (Clinical Lab Sciences), Intro to Diagnostic Medicine
Kyle Swanson, Mathematical Sciences, Survey of Meteorology
Sally O'Connor, Sociology, Social Psychology

Congratulations to all!

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Student Response System (SRS) Evaluations

We have completed a comparative evaluation of the three vendors that visited the UWM campus in May. Please feel free to review our SRS Evaluations.

Demonstrations include:

#1) InterWrite PRS http://www.gtcocalcomp.com/interwriteprs.htm

#2) Turning Technologies http://www.turningtechnologies.com

#3) E-Instruction http://www.einstruction.com/

Based on the LTC's evaluation of the three vendors, we have chosen to support Turning Technologies Turning Point 2006 Student Reponse System to support.

June 30, 2005: LTC Completed Evaluation of Student Response System Product Evaluation

For the past couple of months the UWM Learning Technology Center has been reviewing student response systems (SRS), or “clickers.” We’ve hosted live demos here on campus, sought feedback from faculty, and performed independent research. We’ve focused on three systems: PRS, eInstruction, and TurningPoint. We have attached our evaluation of these three systems to this email.

Overall, we believe that TurningPoint by Turning Technologies is the most robust software, is easiest to use for faculty and students, and provides the greatest range of pedagogical uses. TurningPoint is fully integrated with PowerPoint, which means that the numerous faculty on this campus who use PowerPoint will need to take much less time learning how to use the student response system. As well, data gathered during TurningPoint sessions can readily be imported to Desire2Learn.

Note: Please contact ltc@uwm.edu if you plan on using TurningPoint this coming year.

We are offering free workshops beginning August 1st to train faculty on the technical uses of the software as well as to provide examples and suggestions of how best to use the technology for effective teaching and learning. To view the workshop schedule and register, please go to http://LTC.uwm.edu/workshops.html.

Finally, because of the popularity of TurningPoint, it is important that those faculty who are interested in using TurningPoint in the fall place their orders for clickers as soon as possible -- within the next week is none too soon! -- to guarantee the clickers are available for the start of the fall semester. Orders for TurningPoint clickers should be e-mailed to books@aux.uwm.edu or placed online at http://www.aux.uwm.edu/bookstore/cba_form.html.

If you have any questions, please contact Bob Kaleta at the Learning Technology Center (kaleta@uwm.edu or 229-5136).

Visit: Student Response Systems (SRS) Evaluations for more information.

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