| Welcome to ARSenic, a free, open-source, web-based audience response system created by Michael L. Richardson, M.D.. Audience response systems (ARS) have been available since the 1960s. As prices have dropped and availability has increased, these systems have become increasing popular as pedagogical tools. ARS technology enables active learning by allowing real-time polling of student opinions and knowledge, as well as improving attentiveness and engagement in the classroom. However, dissatisfaction with the cost and features of commercial ARS prompted me to create my own system — ARSenic — which polls students using personal web-based devices such as smart phones. ARSenic is a free, open-source, web-based, ARS that can be installed on one's laptop or on a server. An instructor can control the polling using any web-capable device, such as a laptop, a smart phone or a tablet computer. Students type in their answers and view answer summaries using any web-capable device. The ARSenic Instructor's Guide includes instructions for installing and using ARSenic on one's own computer. Full source code for this system is also included. |