ach student was handed out a small machine to sign in and answer questions by press buttons on Zhao Meijuan’s English grammar class.

With a thickness of 8mm, the answer machine had a white and green appearance and was smaller than a 4.7 inches phone, just looking like a calculator.

According to the introduction of a student from SISU’s School of English Studies, option A/B/C/D corresponded to number 1/2/3/4 on the keyboard. When students use the machine to answer questions, they should input their ID first and then answer within 60 seconds. The computer in the classroom installed matched system to support the machine.

Zhao Meijuan said that adopting the equipment was to improve the teaching effect by technical means. She thought it was more a teaching interactive feedback system than a register machine through which teacher could know the teaching condition and let students answer questions, test and compete in group. Meanwhile, both teacher and students could see the answer results presented on the system at a glance.

“It is a competition of speed and correct rate. We can know our grades and rankings online,” said Zou Rui, a second grade student from School of English Studies, who thought it was a “silk-stocking” experience to use the answer machine on class.

On the traditional classes, teaching effect can be reflected only by assignments. Zhao said that it had been improved since she used the machine, “I can know the problems in my teaching immediately through the system.”

Li Jingxuan, a freshman from School of English Studies, hasn’t used the answer machine and wanted to have a try while said that it would become very annoying to register on the machine every day.

“It seems advanced. I’m envious. But if my teacher use this machine I will go crazy,” said Meng, a second grade student from School of English Studies, who didn’t accept this way of register and answering on class.

Though Zhao had used the answer machine on class last year, she thought it was still on probation because school didn’t adopt it officially. “We plan to try it out in different classes and observe the reaction that teachers and students toward it,” she said.

According to Zhao, only School of English Studies had adopted this kind of machine so far, but she was planning to try it out in other schools this semester. “Maybe we will have to use it by turns because the quantity of the equipment is insufficient,” she said.