Each  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.