Emerging Technology: Infuselearning.

com
As education continues to be a thriving topic on the national, state, and local levels,
teachers are asked to do more for the students they serve. The requirement of more nottraditional methods is evident in the new teacher evaluation system in Georgia, Teacher Keys
Effectiveness System (TKES). TKES includes the use of student test performance data and
student surveys in the teachers yearly growth model. The new evaluation system even requires
the use of technology in an effective manner to enhance student learning (GaDOE, 2014). The
use of student response systems can help teachers incorporate technology into the curriculum
along with ensuring that learning is occurring in an effective manner. Due to budget issues, not
all schools have the ability to buy student response systems for all classrooms. With the help of a
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy at the authors school, students are able to use their
own devices as response systems in conjunction with the Infuselearning.com. The authors will
explain what Infuselearning.com is, her personal experience with it in the classroom, and how
the technology can be incorporated into the curriculum.
Infuselearning.com
Infuselearning.com is a website that acts primarily as a student response platform for
teachers to engage students. Student response systems can provide immediate feedback for the
teacher, which allows instantaneous redirection or focus on the content (Foegen, & Hargrave,
1999). This is especially true when there is a general misconception or misunderstanding of the
content. Student response systems are also valuable to students. DInverno, Davis, and White
(2003) found that students perceived that student response systems enhanced the instructional
environment by creating a more flexible, supporting, and encouraging atmosphere.

Infuselearning.com has specific tools that separate it from other online student response
platforms. Teachers create their own account with specific classroom code, which students will
use to enter the class. Nothing can be done on the page until the teacher gives the student(s)
permission to do so by pushing a screen to their device. The online platform allows students to
participate in class regardless of their location. Students need only the website and the classroom
code to participate. Additionally, the platform allows the teacher to vary the type of response that
he/she would like from the students. This variety provides flexibility and student creativity in
student responses. For example, students can draw, create diagrams, respond to open-ended
questions, and vote. with the use of Infuselearning.com. Another intriguing component is the
ability of students to have the system read the questions to them in their native language. This is
an impressive tool when students of different culture are present in class.
Implementation into High School Science
The author is a teacher in an urban high school in the state of Georgia. The students
began their content learning with the ecology unit. Normally, when students enter the classroom,
they are to begin a writing assignment as a warm-up to the lesson of the day. Instead, the author
placed a QR code on the board along with room ID number and instructions for the students to
log on. The author noticed some lag and a need to place the actual url on the board. However,
this was not due to InfuseLearning.com; instead it was due to the firewall and QR reader the
students chose.
Once the students were logged in, the author began with a simply question/statement of
Draw a picture of an organism that is considered to be an autotroph.. The question/statement
was chosen from a previous lesson. The author sent the students a page that allowed them to
draw. The students were fully engaged in their drawings as they wanted to change the color, and

they laughed at the quality of their drawing. The drawings appeared on the SmartBoard as the
students submitted them back to the author. Based on the drawings, the author was able to
quickly determine who understood what an autotroph was and who did not. This allowed for
immediate correction.
As the author continued with the lesson, along the way as a method of checking for
understanding, the author asked different questions and sent the question type to the students. If
the question required a true or false answer, then the words true and false would appear on the
students devices. Likewise, if an open-ended question was used, a text-box would appear, and if
it were a multiple choice question the letters would appear. In these cases the questions did not
appear on the screen because they were not inputted into the system. Based on the interactions
and the engagement with the students, the author was able to keep the class positive. The
immediate feedback allowed her to help students who needed it.
On the following day the author loaded a few questions in the system. After the students
finished their warm-up questions, the author asked the students to return to Infuselearning.com.
Once the students were ready they began their mini-assessment. The questions showed up on
their devices, and the students could move at their own pace. The author saw on her screen the
progression of each student as well as the questions they got correct and incorrect. Once
complete, the author was able to download or e-mail the results. The message provided a score as
well as information on the questions they answered correctly and incorrectly.
Incorporation into the Curriculum
Experiences with the Infuselearning website have allowed the author to examine effective
ways for its incorporation into the curriculum. Since Infuselearning.com is not content specific
the capabilities are wide. Infuselearning.com has the ability to provide immediate feedback for

formative assessments for instructional purposes. Due to the teachers ability to determine and
vary the question type, there is a flexibility that can exist in the class. These two aspects allow
for immediate restricting of the class based on the data gathered. The formative assessments can
be used in the beginning of class as warm-up, within the lesson as checkpoint assessments, and at
the end as closing activities.
Additionally, the website can be used for summative assessments. The teacher can create
assessments prior to class, which are sent to the students devices. The students complete the
assessment at their own pace, and their progression and score is recorded on the website. As a
result the teacher does not have to grade all of the assessments provided. Another benefit is the
color coding that occurs as the students progress through the assessment. The visual allows the
teacher to notice trends. For example, the author noticed that a majority of the students were
missing one question in particular. As a result, the author revisited the question and discovered
multiple correct answers.
Conclusion
Teachers are required to keep students engaged in the instructional activities in class.
Many times when students are not focused on the lesson, they are focused on their devices.
Therefore, many school systems have moved to using student response systems in the classroom.
Yet, not all systems can afford these tools. Infuselearning.com allows teachers to actively engage
students in the lesson without costing the system any additional funds. Along with the cost
benefits, there are instructional benefits. Infuselearning.com allows teachers to provide and
receive immediate feedback in a creative manner. The site also reduces the time teachers spend
grading summative assessments. The author continues to use the new technology tool she has

gained. The next step is to use the information from the mini-assessments to justify grouping for
differentiated activities.

References
DInverno, R., Davis, H., & White, S. (2003). Using a personal response system for promoting
student interaction. Teaching Mathematics & Its Applications, 22(4), 163-169.
Foegen, A., & Hargrave, C. (1999). Group response technology in lecture-based instruction:
exploring student engagement and instructor perceptions. Journal of Special Education
Technology, 14(1), 3-17.
GaDOE. (2014). Teacher Keys Effectiveness System: Implementation Handbook. Retrieved on
September 14, 2014 from http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Teacher
andLeaderEffectiveness/Documents/FY15%20TKES%20and%20LKES%20Documents
TKES%20Handbook%20-%20FINAL%205-30-14.pdf.