"The didactic problems associated with large-scale events are well known: a lack of interaction between the audience and the instructor, difficulty engaging students, and anxious students who don't speak up." Prof. Dr. Klaus Quibeldey-Cirkel of the Technical University of Mittelhessen aims to address this problem with the ARSnova software. At Cebit, the world's largest information technology trade fair, the professor will present the product, which he developed with his team at the Giessen Department Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Computer Science, at the joint booth of the Hessian universities.

ARSnova is an "Audience Response System". Especially in large lectures, it should serve as a means of communication between lecturers and the audience. For example, the audience's level of knowledge can be tested using multiple-choice questions. They are shown on a projector and the students answer anonymously via cell phone or laptop. The result appears as a bar chart and can be included directly in the lecture by the lecturer.

The system also makes it possible to ask intermediate questions anonymously. “The didactic concept and the extremely simple design and handling make ARSnova unique. Creating a session and creating questions is child's play and will not faze even the uncertain lecturer," promises Quibeldey-Cirkel. The software developed at the THM can be used free of charge by any university ( https://arsnova.thm.de/blog/).

Various presentations, for example about possible uses of ARSNova in public administration, complement the informational talks at the booth.