PointSolutions (formerly TurningPoint) Audience Response Systems

Due to MCPHS's new site license with PointSolutions, all faculty and students now have accounts they can access free of charge via single sign-on. Students who are new to PointSolutions should follow the process outlined below when they log-in for the first time:

1. Log in to Blackboard with Google Chrome (Firefox is not supported by PointSolutions).
2. Navigate to a course you will be taking.
3. (Note: The next two steps depend on what version of Blackboard your course is available in.) For classes in Blackboard Learn:
   1. Select “Tools” from the side navigation on your course.
      
   2. Then from the “Tools” page, find and select the link labeled “Turning Account Registration.”
      
4. For classes in Blackboard Ultra:
   1. Select the link labelled "Books & Tools" from the "Details and Actions" menu on the left of your screen.
      
   2. Scroll down the "Books & Tools" menu that appears on the right side of your browser until you find the link for "Turning Account Registration" and then click on that.
5. This will bring you to the “New User Registration” page (pictured below). Your name and email should already be entered. There will be drop-down boxes for both selecting your country (A) and your role (B).  Select "United States" for your country and then "Participant" for your role (it should be the default choice). Then after you've clicked the check box agreeing to the Echo360 Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, click "Continue" (C).
   
6. This should take you to the welcome screen you see below. Click on the “Let’s get started” button.
   
7. On the next page (see image below), you will be asked about subscription options. Because MCPHS now has a site license, you will not need a subscription. Select “Continue without subscription” (A) and then click “Next”(B.)
8. The next page (pictured below) will ask you to choose a response device. Since MCPHS is no longer making use of physical clickers, select “Only use mobile device”(A) and then “Next”(B.)
9. The following screen should be a message about your Learning Management System (Blackboard) being connected successfully. Click “Next” one more time.
   
10. On this page, you’ll see some help videos on working with the PointSolutions Mobile App and basic use of the polling. Feel free to check these out if you would like, but at this point you’re just about done. Click “Finish” to complete your registration.
    
11. You will see the participant page below, with your name. Once you see this, you should be all set with your registration.
    

The PointSolutions mobile app is the best way to access PointSolutions in-class. It is available free from both the Google Play and Apple App store. It will just be named "PointSolutions" and should list "Turning Technologies" or "Turning Technologies LLC" as the publisher (see image below).

Signing in to the PointSolutions App

After you've you've opened the app and selected a region, you will want to sign in with the following procedure:

1. Click "Sign In" from the initial screen.
   
2. On the next screen, you should see a field for your email. Enter you full "m#" email for MCPHS, then hit "Next."
   
3. This will take you to the MCPHS Single Sign-On page. Enter your full "m#" email again, and then hit "Next."
   
4. On the next screen, you will complete your sign-in by entering your usual MCPHS password. If you are not on the campus wi-fi, you may also need to complete Multi-Factor verification.
5. Once you're logged in, you will see a screen like the one below. You should be all set for class!

Joining a session via the PointSolutions app

The easiest way to participate in a PointSolutions polling session is via the mobile app. Follow the steps below to join a session:

1. Log in to the mobile app (follow the instructions above labelled "Signing into the mobile app" if you have not already done so.) You should see a screen like the one below when you are ready to join a session.
   
2. Your instructor will give you a Session ID in order for you to log in to the session. Enter that code into the "Session ID" field and hit "Join Session."
   
3. If your professor has started the session but has not yet actually started polling you may see a screen like the one below. If so, you are logged in and you should see questions once your instructor opens polling.
   

Some faculty may use PointSolutions to take attendance. This will require you to check in at some point during class through your PointSolutions account. The easiest way to do this is to use the mobile app (see instructions above for "Using the mobile app" if you have not already installed the app.)  When your instructor opens attendance, you should get a notification on your phone like the one in the image below.

Clicking on the notification will take you to the app, where you will likely receive either the message that you have been checked in (see first image below) or, if your instructor is using location-based attendance, that you aren't in range of the course location (see second image).
   

To minimize any problems you might have checking in, make sure both notifications and location services are enabled for PointSolutions on your mobile device. Directions for both are included below:

Enabling Notifications - iOS

To enable notifications on your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

1. From your device's Settings screen, click on Notifications (see first image below).
2. Find PointSolutions from the list of apps and select it.
   
3. On the screen that appears, make sure "Allow Notifications" is switched on.
   

Enabling Notifications - Android

To enable notifications on your Android device, take the steps below:

1. First, go to Settings-> Apps-> All Apps.
2. From this screen, scroll to PointSolutions and click on it.
   
3. From the PointSolutions App info screen that comes up next, select Notifications.
   
4. Make sure the control for “All PointSolutions notifications” is toggled on.
   

Enabling Location Services - iOS

Take the steps below to enable location services for your iOS device:

1. From Settings, click on Privacy & Security (see image below)
2. From the menu the comes up, make sure Location Services is toggled on.
3. From the list of app that appears, select PointSolutions.
   
4. This will bring up the screen for PointSolutions location settings. Set Allow Location Access for “While Using the App.”
5. Finally, make sure Precise Location is toggled on.
   

Enabling Location Services - Android

You can enable location services for PointSolutions on your Android device by taking the following steps:

1. Go to Settings-> Apps-> All Apps.
2. From the list of apps, scroll to PointSolutions and click on it.
   
3. From PointSolutions App info, select Permissions.
   
4. From the App Permissions, select Location.
   
5. From the Location Permission screen for PointSolutions, select “Allow only while using the app.”
6. From same screen, select “Use precise location”
   

Checking in without a notification

If you do not receive a notification when your instructor announces they have opened attendance, you can still check in by taking the following steps:

1. Open the mobile app. (If you already have it open, close it first.)
2. Go to the courses list. On an iOS device, the courses list can be accessed by clicking on the "cap" icon at the bottom of the screen.
   
   On an Android device, this can be done by clicking on the three horizontal lines at top left to bring up the app menu (see first image below), then clicking on "Courses" (see second image below).
    
3. Once on the course list, click on the name of the course for which attendance is being taken.
   
4. You should now see a dialog box saying "Attendance is Open." Check in by clicking on the "Check In" button.