Imagine you’re sitting in a class of more than 300 students. You’re starting to zone out in a sea of faces as your professor’s voice turns into a distant hum. Suddenly, you’re snapped back into attention — by a flying microphone.
Catchboxes are wireless microphone cubes that have a soft, pillowy texture. They’re designed to be thrown across learning or conference spaces to encourage audience engagement, making them perfect for classrooms.
ITS Classroom Hotline provides Catchbox microphones for use in 12 classrooms across campus. What started as a limited offering continues to expand with growing demand from instructors, and Classroom Hotline is adding new units on a case-by-case basis.
The history
ITS’ journey with Catchbox microphones began with a single cube, purchased by Classroom Hotline and used internally for staff meetings. They multiplied in Fall 2017, when Classroom Hotline bought five more boxes, this time for campus. Instructors could check them out to use in specific large, lecture-style classrooms for weeks at a time.
Though the first generation of cubes was clunkier and not as user-friendly, Catchboxes were a success, said Gina Reitz, Classroom Hotline Manager. Catchboxes made classrooms more engaging, and instructors continued to check them out.
In January 2022, with the renovation of Carroll Hall, instructors started asking if Catchboxes could become a part of classroom design. That’s when Classroom Hotline purchased the first lockable cabinet to store the units. Now, each classroom that uses Catchboxes includes at least two cabinets for the wireless charging station and the microphone units.
The older cubes required instructors to put parts of a lavalier microphone in the Catchbox canister, and then remove it when class was over. The newer generation devices are standalone microphones with their own internal parts, which means no switching is necessary, and they charge wirelessly.
In Summer 2023, Dennis Wilson, Classroom Hotline tech support specialist, worked with Bob Henshaw, ITS Educational Technologies liaison to the Center for Faculty Excellence, to identify classrooms where instructors were most likely to use interactive teaching styles. Wilson got the cabinets and cubes installed and programmed.
Fun and engaging
Catchboxes provide an engaging, efficient way for instructors to communicate with their students and amplify their voices. Students and professors alike have found creative ways to interact with the Catchbox, often bringing a sense of fun and unpredictability to the classroom.
Natalia Arvelo, a second-year Advertising and Public Relations student, recalled how she and her classmates were always on their toes last semester in a classroom that used Catchboxes.
“One of my professors who used a Catchbox would sometimes throw it, and it would land on someone’s head, or they would just completely miss, but that was the fun part of it,” said Arvelo. “Everyone would just laugh because it’s just a soft pillow, and in a way, it made class more engaging because people were wondering where the cube would land next.”
Accessible for all
Aside from the fun it brings to the classroom, one often-overlooked aspect of the Catchbox is its versatility in meeting accessibility needs. Faculty can configure the Catchbox to transcribe spoken dialogue directly onto a screen, for all students to see.
Laura Ott, a biology professor, feels hopeful that Catchboxes are a step in the right direction toward inclusivity for participants.
“I think, not only is this a way to build the efficiency of allowing students to talk and knowing how effective it is for student learning, but it’s also a way to really think about the accessibility of ensuring that all students in our classroom can hear and read the conversations that are going on,” Ott said.