When you're circulating during a discussion or checking in with small groups, the last thing you want is to walk back to your laptop every time you need to advance the queue. PrepPanel's Remote Clicker turns any device - your phone, a tablet, even another laptop - into a wireless remote control for the student queue.
The connection is peer-to-peer using WebRTC, which means your data goes directly between your devices without passing through any server. Open a web page on your phone, enter a room code, and you have full control of PrepPanel from anywhere in the classroom.
Before You Start
- PrepPanel installed with at least one section set up
- The teacher dashboard open in a separate window (launch it from the Settings sub-tab)
- A second device - phone, tablet, or another computer - with a web browser
- New to PrepPanel? Start with the Getting Started guide first
Open Remote Clicker Settings
In the dashboard, look for the "Remote" button in the header bar. Click it to open the Remote Clicker dialog. PrepPanel will generate a unique room code and display the URL where you'll connect your second device.
PrepPanel Dashboard
Remote Clicker
Visit the URL on any device:
remote.preppanelclassroom.com
- 1 "Remote" button - Located in the dashboard header. Click it to start a clicker session and open the connection dialog.
- 2 Room code - A unique code like "calm-brook-swift-247" that your second device will use to connect. The code refreshes each time you start a new session.
- 3 Connection URL - Go to remote.preppanelclassroom.com on your phone or other device. This is where you'll enter the room code.
If you don't connect within 10 minutes, the room code will expire. Just close the dialog and click "Remote" again to generate a fresh code.
Connect Your Device
On your phone (or any second device), open a web browser and go to remote.preppanelclassroom.com. You'll see a simple page with a text field for the room code.
- Enter the room code shown in the dashboard dialog
- Tap Connect
- Wait a moment for the peer-to-peer connection to establish - the status will change to "Connected"
Once connected, both the dashboard dialog and your phone will show a green "Connected" indicator. The dashboard dialog can be closed at this point - the connection stays active in the background.
The remote clicker is just a web page. Open it in any browser on any device - phone, tablet, even a smartwatch browser. Nothing to download or install.
Use the Clicker Controls
Once connected, your phone becomes a full remote control for PrepPanel. You can see who's up next, how many students remain, and use every control you'd normally use on the dashboard - all updated in real-time.
Up Next
Marcus
18 of 24 remaining
1- 1 Live student info - See who's up next and how many students remain in the queue, updated in real-time as the lineup advances.
- 2 Participation quality buttons - Tap a level (Met, Exceeded, Struggled) to log the response quality and advance the queue in one step. These labels match whatever you've configured in the dashboard.
- 3 Queue controls - Skip a student who isn't ready, mark complete without logging quality, undo the last action, or reset the lineup for a fresh shuffle.
Here's what each control does:
- Quality buttons (Met / Exceeded / Struggled) - Logs participation quality for the current student and advances to the next one. This is the same as logging from the dashboard Tracker tab.
- Complete - Advances the queue without logging a quality level. Use this when you just want to move on.
- Skip - Skips the current student without marking them complete. They stay in the queue for later.
- Undo - Reverses the last action (complete, skip, or quality log) and brings the previous student back.
- Reset Lineup - Reshuffles all students and starts the queue over from the beginning.
You can also switch sections using the dropdown at the top of the clicker. When you switch, the side panel and dashboard both update to show the new section's queue.
Monitor the Connection
The remote clicker shows a connection status indicator at the top of the screen so you always know whether you're connected.
- Connected - Everything is working. Commands are sent instantly to the dashboard.
- Waiting - The clicker is trying to establish a connection. This usually takes just a few seconds.
- Reconnecting - The connection was lost and the clicker is trying to reconnect automatically. If it doesn't reconnect within a few seconds, close the page and reconnect with a new room code.
The connection is peer-to-peer (WebRTC), which means once connected, data flows directly between your phone and your computer. The signaling server is only used during the initial handshake to establish the connection.
The remote clicker connects to the dashboard, not directly to the side panel. If you close the dashboard window, the clicker connection will drop. Keep the dashboard running on your laptop (even minimized) for the clicker to work.
Tips & Best Practices
The remote clicker shines during whole-class discussions. Walk around the room, stand near a student who's speaking, and tap "Met" or "Exceeded" on your phone when they finish - all without breaking the flow of conversation by walking back to your laptop.
Set a learning target before class starts, then use the remote clicker to manage the queue during instruction. Students see the target and the lineup on the projected screen while you circulate and log participation from your phone.
Add remote.preppanelclassroom.com to your phone's home screen for quick access. On most phones, open the page in your browser, tap the share button, and choose "Add to Home Screen." It will look and feel like an app.
The remote clicker supports one connected device per dashboard session. If you want to switch to a different phone or tablet, disconnect the current device first (using the Disconnect button in the dashboard dialog), then connect the new one with a fresh room code.
When students are working in groups or doing a lab activity, use the clicker to call on groups for check-ins or status updates. Walk from group to group, and when a group reports out, log their participation right from your phone.
Common Questions
What if the connection drops mid-class?
The clicker will try to reconnect automatically. If it can't reconnect within a few seconds, just reload the page on your phone and enter a new room code from the dashboard. The whole process takes about 10 seconds. Your participation data and queue position are unaffected - they live in the dashboard and side panel, not in the clicker connection.
Does it work if my phone is on a different network than my computer?
Yes. The initial connection is established through a signaling server, and WebRTC handles the peer-to-peer link even across different networks. In most school environments, as long as both devices have internet access, the connection will work. If your school's network blocks WebRTC traffic, the connection uses a TURN relay as a fallback.
Can multiple devices connect at the same time?
No - the remote clicker supports one connected device at a time. This is by design to avoid conflicting commands. If you want to switch devices, disconnect the current one first using the Disconnect button in the dashboard dialog.
Does the clicker work without internet once connected?
It depends on the network setup. If both devices are on the same local network, the peer-to-peer connection may continue working even if the internet goes down, since WebRTC can use local network paths. However, if the connection drops and needs to be re-established, you'll need internet access for the signaling handshake.
Is any data sent to a server?
The only data that goes through a server is the initial connection handshake (the room code exchange). Once connected, all commands and state updates flow directly between your phone and your computer via WebRTC. No student data, participation logs, or roster information ever touches a server.
Do I need to keep the dashboard open?
Yes. The remote clicker connects to the dashboard, which then relays commands to the side panel. If you close the dashboard, the clicker connection will drop. You can minimize the dashboard window, but it needs to stay running.
What happens to the room code if I don't connect right away?
Room codes expire after 10 minutes. If the code expires before you connect, just close the Remote Clicker dialog in the dashboard and click "Remote" again to get a new code.