Hi Eddie - I think that's a great idea! As you mention, the questions will probably spark new questions. Best wishes-Susan
A CAT I use is something like what's referred to as the punctuated lecture CAT. When you're teaching a 3-4 hour class it's essential to offer students a "deep breath" and ask questions like: "What were the three most important ideas/concepts we've covered in past half-hour?" "What have we covered that you are still uncertain about?" "Can anyone help us out here?"
This CAT method allows the student to take step back and digest what they have been engaged in.
Honestly, this is something that I have not done enough of. I did get a some good ideas by reading through the forum. I think that I would like to try a questioning board where I can post some questions that I get from the students (excluding names) and my response to them. This may spark another question from another student that they may not have thought about.
At the mid-term I give out anonymous evaluations to get feed back. Then complie the data and address the necessary concerns with the students.
During every class session, I have a 5-10 minute "warm-up" question that asks the students to summarize what they learned in our last meeting and in the homework. This helps me to know how well my teaching methods and the homework assignments are at facilitating student learning.
I also like to us student generated test questions. I will either give them time during class to submit questions for a "pop quiz" during our next class meeting; or I will have students develop three to five test questions for an upcoming exam (midterm or final). Based on the quality of the questions submitted give me a great understanding of how well the students know the material.
I am also a fan of students as teacher lessons. I will put the students in groups of three to five. I then assign a topic that they are to develop a mini-lesson for. The theory behind this is simply if they know it enough to teach it effectively, then they know it.
I like the idea of using these techniques throughout the time in the classroom - and the idea of using various different types of CATs to keep students engaged.
Hi - Welcome to ED 103! I'm glad you got some useful ideas from this course. Best wishes as you begin your teaching career! Susan
At our school we have written rubrics which we use to grade all practical exams. This way the students know exactly what they are being graded on and what the acceptable standard is. I think this is a great help to both instructors and students, as it removes many of questions about grading criteria. I find this is especially true with culinary/patisserie students because this field can be so subjective.
We generally have two to three practical exams within a three week period,this allow me to track quite well how much a student is really getting from my instruction, and it also allows the students to see how and where they need to improve.
Carol Kravitz
I can incorporate them at the beginning and end of class to stimiulate discussion and summarize the subject of the day.
This is a great subject. Although as a new instructor it is a skill that I need to practice. Using follow up questions to test student comprehension is a start. But the use of the quick one question test was an idea that I had not seen previously. I will have to try some of this in a classroom and see what works best. I will look forward to reading more in the discussion forum to gain experience and knowledge.
Hi Robert- Thanks for your post to the forum that nicely summarizes the effective use of CATs. Best wishes- Susan
CATS can be incorporated by dividing course content into small sub-topics, summarizing after each sub-topic, and then applying a CAT to the sub-topic. Doing so reinforces the material in the sub-topic. The results of the CAT will pinpiont areas of confusion or poor comprehension. The instructor then provides feedback to the students in the form of further sub-topic review or by revisiting specific sub-topic areas.
I use five ungraded assessments during the course. They are taken from the lecture, demonstrations or the text. They all in some way relate to the chapter test. They are corrected in class by other students who are encouraged to answer the question correctly. They are handed back and used as study guides.
Using anonymous mid-term evaluations using questions to guide the students to respond more detailed. After completion, I like to compile responses and address them where necessary, whether to the class or with myself.
Hi Clayton - Welcome to Ed 103! Being able to use student performance to assess our own performance is essential to being good instructors. Thanks for your post! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
In the course I teach the majority of the tests are online, and all are multiple choice. Since new classes take these tests every 12 weeks or so, I feel I am getting constant feedback in regards to my presenting of the material. If students continually have difficulty with certain questions I know I am not doing my part. If the majority of students are doing well on the tests then they are receiving what I am presenting.
When teaching a class that requires hands on skills there is usually processes that must be followed to complete a task successfully. It is easy to evaluate during the production of food products in the kitchen. This is done by questioning students as they are completeing their work. This is also useful to show other students weather something is being done correctly or incorrectly. The final result will show successful or unsuccessful production of a givin product. The misstakes made are very visable to the student and can be reviewed at that time. This visual assessment is a great way to show students progress or show them what needs to be corrected. The ability to be able to show and evaluate progress during the entire class is very valuble to the students and the learning process.
In the beginning of class I assess the knowledge of the students by asking the students 3 short questions that are non-graded. The short questions apply to basic cooking skills & foundations of cooking techniques as I teach culinary arts. This gives me an assessment of where the class is & where I need to start. It allows me to tailor each class as well as to individuals.
I like one on one feedback to students.
I usually have the students keep a journal entry at the end of each class. Within the last 8 minutes of class, I give the students 5 minutes to write in their journal what they learned from that class, not what I did; rather, what they learned. Then, for the remaining 3 minutes, we share. I also review for the first few minutes of each class because we only meet once a week.
