Approaching teaching as a facilitation process helps incorporate CATs within the lesson. Doing ask coaching and encouraging student to share personal experience and connect the material back to real life exerience. Ability to connect the material is a good classroom assessment technique.
CATs are an invaluable means of letting both the instructor and the students evaluate their performace. They allow the instructor to determine how well the students are understanding what is being taught by the instructor. The level of student response is an indicator to the instructor that he/she is being effective in attaining the goal of imparting information to the students. CATs can be incorporated into teaching through periodic questions, summary of what has been said, and a discussion of impressions of what has been said, or the subject matter. The instructor can guage effectiveness through the level of student participation. The instructor's response and comments will serve as feedback to the students.
I use open ended questions and throughout the lecture I stop and ask the class to reflect on what they were thinking/doing. This helps the student to gain insight on whether or not they they are learning the material just covered. The students enjoy the mini-break from lecture. It is also a good guide for me to see if the material was being learned. I also use process analysis most often. I give the students a Math problem, and see if they are able to reach the conclusion. In math, this is a very important CAT.
Hi Christella, Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree -the more "real" we can make what our students are learning, the more that they will retain to take into the field. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I think if you can relate to real situations or situations that you as an instructor has encountered or had to deal with in the field, you can bring those to the classroom and inform students how serious situations can be if things are not perform the proper way and what the outcome will be within the law.
Hi Lisa, I am a great believer in the "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" philosophy. Yes you will get some of that but you will also get some useful information. It shows that you care about how they feel about their learning, so be sure to ask them questions about that in the Minute Paper request. Also be SURE to summarize the results of the papers and perhaps read some of them that were especially useful. Let students know how you plan to utilize their input. All anonymous of course.
Susan Polick
I liked the "Minute Paper" idea, however when I brought it up to my co-instructor and explained I wanted to try it in the next class she made a very valid point: What do you do when you either get no response or something fresh (sarcastic). I want my student to feel valued and understood but the maturity of some of my students is lacking.
Utilizing CATs in my veterinary technology class (specifically the background knowledge probe) helps me assess the different knowledge levels in the classroom. Students with practical experience typically have a general understanding of more topics covered then those without the practical experience. CAT'S helps provide me with guidance on how I will proceed with presenting the different topics.
Hi Helen, Thanks for your post to the forum. I know that CATs will be useful in your "Teaching Toolbox"! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Curtis, Thanks for your post to the forum. As you state, formative evaluations need to be used frequently to be useful as guides for instructors to adjust instruction as well as indicators of progress for students. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I am excited to learn the CATs, they are Minute paper/ Background knowledge Probe / Process Analysis /Punctuated lectures. These techniques can help me to manage my classroom more effectively and keep students alerts about the application skills. I definitely will try to use these techniques in my future teaching. Excellent explanation!
Formative assessments should be used frequently at a unit level which gives a the student ongoing knowledge of their progress. The Summative Assessment should be used to assess large blocks of material. The the results of both assessments should be aligned.
Hi Amy, Yes - You were using the CAT idea. The advantage of using anonymous CATs is that you will often get info that you would not receive if the student was asked directly in the classroom. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Angelia, I am certain that you will find using CATs valuable! Have a great week!
Susan
Susan Polick
I am very new in the teaching realm, but have already administered a CAT I think. I went around the room and asked each student what they had learned in the first 3 weeks. I also asked what teaching devices they learned the easiest from. whether it was from a you-tube video, lecture, by one-on-one etc. Am I correct?
Hello Susan,
I have never heard of the CATS but I can certainly say that I will be putting this method to use. I think that starting the day off by asking what they learned in the prior class and ending the class with question and answer time will be a huge asset to the students learning experience. Thank you for sharing.
CATs are great ways to quickly find out how well students are receiving and processing new information. While students may not always be right with me during class, even after a CAT, they may find that referring to it later is beneficial after they've had more time to process the new material. I use CATs all the time, since I teach math, in various forms so that students get a chance to apply new ideas quickly. Then they are also able to get feedback soon rather than waiting.
Hi Matthew, Thanks for sharing a great technique! Best wishes - Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Nikki , Yes - nothing better than a "heads up" before we start a new lesson! Susan
Susan Polick
One of the methods I've used in the past is the KWLQ Sheet. Students are asked to take a piece of paper, fold it down the middle lenthwise, and Write K, W, L and Q at the top of each of the four columns (two on each side). Under K they write what they already know about the subject before instruction begins. Under W they write what they want or expect to learn. Then before the class ends, they add under the L what they've learned, and under the Q are any questions they still have yet to be answered.
This helps the students understand what growth they've achieved from beginning to end of the lesson, and it provides feedback to me on what they still need more information on, or what they need clarified either before we move on, or by the next time we meet.
