I like to use what I call a "Gallery Walk". After learning objective have been presented, I will have 3-4 questions on large post-its, posted around the room, every student has a marker, I ask them to circulate and answer each question, then we debrief.
What this accomplishes:
1. I see if they are understanding the concepts
2. Enlighten students on areas in which they may have missed
3. Gives the student a chance to move around before addressing another topic.
I generally give 1 pop quiz per class, in the middle of the week, to assess the students learning. I grade it and review the results the same day. This allows me to hit key points in my classes and make sure students are understanding the content.
Hi Becky, Thanks for your post to the forum. I hope that you find CATs useful! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Using CATs during the lesson help assess the students and instructor progress. I try not to press forward until the class has an understanding of the information before moving on. I believe using different CATs can be a student motivator.
I like the idea of the CAT Assessment. It allows for both the student and the instructor see their progress, as well as where improvements are needed. It encourages the student to think at a higher level and encourages them to study harder.
Hi Joseph,- Thanks for your post to the forum. I am glad that you got some more info on CATs! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Hi Christie, thanks for your post to the forum. I am confident that you will find CATs useful! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I have found that using CATs very useful in assessing how much of the lecture the student comprehend and how I need to correct my delivery. Since I don't grade them, it relieves much of the pressure of students and allows them to be more free and bold in their response, than actual test situations.
Before this taking this course, I did use CATs, but
I didn’t realize that I was doing it nor why. After his course I have a greater appreciation for CATs and why I am using them.
I have not used CAT's in the way described in the module. I am always looking for ways to receive feedback. I plan on putting this approach in my lesson plan tomorrow and am sure the students will enjoy the fact it is not graded. I will be interested in seeing the outcome.
We use daily 'Pre-Flight' questions to evaluate a students understanding of the day's subject material
Classroom assessment techniques offer benefits for both the instructor and the student. The instructor gains student feedback on a regular basis and affords the instructor opportunities to make adjustments in teaching strategies to enhance and advance student learning. Students are not left to the end of the term without confirmation of what they have or have not mastered in the course. Sharing formative test results with the student allows each student an opportunity to identify areas of weakness and allows the students time to concentrate on areas for remediation. Just as teaching strategies are tailored to the student; classroom assessment techniques can vary to give students an array of opportunities to demonstrate competence in the content.
Hi Michael, Thanks for your post to the forum. I also teach the same classes each quarter and definitely use the info I get from CATs to revise the classes as needed. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I think it's worth repeating that one of the great benefits of the CATs is giving you, the instructor, a good indication of how to tailor your next class. You can see how well your students have learned and understood the content and what you need to focus on in the next class. As Karen said, it would also be an excellent idea to take any specific topics that may not be fully understood and find a new way to present them.
It was terrific; I have a few questions to answer for the class tonight and the exercise added life to the thought processes of the learners regarding their classroom experience.
I have not used this format to date in the classroom environment. Although I do look forward to trying them out. While taking this course the idea of using a minute paper struck me as an excellent way to evaluate presented materials but more importantly how to tailor the information for the next class. The information provided seems like a valid way to update information provided, especially when teaching the same classes over and over again.
Hi Marshall, Cool! Please let me know how the Minute Paper worked for you! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Tonight I'm going to use the "Minute Paper" near the end of lecture. We are studying pork,it's anatomy, fabrication and cooking methodology. On a word document I'm going to provide the learners a space to summarize the important things they've learned and any unanswered questions they yet may have. I'm going to follow that by asking, "What was the most interesting thing they learned in class?"
Hi Michael, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, that timely feedback gives us a lot of valuable information! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
When in high school my teacher gave us an A or F test everyday. CAT forced me to study every night and allowed my teacher to spot those of us who were not working and studying.
I have continued this practice in my role as instructor. It is now easy to see who does their homework and those that do not. It also allows me to help those indivduals who are strugglging before it is too late to help them.
This can be useful in that it gives you an idea of who is doing well outside of class regarding reading, studying, but mostly understanding the course. They often need encouragement in order to be willing participants, but it is well worth it if you can get them to participate.
