Previously, I graded most of my students' work however I now use CATs more often. I find the CATs keep the students focused on the learning instead of the grade.
By asking students to explain how they arrived at the solution to a problem or answer to a question, the instructor can determine if they are learning the necessary thinking process. Minute papers are also a good way to determine if students have unanswered questions.
HI Kirstin- Thanks for your post to the forum. i agree that using rubrics is very effective. Students need to know what the expectations are at all times. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I use techniques like this in my classes. Students like to know their progress, and also it opens a dialogue between instructor and students. I also provide regular grading rubrics, and rubrics on the material to show students the progress we are making in assignments, and so they have an overview of what we have learned.
Hi Warren- Thanks for your post to the forum. Compiling and then posting the information you obtain from CATs is excellent! Best wishes - Susan
These ARE excellent tools. They're so organic and unique to each class. I try to use them in the online environment as well with weekly summary questions. I then aggregate that information and repost it for the students.
Hi James - Thanks for your post to the forum! You make a good point - when planning our lessons we need to be sure to decide on spots where we need to check for understanding. Waiting till the end of a lesson to ask "Arew there any questions?" is not a good strategy! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I like to use them as a "feedback" break to let me know if I am getting through. These are especially useful when presenting difficult material. I have them do short problems and invite them to raise hands if they need help. I also use a questioning technique to see how quickly and accurately I hear answers. Planning effective points to stop presenting and do these is the key. Each group of students needs to be handled differently, a quiet group that isn't participating and asking questions will need more.
It seems like it varies. But I like it when the questions are very similar. It makes it easier to go back and go over something you probably didn't do a good job going over the first time.
HI Herb - Thanks for your post to the forum! Do you find that often many students have the same or similar questions? Best wishes - Susan
These techniques really help to determine if you are helping the students understand the objectives of the course. Some concepts take longer than others and these allow you to spend more time on them if needed.
I use the "write down one question and hand it in" technique frequently. It seems to work well because students don't have to ask the questin in front of the group.
HI Terry - Thanks for your post to the forum. Our instructors write the class objectives for the day on the board before the class. At the end they use them as a check sheet to review what was covered. Best wishes! Susan
By using CAT's you have the ability to guage what has happened in the classroom. I like to use verbal methods of evaluating. I will start a roundhouse discussion about the class and then let the students take over. I listen and interject where necessary. This helps me learn what they have learned.
During the last 10 minutes of a class, I will ask questions and do a quick wrap up of the days topic. This allows me and the student the opportunity to clarify the importance of the information of the day and allows me the opportunity to assess knowledge retention by the individual student.
Classroom assessment techniques (CATs) are important sources of feedback for both instructors and students. How can you incorporate these techniques into your teaching and how can you use them to give feedback to your students?
CATs are a great idea. I will be incorporating more of them in my current format, especially allowing students to write about the topic that they found most interesting and coming up with a question (or questions) that they still have that is unanswered.
Bobbi Bricker
HI Brian - That's an outstanding example of using rubrics to grade effectively while providing relevant feedback! Best wishes- Susan
Due to the simplicity of some of the techniques, such as the minute paper, dedicating a small amount of time and effort to complete and review can definitely enhance and maximize on the results of class through allowing the instructor to focus on those areas of greatest need as reflected within the minute papers.
Most any sort of evaluation technique, especially if written, is going to provide specific details for areas of strength and weakness for each student. This allows the instructor to customize feedback and provide additional suggestions or resources in the effort to improve upon individual weaknesses.
That is a good idea of using different increments and small bites. I start off the first week with an easier assignment for students to build their confidence and then work on more challenging assignments and tasks.
I use grading rubrics for a number of assignments and provide the grading rubric to the student when the assignment is given. When providing feedback to students, I then use the rubric and provide comments on each category. That way, students know how they are assessed and what areas they did well on and what areas need improvement.
Following a reading/practice assignment I ask the students questions on the basic concepts that should have been retained from this experience. It contains definitions, rules and application procedures. (Eng Comp 101) This is not graded but discussed in class and serves as a "readiness" activity for that class period.
