Hi Daniel, Thanks for your post to the forum. I am so glad that you found the information about CATs useful! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
you could have the students at the end of class wright down what they learned in class, you can also have them ask a question if they were afraid to in class.
At the end read out loud (without giving the students name) what they wrote and answer there questions or have a group discussion.
I must admit that I was quite excited after I read this section of the course. I did not know what CATs were. I will state that I will immediately implement these techniques into my teaching sessions. The Minute Paper seems like the easiest technique to implement as it can be performed during any time during class. The Background Knowledge Probe can be implemented in the beginning of any course; especially those that are prerequisites of other courses. The Process Analysis technique could be implemented half way through a course in the form of a research paper. It would be best to have the final paper due at the end of the course. Punctuated Lectures can be performed throughout the course. Now that I think about it, I have already implemented this technique in clinical courses. Students are responsible for maintaining a daily journal in which they express their feelings as to what is actually working for them and what is not.
Dr. Hassler
Hi William, That is a great way to get immediate feedback that will help you plan your next class session. Susan
Susan Polick
At the end of each class I ask students to spend a few minutes writing down an explanation of the topic covered that day as if they were trying to explain it to one of their peers who had missed class.
Hi Paul, Absolutely! That early regular feedback is essential. Susan
Susan Polick
CATs gives me an idea of the students understanding and helps me know what to change in how I teach.
This is a very useful tool especially in the LAB where the students and instructors participate in an active discussion and be able to correct misunderstood topics during the didactic phase.
Hi Lucia, Thanks for your post to the forum. Reading back also further encourages retention. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I like the informal nature in terms of getting the students to participate and also providing immediate feedback on the subject of the day and whether it will need more or less review at the next class before moving on to the new topic.
Hi Richard, Using learning objectives combined with post lesson review is very effective. Susan
Susan Polick
Its interesting to have the students read back what they wrote about learning in class that day.
Currently we layout the daily learning objectives on a white board, and have a discussion at the end of class to check understanding. I like the idea of using other forms of CATs to ensure that students with lower participation (group) understand the material delivered.
I use a lightly graded CAT online which we call a simple introduction. Sometimes when students explain their personal connection to the class you can bridge how they learn and get an idea of what is expected performance wise. For example I had one student that was confident and considered himself a good student but he was off on the grading criteria in my class. After reaing his intro and evaluating how he tested I saw he was not up on our case style of assessments. I worked with him on how to do the cases and he excelled again.
I feel after each classroom session the students should write an evaluation of what they are thinking.
Perhaps we should have 10 seconds evaluations multiple time throughout a class to evaluate sections of the lesson plan
"I have no clue of what you are talking about !"
is a brief student evaluation of how this class went which the instructor should be aware of immediately. The statement " great class, good lecture." really has no corrective benefit.
We need to look harder at our weakest students and take our evaluations to him.
Hi John, I always give my students a summary of what I learned from the CATs they submitted in the previous class. Susan
Susan Polick
To prevent bad habits particularly with skill related teaching such as dental hygiene this is important information
By giving the students CATs, you are giving them a chance to reflect back on the "learning" process without anxiety. Informing students at the beginning of class session that they need to write down a minimum of one question that they are unsure about for discussion purposes at the end of the class. Sort of a summary review.
Hi Roger, Thanks for your post to the forum. That post-test feedback is essential! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
After a test I show the students the most missed questions and we go over them again. That also shows me where I have fallen short and that I need to cover that information better.
