Hi Jeanine, Absolutely! If all we are looking for is memorization skills we are not doing our jobs. Susan
Susan Polick
I agree with you on this one Edward. I teach in the healthcare field and these can be extremely useful for assuring labs are adequate and educational to building the students clinical skill set before the enter the field
Pop quizzes, skits,case studies, role-playing are assessments that I've used to gauge not just the memorization of the material, but also understanding and application of it. If my students can't apply new knowledge to case studies etc, then I know there are things we need to revisit.
I loved the idea of a minute paper at the end of a class period. We have rather long classes (4 hours), and giving the students time at the end to reflect on what was covered that day and what they found interesting would, I think, be very beneficial to information retention. It would also inform me what areas were well understood and what areas may need to be reviewed more in the following class period.
I liked that you gave many different forms of CAT. I like where students need to write a minute paper. Helps define the topics they understood and those they are struggling with.
Hi Marla, Are those quizzes ungraded? Thanks! Susan
Susan Polick
I do something similar to this but it is in the form of a written quiz instead of review/questions. The results will give me an idea of what material they understand and what needs to be reviewed in depth. I like the idea of having them write down what was most important that they learned and also giving me an idea of topics that they may not understand. That gives me the information to review to the class as a whole instead of directing the information at a specific student.
Hi Misty, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes- the beauty of CATs is that they give us critical info about what our students are getting and what they are not. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Vidal, I agree- review of previous topics that pretain to current topics can be very useful! Susan
Susan Polick
They can be used to help me see if my students can apply what they are learning...and help me know where they need assistance
When topics are complex, the use of retrospective
questions with general participation helps to clear
the questioning issues and reinforce the previous
subjects
Hi Caryn, Absolutely ! The more information we can get on how we are doing - the better!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I love this idea! So many times I hear teachers say "I know I covered that in lecture, why didn't they get it". The minute paper is a great way to see if you covered it or taught it or if you just need to rethink the way it was taught. Going to tell everyone about this!
I liked the idea of the pre-test that is not graded. Often times the information seems basic and to be able to assess their level would do well to save time for other information in which you made need to delve deeper
CATs is great when going over subjects like body systems which is a hard subject. It would really help the instructor see where the students need help
I always ask questions during the time I lecture, however I will incorporate a quiz to make sure the students understand the material.
Mary Cornelius
Cat's help reenforce the students learning without the formal testing that can intimidate some students. Possitive input from the instructor using cat's helps in motivating students.
Hi Daniel, Thanks for a great discussion of the effectiveness of CATs! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
From my reading and use of CATs in the classroom, it gives the students immediate feedback regarding their progress and my teaching effectiveness. Basically, it addresses whether I am getting the idea across and if more work is needed in that area. The beauty of using CATs is that they can be casual such as a period of discussion with questions and answers. Other times using a short quiz helps. I think it works best if the feedback to the students is prompt, so they can learn to better focus on the material. Normally in the discussion we talk about study techniques,finding out what works for the students and what does not.
Hi Daniel, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, the beauty of CATs is that they give us regular informal feedback. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
