Use them to give positive feedback and to make sure students are on the right track
I usually rely on verbal feedback such as, "What did you learn today?" I haven't used any of the examples listed here in my classes though I can certainly (and grudgingly!) see their value.
Hi Catherine, Thanks for your post to the forum. I know that you will find adding CATs to your "Tools" useful! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Using CATs seems to me to be an excellent tool in receving feedback on what you are teaching, as well as what are the students hearing and retaining.I will definitely incorporate this into my future classes.
Hi Khalid, Thanks for your post to the forum. I especially like that you use a quiz at the end of every class. Open book or not - it gives you valuable information that you can use for the next class. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I teach physics, and I give an open book quiz at the end of the class. This way they have a chance to review and revise what they have learned, and also apply it to the problem at hand. As I walk around the class, I guide them as needed to clear up any confusion they may have. I consider this as more of a learning experience than assessing. It is still graded, so that they take it seriously.
I usually use CATs at the end of the course but now I understand the importance of doing it before then in order to gauge the students understanding of the masterial and what is relavent.
Hi Dan, Thanks for your post to the forum. Essential to demonstrating an instructor's interest is that we give feedback directly related to the CATs and implement whatever suggestions that are reasonable. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
These can be incorporated in the beginning, middle and end of each course. That way the instructor and student can see the progress of both, the student and instructor, during the course, and if the form of teaching should be alter in a way that can be effective for both.
Doing a recap over the materials after the lecture and maybe a pop quiz.
Hi Jeanie, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, the advantages of using CATs is that students are not stressed as they might be with a "test" and also that CATs can be used on as often as a daily basis to give us the feedback that we need.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I think CATs are particularly important for facilitating communication in a classroom, especially when they come in the form of anonymous reflections/surveys/summaries, etc. These can be used on a daily basis (or even more often) to keep the instructor apprised of student progress and to inform the instructor of what, generally, students are taking away from the class.
I think it's also important in that it shows that the instructor is interested--if somewhat inhibited from truly creating--a democratic, open classroom. Sure, power structures are entrenched, but CATs place a tangible value on that communication.
it is important for instructor have feedback from the student to be able to learn their learning basis.
They allow my students and myself to judge the accuracy of the information given and their understanding of the material, as well as enforcing the inportance of the skills they are learning for their career.
Hi Raymond, Thanks for sharing some good reasons to use CATs in our classrooms! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Mary, Thanks for your post to the forum. That first day quiz probably also gives you great feedback as to the skill levels of your students. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I believe that CAT is a very good way of checking whether the student has learned in your class. I believe this is one very effective way of checking your students are really learning in your class.
This will allow the students to see how much they have retained and where their weakness's lie.
Feedback is important for both student learning and instructor development. Students are constantly coming to me during the semester and asking about their grade. Having documentation like CATS to show them their progress really helps out. Students will forget how many HW assignments or quizzes they have completed. I usually pick one out and remind them the lecture we had in order to create the assignment. Then we talk about their grade. I usually ask them additional questions to help them secure their confidence they are progressing. On the flip side, I have sometimes strayed away from the syllabus or course outline, and feedback from the students helps me to go over the information not yet covered. It keeps me on track. If students are having trouble understanding a lesson CATS will let me know so I can change my teaching style to meet the personalities and dynamic of the class. I have found in teaching from quarter to quarter, each class is different. These differences challenge me to keep my teaching style fresh.
Sometimes on the first or second day of a new class I will give a short quiz basedon knowledge that students should have gained in previous classes. Although the students usually gripe about the fact that it is a quiz. They are usually pleasantly surprised when they do well. I use the quizzes to get a feel for new classes, but this also serves to let the students know how I format my quizzes. We always go over the quiz as a group as a review.
