Using open ended questions helps understand if the student has been able to understand the material from lectures.
I ask students a lot of open ended questions as well and this helps me know if the student has understood the concepts and if they are able to apply it in a real world situation. After I have given my lecture I like to take a couple of minutes to have discussion and that's when I know what concepts need more review than others.
Using CATs provides me with an opportunity to evaluate my students progress before taking a formal exam. It also provides me feedback as to what I need to reteach or emphasize during my instructions.
I usually start my class the first day with question about the way they like the delivery of content , and I used the pop quizzes with good results too.
I am going to leave time in my lab courses to have the students write down their reaction to the procedure or session. For example, suture removal or venipuncture --- what was easy, what was difficult, what concerns them about performing this procedure in a real office setting.
I can assess their motor skills with the procedure but this may help me make an assessment of their confidence in their skills. I could possibly use this information to alter my delivery of the information, stress points that speak more to my student's needs and offer pre or post class practice sessions.
I use CATs to ensure that the students are reading their textbooks.
We give 2 quizes per week which not only test the new lecture material, but also incorporates concepts that the students have learned in prior weeks. These quizes can be seen as a CAT to assess the ongoing level of comprehension of core concepts; and moreover, judge the efficiency rate of students consumption of new material and their subsequent ability to apply this material to current activities.
Hi Megan, Thanks for your post to the forum. Good point about discussing the results of CATs with students and also having students share with each other. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi David, Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree that beginning each class with a brief review of the previous class is important. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Karen, That frequent assessment combined with timely review and feedback is excellent! Susan
Susan Polick
Becaue CATs are typically short, ungraded and a "bridge between" the learning and teaching process, it should be a simple and quick activity to incorporate into teaching. For example conducting a background knowledge probe at the beginning of a course, a minute paper at the end of lectures and/or activities, and a KWL chart at the end of a course are all adequate classroom assessment techniques. These techniques can be used to give feedback to students, by the instructor discussing the results of the CATs with the students. The students could also share with each what they wrote down for the CAT activity.
I often begin a class with a quick quiz which consists of just a few questions regarding a concept or process we covered in the previous class. This reinforces to the students the importance of what was covered, and provides me with additional feedback as to how well the class learned and retained the information I presented.
In our program, we use weekly quizzes to assess understanding of the material. At that point, I can target students whom need additional assistance. We review for the quiz and students receive immediate feedback when we go over it.
Hi Lynn, Thanks for your post to the forum. Small group projects such as what you describe, can indeed give students confidence as well as giving us feedback. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Angela - Good luck with your incorporation of the minute paper - I think you will be very happy with the results! Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Alwyn, Thanks for your post to the forum. Feedback is what we all need and CATs are definitely a way to achieve this. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Kathryn, Thanks for your post to the forum. i think that using a Minute paper in your programming class would be very useful in getting good feedback. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Kerelyne, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, the more information we can get as we are teaching, the better we can serve our students. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Q'iana, Thanks for your post to the forum. You mentioned the importance of discussing the results of CATs with students so that they can see that there input is appreciated - great! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Harry, thanks for an important post to the forum. As you state "there is no substitute for experience" but also that we can do our best to give them case studies, projects, presentations, and simulations while they are still in the classroom. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
