Examples of appropriate questions you can ask in the CAT format: How familiar are students with important names, events, and places in history that they will need to know as background in order to understand the lectures and readings (e.g. 3-2-1 Format is a quick and simple student writing activity. Focused Listing Concept maps are drawings or diagrams used to help students organize and represent knowledge of a subject. Look for common misconceptions or errors. Boston, MA 02129-4557 … Jigsaw involves students doing individual research on a subset of a given subject area, and then piecing their research together with other students “to build the whole picture”. In reaction to presented content, students are asked to take a few moments and jot down: 3 ideas or issues from what was presented, 2 example or uses for how the ideas could be implemented. Use Google Spreadsheet to have small groups, or individuals fill cells. This handout provides and example and definition of the techniques easiest to use. This technique is especially helpful if students seem to be having difficulty grasping a concept or process. Collect the responses as or before students leave. Classroom assessment techniques help you to evaluate how well your students are doing. With so many students using laptops and tablets, it is plausible students will not have extra sheets of paper. This strategy is popular for introducing game mechanics (points, competition) into a classroom activity. Muddiest Point is probably the simplest classroom assessment technique available. What is classroom assessment? Have students work on in class, individually or in groups. Student Assessment Techniques. The primary audiences for this chapter are classroom teachers and teacher educators. Assigning questions, reading logs, study guides or reaction papers helps to ensure preparation. Assessing Prior Knowledge, Recall, and Understanding: The CATs in this group assess students understanding of content and can be used before and after instruction. 36 1st Avenue Consider asking for a summary of their readings by a certain date. Faculty can identify prior or incorrect knowledge. Provide feedback and clear misconceptions at next class meeting. 5. This assessment gives you a picture of misconceptions and confusion that still exists in the students’ minds. Construct a concept map and then remove all of the concept labels (keep the links!). and how you will facilitate students reporting out to the whole group. Classroom assessment techniques: a handbook for college teachers / Thomas A. Angelo, K Patricia Cross. Provide practice matrices or examples if this is the first time you are presenting a memory matrix. Concept mapping can be a very demanding cognitive task for students. Continue identifying the ways the various concepts are related to each other and write that on the lines connecting the concepts. Writing Effective Multiple Choice Questions, Onramps Lane 3: Develop an Area of Scholarly Impact, Onramps Lane 3: Develop an Area of Scholarly Impact 2017, Professional Development: Faculty Development Days, Faculty Development Days: April 29 and 30, 2015, Faculty Development Days: August 24-28, 2015, Fall 2016 Faculty Development Days Archive, Spring 2016 Faculty Development Days Archive, Nancy T. Watts Award for Excellence in Teaching, Teaching Excellence Academy for Learning (TEAL), Faculty and Clinical Educators Commencement Awards, MGH Institute School of Nursing Preceptor Information Sheet, Spotlight on Nursing Preceptor Leslie Young, Spotlight on Nursing Preceptor Sharon DiVitto, Spotlight on Nursing Preceptor Michael J. From Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers , 2nd Ed. Quiz Show is popular for review sessions before major assessment events. Concept Mapping How do Classroom Assessment Techniques improve teaching and learning? Be sure to increase the time limits you set for yourself, however, since you are the ‘expert’ and students are the ‘novice’ learners. Classroom Assessment Techniques by Thomas Angelo and K. Patricia Cross is designed for college teachers but can also be of use for educators at any level. 1. Make the 3-2-1 questions content specific (differences, similarities, etc. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs): One-Sentence Summary, video tutorial from e-Learning Center at Northern Arizona University. Jigsaw Teaching Tip: What Kinds of Questions Promote Meaningful Class Discussions? "Classroom Assessment" is a formative rather than a summative approach to assessment. ), Have students focus 3-2-1 on main ideas (most important ideas, supporting details, etc.). Share with students how responses will be used as a guide to plan the next instruction. Create a concept map and then remove concepts from the nodes (about one-third of them). Determine what feedback you want. If students are new to concept maps, students will need training and continual practice. Have members of the group analyze and present the results to the class. Questions Designed to Assess Student Interests: For you, what interesting questions remain unanswered about today’s topic? Divide the class into teams of 4-6 students (the number of students on a team should be equivalent to the number of subtopics). Quiz Show - (The Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series) Rev. 1. Quiz Show is an intermediate technique that uses a game show format for review sessions. Alternatively, they may also work together to create one best answer. Examples of Classroom Assessment Techniques Below is a list of commonly used Classroom Assessment Techniques. 1. Provide a list of concept labels (10 to 20) and ask students to construct their maps using only these labels. Let students know how much time they will have to answer the question and when you will follow up with the results and provide feedback. 2. This will make the analysis much easier. Assessing Conceptual Connections (Cross-Concept Integration): Did you see any relationships between today’s topic and other topics previously covered in this course? This is especially helpful with new information and complicated procedures. Quiz Show is popular for review sessions for reinforcing important information or  but is usually not considered a good way to introduce content. A great deal of information can be learned from students’ homework, tests, … Techniques for Assessing Course-Related Knowledge and Skills. It encourages students to reflect on a course experience and organize their thoughts and identify areas of confusion or concern. 36. For example, the corner choices might include “I strongly agree,” “I strongly disagree,” “I … One side is labeled “crystal clear” and the other column is labeled “muddiest point”. This alternate version helps students reflect on their own learning as they think about what they do and do not understand. For example, one popular CAT is the 1 minute paper (connect to 1 minute paper description). It is a quick monitoring technique in which students are asked to take a few minutes to write down the most difficult or confusing part of a lesson, lecture, or reading. Testing sources vary and may include teacher developed tests; publisher developed tests; purchased tests; and complex assessments, such as oral demonstrations, writing projects, and performance tasks.8 Writing assignments are used as a form of assessment in both traditional and online classrooms; examples inc… Over using one technique can fatigue students and devalue the process. Focused Listing is a quick and simple student writing activity. Jigsaw is a variation on a simpler activity in which students come and present directly to their group on a topic of research. Important Consideration for Using Concept Maps. Muddiest Point is a quick and simple technique where students identify a challenging or confusing concept. Memory Matrix is a simple, two-dimensional table divided into rows and columns. Concept maps begin with a main idea (or concept) and then branch out to show how that main idea can be broken down into specific topics. of: Classroom assessment techniques: a handbook for faculty, 1988. Students learn cognitive, social, and physical skills during play … Think-pair-share can be a great technique for facilitating discussion. Select an important topic or concept that's just been studied or is just about to be studied; write it in a word or brief phrase. Play based learning. Students pair up with someone sitting near them and share their answers verbally for two to three minutes. Classroom assessment techniques (CAT) are relatively quick and easy formative evaluation methods that help you check student understanding in “real time”. When you are considering choosing a CAT, think about how the information the students provide will allow you and the students to examine their learning. The technique provides a structure for students to organize and synthesize complicated information. Wȱ. Students reflect on and write brief notes for one minute in response to the question. Examples of Classroom Assessment Techniques 3-2-1 Format. This exercise works well with large amounts of content and can simplify complex, dynamic systems of information. Write down words and key phrases. Pro-and-Con Grid. Matrix can be completed by individuals, in pairs, small teams, as a class. Figure out what is of most value or where students struggle the most. Determine if any modifications need to be made to this activity, e.g. 3. By adding the intermediate task of meeting as an “expert group” ensures some quality of ideas and materials. Handout blank or partially filled matrix. 3-2-1 Format could easily be adapted into an online discussion board activity. Cells can be manipulated in any number of ways. LATS can incorporate aspects of Classroom Assessment Technique in the implementation phase but unlike a CAT, LATS require instructors to integrate assessment within the CAT. Classroom Assessment Techniques, also referred to as CATs, are strategies educators use to gauge how well students are comprehending key points during a lesson or a course.The techniques are meant to be a type of formative assessment that also allow teachers to make adjustments to a lesson based on students' needs. Minute papers provide immediate feedback and allow quick response to students. In a synchronous (live) online class, students can write on a white-board. A Handbook for College Teachers by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross, Second Edition, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 1993. 8. What is "Classroom Assessment"? One minute paper is a popular introductory active learning strategy that requires minimal preparation on the part of the instructor. Assign each student on the teams a different subtopic. 37. Quiz Show uses quiz game show format (e.g. It is one of a series of Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) provided by the Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide (FLAG) website. Jigsaw falls apart if students are not prepared. Charlestown Navy Yard The focus here is on the linking relationships, and the evolution of structural complexity of students' knowledge frameworks. Large classes may be managed easier if concept map assignments are assigned to small groups. Consider content carefully. Some cells in the table are intentionally left blank where students are asked to fill in the blank cells, demonstrating their understanding of the content. Classroom assessment is both a teaching approach and a set of techniques. Look for matches, missing items (on any list), clarification needs, additional teaching and learning opportunities. This assessment provides students with a metacognitive opportunity to think about their own learning. Plan on distributing slips of paper or index cards for students to write on. Use a two column response exercises. This technique can be easily used ‘on the fly’ and works in small or large classes. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are generally simple, non-graded, anonymous, in-class activities designed to give you and your students useful feedback on the teaching-learning process as it is happening. Do you want to ask a question that encompasses the entire class session or one self-contained segment? Memory matrix is simple to implement and easy to use during instruction however there is some up-front preparation that must be completed. Test it yourself (keep to your own limits)--write a list of important words and phrases you recall that are related to or included within the heading you wrote down. 2. The CATs of FLAG were constructed as a resource for science, technology, engineering and mathematics instructors to emphasize deeper levels of learning and to give instructors valuable feedback during a course. A think-pair-share session could be 5 to 15 minutes. Teaching Tip: Entertaining Opposing Viewpoints, Teaching Tip: Exam Reflections: Promoting Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning, Teaching Tip: Help Students Develop Effective Metacognitive Strategies to Improve Learning, Teaching Tip: Hot Moments in the Classroom, Teaching Tip: Improving Our Teaching through Critical Reflection, Teaching Tip: Linking Assignments to Learning Outcomes, Teaching Tip: Maps as Teaching and Productivity Tools, Teaching Tip: Online Tools that can Improve Student Learning, Teaching Tip: Send an Introduction to Your Students, Teaching Tip: Setting Up a Percentage-Based Grade Book, Teaching Tip: Student Reflection: Focus on Written Feedback, Teaching Tip: Teach Students to Write Readable Sentences, Teaching Tip: Teaching Higher Levels of Learning at the End of the Semester, Teaching Tip: The Great Debate: Pre and Post. Concept Mapping is an intermediate technique that asks students to create ways of representing and organizing ideas and concepts. This activity provides an observable action of the student’s patterns of understanding related to a central idea or concept. Fifty Classroom Assessment Techniques are presented in this book. Think-Pair-Share is a quick and easy technique that has students working in pairs to answer questions posed by the instructor. Let students know how much time they will have, what kinds of responses you are looking for (words, bullets, short sentences), and when they can expect feedback. While this technique is flexible it is not universally applicable. Create a simple matrix. Memory Matrix After students have completed the concept maps, present your own example to the students and walk through it with them step-by-step, explaining your thinking as you created the concept map. In fact, it only takes 15 minutes to collect and scan approximately 100 muddiest points. Look over your list quickly; add any items you may have left out. Share with students how responses will be used as a guide to plan the next instruction. Use 3-2-1 Format to transition into class discussion. Make sure the content can be organized in a table with rows and columns. Rank the concepts (key words) from the most abstract/general to the most concrete/specific. 4. One Minute Paper Together as a class, create a simple concept map on a concept everyone is familiar wit. Make one completed matrix to use as a key. Administrators also may be interested in the material presented in this chapter. Leave enough time to ask the question, have students respond, and to collect the responses. Identifying Perceived Relevance of Course Concepts: During today’s class, what idea(s) struck you as things you could or should put into practice? Students are asked to provide several... Muddiest Point. Using classroom assessment to improve student learning is not a new idea. 7. The preparation and follow-up for a Focused Listing activity is minimal. Students return to class and consult with the same content experts from the other teams. The table is used to organize information and identify relationships in the content. For example, use an easy topic like, “What are birds?”. Respond to the students' feedback during the next class meeting. Let students know how much time they will have, what kinds of responses you are looking for (words, bullets, short sentences), and when they can expect feedback. These techniques are based on Classroom Assessment Techniques (Second Edition), by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2003). Other Examples of CATs: George Washington University. The techniques are mostly simple, non-graded, anonymous, Memory matrix is an intermediate technique that asks students to create a structure for organizing large sets of information. This could indicate recall problems, difficultly categorizing information, or insufficient teaching focus on a particular topic or category. Concept maps requires a large amount of time and energy from faculty to formally assess; concept maps are generally not graded. The teacher poses a question or makes a statement. Present a grid (or list) of questions on a whiteboard or PowerPoint. Identify a concept area (the whole puzzle) which contains roughly 4-6 subtopics (pieces of the puzzle). The following guide is designed to explain and give examples of how in-class assessment can enhance university teaching and learning. 4. Use a top down approach, working from general to specific or use a free association approach by brainstorming nodes and then develop links and relationships. Teaching Tip: Does the Time Students Spend Taking Tests Reduce the Time They can Spend Learning? Ask students to replace the labels in a way that makes structural sense. For instance, leave the cells blank or fill the cells in and leave the column heading blank. Examples: quizzes, tests, exams; term papers, lab reports, homework Examples: pose questions, listen to students questions & comments, monitor body language & facial expressions, Classroom Assessment Techniques • Implementation of Classroom Assessment Techniques – tell the students Use muddiest point to review work outside of class (e.g. Typically, CATs solicit responses from students to provide instructors with information to help them modify their teaching strategies to … Quiz show is more appropriate for short answer questions not open ended questions. The 3-2-1 format is a quick reflective activity similar to think-pair-share. For example, such activities can help students learn how to study, encourage teachers to analyze objectively what transpires in the classroom, and guide students in a self-analysis of their own learning processes. Select the concept/theme you wish students to use as a starting point. It is simple to create and facilitate. Student can be given a “bell” to ring in, or simply rotate between students. Students then move to the appropriate corner of the classroom to indicate their response to the prompt. It is also an effective way to promote discuss or review material. These formative assessment examples assess students’ problem … Think-pair-share does not adapt easily to online learning environments. The first section deals with basic matters, in particular a description of the Teaching Goals Inventory, which is the basis for their approach to assessment. Teaching Tip: Why is this Course Included in the Curriculum? Four examples of CAT/Authentic Assessment evaluation of student learning:  The One-Minute Paper involves having students answer questions in writing-this CAT may be implemented before, during, or at the end of a class; educators may choose this technique to assess students’ comprehension of major course concepts, and clarify students’ perceptions of the class (Billings & Halstead, 2012 and Second. Tabulate the responses and make note of useful comments. 9. Add second and third level associations, if appropriate. Use as a quiz or exam preparation activity. - 2nd ed. Students complete the matrix and hand-in. The listing works well to introduce a topic, as an exercise joining/synthesizing two sets of information (lecture plus follow up reading, two lectures), and as something to return to as a wrap up so that participants can compare before/after thinking. 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