| Minute Paper (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| This is a quick and simple way to gain effective feedback on student learning. Students are asked to write a one-minute paper at the end of a class. |
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Low |
| Student |
Low |
| Analysis |
Low |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
6
|
| Page:
|
148-153
|
|
| Pros: |
Immediate feedback; responses can be quickly analyzed; encourages active listening when pre-announced. |
| Cons: |
If overused, or misused, students will view as a gimmick; difficult to prepare a question which can be immediately comprehended and quickly answered. |
| Caveats: |
Not effective for assessing all courses; if you promise responses to the students, set limits on the amount of time you're willing to devote to the project. |
|
|
| Muddiest Point (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| Remarkably simple and effective assessment technique. The technique consists of asking students to write down the most confusing part of the lecture or material. |
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Low |
| Student |
Low |
| Analysis |
Low |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
7
|
| Page:
|
154-158
|
|
| Pros: |
Requires very little preperation time; safe alternative for students who are hesitate to ask questions in class; provides a snapshot of learning difficulties; allows teachers to see the material through the students eyes; if pre-alerted to the question, students tend to become more active listeners; technique that can be incorporated into the students own routine. |
| Cons: |
Focusing on what's not understood can tax motivation; poor results can be disconcerting; students may not reflective enough for this type of self-assessment; may lead to challenging questions during class. |
| Caveats: |
Results may lead to disappointment if topics you're sure you've presented with clarity turn out to be "muddy". |
|
|
| Background Knowledge Probe (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| Students complete a short questionnaire, at the beginning of the class, which gives the instructor a basic idea on how much the students know, while simultaneously preparing the students for the lesson's contents.
|
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Medium |
| Student |
Low |
| Analysis |
Medium |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
1
|
| Page:
|
121-125
|
|
| Pros: |
Provides data on student background/baseline; establishes course content which is actually new information; "primes the pump" for subsequent course content. |
| Cons: |
Feedback from underprepared students can be overwhelming, demoralizing; formulating response can be difficult. |
| Caveats: |
The results of this technique may result in drastic changes to the lesson plan; multiple applications are encouraged to verify results. |
|
|
| Focused Listing (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| Technique which asks students to list several ideas which are closely related to a topic item from the class. This can be used to assess what students recall as the most important points from a lesson. |
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Low |
| Student |
Low |
| Analysis |
Low |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
2
|
| Page:
|
126-131
|
|
| Pros: |
Simple, quick and flexible; gives a clear idea of what terms and/or concepts students retain; can "prime the pump" if used before class. |
| Cons: |
Uses recall only; relevant terms may be produced without understanding; may not prove understanding of relationships. |
| Caveats: |
Always come up with your own focused list before class; focus only on the most important term/concept from the class; make sure topic is not too broad nor too narrow; make sure students understand what is expected of them. |
|
|
| Empty Outlines (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| The instructor provides an empty or half-completed outline of an in-class presentation and then asks the students to fill in the blanks. This can be useful in finding out how well the students have "caught" the important points of the lecture. |
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Medium |
| Student |
Low |
| Analysis |
Medium |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
4
|
| Page:
|
138-141
|
|
| Pros: |
Repeated use can foster listening/notetaking; good method for (re)organizing their memories of the course content; provides organizing schemes of the discipline. |
| Cons: |
Requires that the outline be followed during instruction; not all course content best organized via outline hierarchies; very little high-order thinking required. |
| Caveats: |
There will be variation in the data because of different learning styles; works best when outlines stay general, not too granular. |
|
|
| One-Sentence Summary (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| Asks the student to summarize the session, with attention to the issues of "Who", "What", "When", "How", and/or "Why" parts of the lesson. This allows the teacher to measure how well a student can summarize a large amount of information. |
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Low |
| Student |
Medium |
| Analysis |
Medium |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
13
|
| Page:
|
183-187
|
|
| Pros: |
Provides a quick and easy way to measure the student's ability to summarize a topic; powerful way to get students to grasp complex issues; once summarized into a single sentence, the information is easier to recall. |
| Cons: |
Some material cannot be summarized in this way; students may feel the technique over-simplifies the material. |
| Caveats: |
Make sure the topic can be summarized with the technique before asking students to do it; make sure the topic is manageable. |
|
|
| Concept Maps (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| Concept maps are drawings created by students which reveal the mental connections between major concepts. This technique allows the teacher to discover the conceptual models students bring to the class. |
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Medium |
| Student |
Medium |
| Analysis |
Medium to High |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
16
|
| Page:
|
197-202
|
|
| Pros: |
Directs teacher and students to the mental maps in use; low-tech method which reveals mental maps; favors visual learning skills; prompts students to consider how their own ideas and concepts are related. |
| Cons: |
Comparisons between students can be difficult; students who favor verbal learning may find this frustrating. |
| Caveats: |
Students may have trouble identifying levels of association and types of relationships. Going over an example may clarify what is expected. |
|
|
| Documented Problem Solutions (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| Students document the process of solving a problem. This CAT assesses students methods as well as how well they understand their problem-solving skills. |
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Low |
| Student |
Medium |
| Analysis |
Medium to High |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
21
|
| Page:
|
222-225
|
|
| Pros: |
Focuses on the process of problem-solving; shows the range of both successful and unsuccessful approaches in a particular class; promotes the development of meta-cognitive skills. |
| Cons: |
Students may find it difficult to explain how they solve a problem; may be difficult to guage correct from incorrect responses; feedback may be difficult. |
| Caveats: |
Students may have little or no experience with this process, don't expect too much; CAT may be time-consuming; a feedback mechanism might be important, but don't commit to more than you can do. |
|
|
| Directed Paraphrasing (pdf;
NCSU access only) |
| Students are asked to paraphrase part of the lesson in their own words. This CAT allows teachers to assess how well students have understood and internalized new information. |
| Time Required |
| Librarian |
Low |
| Student |
Medium |
| Analysis |
Medium |
|
| Cross & Angelo Location |
| CAT No.
|
23
|
| Page:
|
232-235
|
|
| Pros: |
Enhances student's ability to actively engage in comprehending and communicating new learning; allows teacher to quickly find out how well students have learned the material; forces students to think about the topic being learned in a wider context. |
| Cons: |
Can take a considerable amount of time, unless strictly limited; difficult to convey what a good result would be. |
| Caveats: |
Structure and planning is important for this CAT. |
|
|
