Formative Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) Ursula Waln, Director of Student Learning Assessment Central New Mexico Community College

A Comprehensive, Authoritative Resource Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Describes 50 commonly used classroom assessment techniques (CATs) Emphasizes the importance of having clear learning goals Promotes planned, intentional use to gauge student progress Encourages discussing results with the students To promote learning To teach students to monitor their own learning progress Encourages the use of insights gained to redirect instruction Examples of CATs are briefly described in the following 10 slides.

Prior Knowledge, Recall & Understanding Background Knowledge Probe Having students respond to a short questionnaire/test, typically at the beginning of a course, unit, or new topic Focused Listening Having students write down key words or concepts following a lesson, then using those later to provide clarification Misconception/Preconception Check Having students write answers to questions designed to uncover prior knowledge or beliefs that may impede learning

Empty Outlines Memory Matrix Minute Paper Muddiest Point Providing students with an empty or partially completed outline and having them fill it in Memory Matrix Giving students a table with column and row headings and having them fill in the intersecting cells with relevant details, match the categories, etc. Minute Paper Giving students one minute to answer some variation on the questions “What was the most important thing you learned during this class?” and “What important question remains unanswered?” Muddiest Point Asking students to jot down answers to the question “What was the muddiest point in _______?”

Skill in Analysis & Critical Thinking Categorizing Grid Giving students a table with row headings and having students match by category and write in corresponding items from a separate list Defining Features Matrix Giving students a table with column and row headings and having them enter + or – to indicate whether or not the column heading corresponds to the row heading Pro and Con Grid Having students list pros and cons side-by-side

Content, Form, and Function Outlines Analytic Memos Having students outline the what, how, and why related to a concept Analytic Memos Having students write a one- or two-page analysis of a problem or issue as if they were writing to an employer, client, stakeholder, politician, etc.

Skill in Synthesis & Creative Thinking One-Sentence Summary Having students write one sentence that tells who does what to whom, when, where, how, and why (symbolized as WDWWWWHW) Word Journal After students read a text, having them write a single word that best summarizes the text and then write a couple of paragraphs explaining why they chose that word Approximate Analogies Having students complete the analogy A is to B as ___ is to ___, with A and B provided

Concept Maps Invented Dialogues Annotated Portfolios Having students illustrate relationships between concepts by creating a visual layout bubbles and arrows connecting words and/or phrases Invented Dialogues Having students use actual quotes or compose representative quotes to create a dialogue between differing characters/personas Annotated Portfolios Having students create portfolios presenting a limited number of works related to the specific course, a narrative, and maybe supporting documentation

Skill in Problem Solving Problem Recognition Tasks Presenting students with a few examples of common problem types and then asking them to identify the particular type of problem each represents What’s the Principle? Presenting students with a few examples of common problem types and then asking them to state the principle that best applies to each problem Documented Problem Solutions Having students not only show their work, but also explain next to it in writing how they worked the problem out (“show and tell”) Audio- and Videotaped Protocols Recording students in the act of working out solutions to problems and then studying it with the student(s)

Skill in Application & Performance Directed Paraphrasing Having students paraphrase part of a lesson for a specific audience and purpose Application Cards Handing out an index card (or slip of scratch paper) and having students write down at least one ‘real-world’ application for what they have learned Student-Generated Test Questions Having students anticipate possible test questions and write them out

Human Tableau or Class Modeling Paper or Project Prospectus Having students create “living” scenes, do enactments, or model processes Paper or Project Prospectus Having students create a brief, structured plan for a paper or project, anticipating and identifying the elements to be developed

Awareness of Attitudes & Values Directed Paraphrasing Having students paraphrase part of a lesson for a specific audience and purpose Application Cards Handing out an index card (or slip of scratch paper) and having students write down at least one ‘real-world’ application for what they have learned Profiles of Admirable Individuals Having students write a brief, focused profile of an individual – in a field related to the course – whose values, skills, or actions they admire

Everyday Ethical Dilemmas Presenting students with a case study that poses an ethical dilemma – related to the course – and having them write anonymous responses Course-Related Self-Confidence Surveys Having students write responses to a few questions aimed at measuring their self-confidence in relation to a specific skill or ability

Self-Awareness as Learners Focused Autobiographical Sketches Having students write one to two pages about a single, successful learning experience in their past relevant to the learning in the course Interest/Knowledge/Skills Checklists Giving students a checklist of the course topics and/or skills and having them rate their level of interest, skill, and/or knowledge for each Goal Ranking and Matching Having students write down a few goals they hope to achieve – in relation to the course/ program – and rank those goals; then comparing student goals to instructor/program goals to help students better understand what the course/program is about

Self-Assessment of Ways of Learning Presenting students with different approaches to learning and asking students to identify which approaches they think work best for them

Course-Related Study Skills & Behaviors Productive Study-Time Logs Having students record how much time they spend studying, when they study, and/or how productively they study Punctuated Lectures Stopping periodically during lectures and having students reflect upon and then write briefly about their listening behavior just prior and how it helped or hindered their learning Process Analysis Having student keep a record of the step they take in carrying out an assignment and then reflect on how well their approach worked

Diagnostic Learning Logs Having student keep a record of points covered that they understood and those they didn’t understand as well as homework problems they completed successfully and those they had trouble with; then having them reflect on their strengths and weaknesses as learners and generate possible remedies

Reactions to Instruction Chain Notes Handing out note cards (or slips of scratch paper) in advance (for responses) and then passing around an envelope with a specific question for each student to answer at the moment in time when the envelope reaches them (e.g., “Immediately before this reached you, what were you paying attention to?” or “What exactly were you doing during the minute or so before this reached you?”) Electronic Mail Feedback Posing a question to students about the teaching and allowing students to respond anonymously via the instructor’s electronic mailbox Teacher-Designed Feedback Forms Having students respond anonymously to 3 to 7 questions in multiple- choice, Likert scale, or short-answer formats to get course-specific feedback

Group Instructional Feedback Technique Having someone else (other than the instructor) poll students on what works, what doesn’t, and what could be done to improve the course Classroom Assessment Quality Circles Involving groups of students in conducting structured, ongoing assessment of course materials, activities, and assignments and suggesting ways to improve student learning

Reactions to Class Activities & Materials RSQC2 Periodically having students do one or all of the following in writing: Recall, Summarize, Question, Comment, and Connect Group-Work Evaluations Having students answer questions to evaluate team dynamics and learning experiences following cooperative learning activities Reading Rating Sheets Having students rate their own reading behaviors and/or the interest, relevance, etc., of a reading assignment

Assignment Assessments Exam Evaluations Having students rate the value of an assignment to them as learners Exam Evaluations Having students provide feedback that reflects on the degree to which an exam (and preparing for it) helped them to learn the material, how fair they think the exam is as an assessment of their learning, etc.