CATS in the Classroom Spring 2007 Faculty Workshops Series Dr Aziza Ellozy Center for Learning and Teaching Copyright Notice

Workshop Objectives To characterize Classroom Assessment and Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) To characterize Classroom Assessment and Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) To discuss the purpose and benefits of CATs To discuss the purpose and benefits of CATs To identify commonly used CATs To identify commonly used CATs Introduce you to the Teaching Goals Inventory Introduce you to the Teaching Goals Inventory messag...

Types Of Assessment Classroom assessment :Concerns your performance Performance assessment: Concerns individual student’s performance Outcomes assessment (ABET-type assessment): Concerns program’s performance

What is Classroom Assessment? “It is an approach designed to help faculty find out what students are learning in the classroom and how well they are learning it.” “It is an approach designed to help faculty find out what students are learning in the classroom and how well they are learning it.” ~Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross~

What are CATs? (Classroom Assessment Techniques) They are a set of methods and techniques created to answer two questions: created to answer two questions: 2. How well am I teaching? 1.How well are students learning?

How do CATs differ from quizzes? CATs : are in nature (purpose to improve quality of learning not to evaluate) are formative in nature (purpose to improve quality of learning not to evaluate) are rarely graded are rarely graded are usually anonymous are usually anonymous

Characteristics of CATs Learner-centered: focus is on not on improving teaching focus is on improving learning not on improving teaching helps students monitor their own learning helps students monitor their own learning Teacher-directed: Individual teacher decides what to assess, how to assess and how to respond to the information gained through the assessment Individual teacher decides what to assess, how to assess and how to respond to the information gained through the assessment Beneficial to both student and instructor: Help faculty and students focus on learning Help faculty and students focus on learning Help students monitor their learning w/o pressure of exams Help students monitor their learning w/o pressure of exams Foster good rapport with students Foster good rapport with students

What Can I Assess? (awareness of values, attitudes, self awareness as learners) Student attitudes and self- awareness (awareness of values, attitudes, self awareness as learners) (student reactions to teachers/teaching, class activities, assignments, and materials) Reactions to instruction methods (student reactions to teachers/teaching, class activities, assignments, and materials) (prior knowledge, recall and understanding, critical thinking, problem solving skills) Course-related knowledge and skills (prior knowledge, recall and understanding, critical thinking, problem solving skills)

General Approach Decide What you want to learn about your students’ knowledge, skills, beliefs, etc. Which assessment technique will provide the feedback Explain Why How Implement & collect the feedback Share the feedback with the students Decide how to respond to the feedback

Commonly used CATS* Recall, understanding, strategic knowledge Minute paper Minute paper Muddiest Point Muddiest Point Synthesis and creative thinking RSQC2 (Recall, Summarize, Question, Connect, Comment) RSQC2 (Recall, Summarize, Question, Connect, Comment) One-sentence Summary One-sentence Summary Application and Performance Application Cards Application Cards Directed Paraphrasing Directed Paraphrasing *Angelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P Classroom assessment techniques, 2nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

The Minute Paper End of class period ask students to answer two questions in writing: (Most commonly used assessment technique) 1.What was the most important thing you learned today? 2.What questions remain uppermost on your mind?

The Muddiest Point graphics2/confused.gif Asks the student to identify a concept or concepts that are unclear.

The Muddiest Point What was the muddiest point in….? Lecture Discussion Homework Asst. Play Film graphics2/confused.gif

RSQC2 (recall, summarize, question, connect, comment) Recall most important ideas (2 min) Recall most important ideas (2 min) Summarize the points into single sentence (3 min) Summarize the points into single sentence (3 min) answered (2 min)What question (s) remains to be answered (2 min) Explain how the material connects to course goal, or unit objectives or previous material, etc Explain how the material connects to course goal, or unit objectives or previous material, etc Recall Recall ________________ Summarize Summarize ________________ Question Question ________________ Connect Connect _______________

Directed Paraphrasing quickies/quickies4.html Ask the student to summarize a key idea The paraphrase part requires the student to generate a new way to express the concept. The directed part specifies the audience to whom the paraphrase is directed.

Applications Cards “On the index card provided, write down one (2, 3…) real world application (s) for what you just have learned about…” peggykarr_design.asp

Getting Started In Using Classroom Assessment Techniques Plan Select one, and only one, of your classes Select one, and only one, of your classes Decide in light of your teaching goal (s) Decide in light of your teaching goal (s)teaching goal (s)teaching goal (s) Choose a simple and quick technique Choose a simple and quick technique

Getting Started In Using Classroom Assessment Techniques Implement Make sure the students understand the procedure Make sure the students understand the procedure Analyze student’s responses as soon as possible Analyze student’s responses as soon as possible

Getting Started In Using Classroom Assessment Techniques -- “Close the feedback loop“ Respond -- “Close the feedback loop“ Tell students what you learned and what you will do about it Tell students what you learned and what you will do about it Motivates students to become actively involved Motivates students to become actively involved

The Teaching Goal Inventory (very useful) Select one course you are currently teaching Select one course you are currently teaching Respond to each item on the inventory in relation to that particular course. Respond to each item on the inventory in relation to that particular course. If you are new to CA, do not worry about linking goals to assessment tools. It is useful only to be aware of the relationship. If you are new to CA, do not worry about linking goals to assessment tools. It is useful only to be aware of the relationship. Teaching Goals Inventory

Acknowledgement Adapted from “Classroom assessment techniques” “Classroom assessment techniques” T. Angelo and P. Cross T. Angelo and P. Cross Clip Art is from except title page which is from: Clip Art is from except title page which is from: (retrieved April, 2007)

Questions ?

Copyright notice Copyright A.R. Ellozy [April 2007]. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author. Copyright A.R. Ellozy [April 2007]. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.