CATs in the Classroom

Spring 2008Faculty Workshops Series

Dr Aziza Ellozy

aellozy@aucegypt.eduCenter for Learning

and Teaching

Copyright Notice

Workshop Objectives

To characterize To characterize Classroom Assessment Classroom Assessment and Classroom and Classroom Assessment Techniques Assessment Techniques (CATs) (CATs)

To discuss the purpose To discuss the purpose and benefits of CATsand benefits of CATs

To identify commonly To identify commonly used CATsused CATs

Introduce you to the Introduce you to the Teaching Goals InventoryTeaching Goals Inventory

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Types Of Assessment

1. Classroom assessment :Concerns your performance

2. Performance assessment: Concerns individual student’s performance

3. Outcomes assessment (ABET-type assessment): Concerns program’s performance

What is Classroom Assessment?

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

What are CATs?(Classroom Assessment Techniques)

They are a set of methods and techniquesThey are a set of methods and techniques

created to answer two questions:created to answer two questions:

2. How well am 2. How well am I teaching?I teaching?

1.How well are students learning?

How do CATs differ from quizzes?

CATs :

are are formative in nature (purpose to in nature (purpose to improve improve quality of learning not to evaluate)quality of learning not to evaluate)

are rarely gradedare rarely graded are usually anonymousare usually anonymous

Characteristics of CATsLearner-centered:

focus is on focus is on improving learning not on improving teaching not on improving teaching helps students monitor their own learninghelps students monitor their own learning

Teacher-directed: Individual teacher decides Individual teacher decides whatwhat to assess, to assess, howhow to assess and to assess and

how to respondhow to respond to the information gained through the to the information gained through the assessmentassessment

Beneficial to both student and instructor: Help faculty and students focus on learningHelp faculty and students focus on learning Help students monitor their learning w/o pressure of examsHelp students monitor their learning w/o pressure of exams Foster good rapport with studentsFoster good rapport with students

What Can I Assess? Course-related knowledge

and skills (prior knowledge, (prior knowledge, recall and understanding, recall and understanding, critical thinking, problem critical thinking, problem solving skills)solving skills)

What Can I Assess?

Student attitudes and self-awareness (awareness of (awareness of values, attitudes, self values, attitudes, self awareness as learners)awareness as learners)

Course-related knowledge and skills (prior knowledge, (prior knowledge, recall and understanding, recall and understanding, critical thinking, problem critical thinking, problem solving skills)solving skills)

What Can I Assess?

Student attitudes and self-awareness (awareness of (awareness of values, attitudes, self values, attitudes, self awareness as learners)awareness as learners)

Reactions to instruction methods (student reactions to (student reactions to teachers/teaching, class teachers/teaching, class activities, assignments, and activities, assignments, and materials)materials)

Course-related knowledge and skills (prior knowledge, (prior knowledge, recall and understanding, recall and understanding, critical thinking, problem critical thinking, problem solving skills)solving skills)

General ApproachGeneral 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

A How-to-Guide to Classroom Assessment

Techniques

(see attached “New Chalk Talk” issue)(see attached “New Chalk Talk” issue)

Commonly used CATS*Commonly used CATS*

Recall, understanding, strategic knowledgeMinute paper Minute paper Muddiest PointMuddiest Point

Synthesis and creative thinkingRSQC2 RSQC2 (Recall, Summarize, Question, Connect, (Recall, Summarize, Question, Connect,

Comment)Comment)One-sentence Summary One-sentence Summary

Application and PerformanceApplication CardsApplication CardsDirected ParaphrasingDirected Paraphrasing

*Angelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. 1993. Classroom assessment techniques, 2nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

The Minute PaperThe Minute Paper

End of class period ask studentsto 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 PointThe Muddiest Point

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• Asks the student to identify a concept or concepts that are unclear.

The Muddiest PointThe Muddiest Point

• What was the muddiest point in….?

LectureDiscussionHomework Asst.Play Film

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RSQC2 RSQC2 (recall, summarize, question, connect, comment)(recall, summarize, question, connect, comment)

Recall most important Recall most important ideas (2 min)ideas (2 min)

Summarize the points Summarize the points into single sentence (3 into single sentence (3 min)min)

• What question (s) remains to be answered answered (2 min)(2 min)

Explain how the material Explain how the material connects to course goal, connects to course goal, or unit objectives or or unit objectives or previous material, etcprevious material, etc

RecallRecall ________________________________ ________________________________

SummarizeSummarize ________________________________ ________________________________

QuestionQuestion ________________________________ ________________________________

ConnectConnect ______________________________ ______________________________

Directed ParaphrasingDirected Paraphrasing 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.

http://www.open.ac.uk/skillsforstudy/images/paraphrasing.jpg

Applications CardsApplications Cards

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

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Activity (see notes)Activity (see notes)

Getting Started In UsingGetting Started In Using Classroom Assessment Classroom Assessment

TechniquesTechniques

Plan

• Select one, and only one, of your classesSelect one, and only one, of your classes• Decide in light of your teaching goal (s) Decide in light of your teaching goal (s) • Choose a simple and quick techniqueChoose a simple and quick technique

Getting Started In UsingGetting Started In Using Classroom Assessment Classroom Assessment

TechniquesTechniques

Implement

• Make sure the students understand the procedure Make sure the students understand the procedure • Analyze student’s responses as soon as possibleAnalyze student’s responses as soon as possible

Getting Started In UsingGetting Started In Using Classroom Assessment Classroom Assessment

TechniquesTechniques

Respond -- “Close the feedback loop“ -- “Close the feedback loop“

• Tell students what you learned and what you Tell students what you learned and what you will do about it will do about it • Motivates students to become actively involvedMotivates students to become actively involved

The Teaching Goal Inventory(very useful)

Select one course you are currently Select one course you are currently teachingteaching

Respond to each item on the inventory in Respond to each item on the inventory in relation to that particular course.relation to that particular course.

If you are new to CA, do not worry about If you are new to CA, do not worry about linking goals to assessment tools. It is linking goals to assessment tools. It is useful only to be aware of the useful only to be aware of the relationship.relationship.

Teaching Goals Inventoryhttp://www.uiowa.edu/~centeach/tgi/

AcknowledgementAcknowledgement

Adapted from ““Classroom assessment techniques”Classroom assessment techniques”

T. Angelo and P. CrossT. Angelo and P. Cross

Clip ArtClip Art is from is from

except title page which is from:except title page which is from:

http://congres.insa-toulouse.fr/ALE2007/img/i-teachmov-3.gif

(retrieved April , 2007)

Questions ?Questions ?

Copyright noticeCopyright notice

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