CATS in the Classroom :CATS in the Classroom Spring 2007 Faculty Workshops Series Dr Aziza Ellozy aellozy@aucegypt.edu Center for Learning and Teaching Copyright Notice


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


Types Of Assessment :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? :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.” ~Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross~


What are CATs?(Classroom Assessment Techniques) :What are CATs?(Classroom Assessment Techniques) They are a set of methods and techniques created to answer two questions:


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


Characteristics of CATs :Characteristics of CATs Learner-centered: focus is on improving learning not on improving teaching 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 Beneficial to both student and instructor: Help faculty and students focus on learning Help students monitor their learning w/o pressure of exams Foster good rapport with students


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


General Approach :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* :Commonly used CATS* Recall, understanding, strategic knowledge Minute paper Muddiest Point Synthesis and creative thinking RSQC2 (Recall, Summarize, Question, Connect, Comment) One-sentence Summary Application and Performance Application Cards Directed Paraphrasing *Angelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. 1993. Classroom assessment techniques, 2nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass


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


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


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


RSQC2 (recall, summarize, question, connect, comment) :RSQC2 (recall, summarize, question, connect, comment) Recall most important ideas (2 min) Summarize the points into single sentence (3 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 Recall ________________ ________________ Summarize ________________ ________________ Question ________________ ________________ Connect _______________ _______________


Directed Paraphrasing :Directed Paraphrasing www.striporama.com/ 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 :Applications Cards “On the index card provided, write down one (2, 3…) real world application (s) for what you just have learned about…” www.5thavenuegifts.com/ peggykarr_design.asp


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


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


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


The Teaching Goal Inventory(very useful) :The Teaching Goal Inventory(very useful) Select one course you are currently teaching 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. Teaching Goals Inventory http://www.uiowa.edu/~centeach/tgi/


Acknowledgement :Acknowledgement Adapted from “Classroom assessment techniques” T. Angelo and P. Cross Clip Art is fromexcept title page which is from: http://congres.insa-toulouse.fr/ALE2007/img/i-teachmov-3.gif (retrieved April , 2007)


Slide 22: Questions ?


Copyright notice :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. aellozy@aucegypt.edu