Teaching Tips:Suggestions and ideas on teaching

Classroom Assessment Techniques let you know if your students have learned what you wanted them to learn.

1. Background Knowledge Probe

• Find something students know about the next topic.
  Give them two or three open-ended questions or 10 or so multiple choice questions to indicate their knowledge as they begin the topic.
• Use the feedback in class or analyze it for the next class.

2. Focused Listing

• Select a topic or concept you will or just have taught - describe it in a phrase.
  Put the phrase on the board.
  Ask students to take two to four minutes to list ideas related to the phrase.
  Do the same yourself.
• Use the feedback in class or analyze it for the next class.

3. Memory matrix

• Draw a simple matrix with row and column headings or distribute in a handout.
  Fill in yourself using course information.
  Make a handout with rows and columns filled in; copy on the board or overhead.
  Tell students to fill in. Give them a minimum number per cell (three is better than one, which might stymie them as they search for the one right answer).
• Collect and assess.

4. One-Sentence Summary

• Select an important topic.
• First, answer the question "Who does what to whom, when, where, how, and why?" (WDWWWWHW) yourself and put the response into a grammatical sentence.
• Note how long it takes you.
• Give the same task to students and double the time allowed.

5. Diagnostic Learning Logs

• Tell students you will be asking them to keep records of what they learned from class, readings, tests, etc.
• Give them a sample format -- such as a Class Log with main points they learned, points that were unclear, and what need to know to make them clear or a Homework or Test Log on which they are to describe assignments, give examples of errors, and tell how they would do it differently.

6. Chain Notes

• Compose a question which will help you and your students capture a moment in their mental activity.
• Make sure the question can be answered quickly by all students.
• On a large envelope, print the question, directions, and enough index cards or slips of paper for each student.
• At the beginning of class, announce what you are doing and why -- emphasize the importance of waiting until the envelope arrives and of writing quick honest anonymous responses. (For instance: just before this arrived, what were you paying attention to?)
• Start the envelope.
• Summarize the results and discuss them.

7. ROQC2 (Recall, Summarize, Question, Connect, and Comment)
Can be used separately or in combination.

• Select an important topic.
• First, answer the question "Who does what to whom, when, where, how, and why?" (WDWWWWHW) yourself and put the response into a grammatical sentence.
• Note how long it takes you.
• Give the same task to students and double the time allowed.

Adaptations:
Categorizing Grid

• Provide the row and column labels and answers in a scrambled format and have students place them in the right cells.
  Pro and Con Grid
• Focus on a decision or judgement dilemma. Prompt students to take a certain perspective and tell them how many responses you want.