Classroom assessment techniques CATS What are CATS How

Classroom assessment techniques (CATS)

What are CATS? How many of you have seen this book before? Please put your hands up. ¡ Congratulations! You just completed a CAT. ¡ “A simple method faculty can use to collect feedback, early and often, on how well students are learning what they are being taught. ” ¡

Why are CATS? ¡ ¡ We use CATS to assess progress toward our teaching goals. Please take a few minutes to complete the Teaching Goals Inventory, with a particular course in mind.

Why are CATS? Dimensions of learning Teaching goals inventory Bloom taxonomy Declarative: what Discipline specific knowledge Knowledge Comprehension Procedural: how Basic academic success skills Discipline specific skills Comprehension Application Conditional: when/where Higher order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Application Analysis Synthesis Reflective: why Higher-order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Career prep Personal development Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Why are CATS? Dimensions of learning Teaching goals inventory Bloom taxonomy Declarative: what Discipline specific knowledge Knowledge Comprehension Procedural: how Basic academic success skills Discipline specific skills Comprehension Application Conditional: when/where Higher order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Application Analysis Synthesis Reflective: why Higher-order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Career prep Personal development Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Example 1 Declarative knowledge The one-minute exercise List as many of the six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy as you can. Compare your list with your neighbor and add ones you may have left out. Variations: ¡ List 3 main points of today’s lecture. ¡ What was the muddiest point in my lecture?

Why are CATS? Dimensions of learning Teaching goals inventory Bloom taxonomy Declarative: what Discipline specific knowledge Knowledge Comprehension Procedural: how Basic academic success skills Discipline specific skills Comprehension Application Conditional: when/where Higher order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Application Analysis Synthesis Reflective: why Higher-order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Career prep Personal development Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Example 2 Procedural knowledge Basic academic skills One-word journals Choose a single word to summarize the following paragraph. Be prepared to explain your word choice to your neighbor.

“…The purpose of Classroom Assessment is to provide faculty and students with information and insights needed to improve teaching effectiveness and learning quality. College instructors use feedback gleaned through Classroom Assessment to inform adjustments in their teaching. Faculty also share feedback with students…to help them improve their learning strategies and study habits… to become more independent, successful learners. ”

Why are CATS? Dimensions of learning Teaching goals inventory Bloom taxonomy Declarative: what Discipline specific knowledge Knowledge Comprehension Procedural: how Basic academic success skills Discipline specific skills Comprehension Application Conditional: when/where Higher order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Application Analysis Synthesis Reflective: why Higher-order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Career prep Personal development Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Example 3 Conditional knowledge Application, Analysis Compare and contrast the one-minute paper and the one-word journal. 1. Are they equally usable in class vs. for homework? 2. Are they equally good at assessing discipline-specific skills vs. study skills? 3. Are they equally easy for the teacher to prepare? 4. Do they equally lend themselves to peer interaction? 5. Are they equally easy to expand into a larger assignment if desired?

Why are CATS? Dimensions of learning Teaching goals inventory Bloom taxonomy Declarative: what Discipline specific knowledge Knowledge Comprehension Procedural: how Basic academic success skills Discipline specific skills Comprehension Application Conditional: when/where Higher order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Application Analysis Synthesis Reflective: why Higher-order thinking skills Liberal arts and academic values Career prep Personal development Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Example 4 Reflective knowledge Synthesis, Self-awareness Concept map ¡ Brainstorm ideas related to the concept “Classroom Assessment” ¡ Put “Classroom Assessment” in the middle of a page, and then show the other ideas are linked to it, e. g. as spokes of a wheel, or as a set of concentric circles, or as a network or road map. Label the links. ¡ Be prepared to share your map with your neighbor, and to discuss similarities and differences.

Example 5 Reflective knowledge Personal/Career Development Look at your Teaching Goals Inventory and select one of your goals for your class. Draft a paragraph describing how this goal could be assessed in a class activity. You may use one of the CATS we have discussed, or invent your own!

Example 6 Reflective knowledge Evaluation Classroom opinion poll/Assignment evaluation Please number an index card from 1 to 3. For each of the following statements, please write whether you agree, are neutral or disagree.

1. 2. 3. The activities in this session have helped me learn about CATS This session has added to my selfawareness of my goals as a teacher This session has encouraged me to begin or continue to use CATS

Sources: ¡ ¡ ¡ Angelo, T. A. & Cross, P. (1993) Classroom Assessment Techniques (2 nd ed. ). SF: Jossey-Bass. Angelo, T. A. (1991). Classroom research: Early lessons from success. New Directions for Teaching and Learning (46). SF: Jossey-Bass. Mc. Govern, T. Classroom Assessment Strategies. Handout used in “Developing Teachers of Psychology” pre-conference workshop for American Psychological Association.