Classroom Assessment Techniques (SCC)

Have you ever been

unpleasantly surprised by student
performance on an exam

or an assignment? Wondered

if your students grasped an important concept?

seen those glazed eyes as you lectured?

Evidence based classroom assessment techniques or CATs

may be a way to escape this... Improve the quality of student learning

and make your instructional time more effective

and maybe even a little fun

CATs are formative assessments that can easily be incorporated

into your class whether you teach face to face

hybrid or online. Cats are learner-centered

they help your students take
responsibility for their own learning

and help them to better understand why
they should

even so, CATs are also

teacher directed. You as the expert decide what to assess

how to assess it, and how to respond

once you have. CATs are context

specific and help students evaluate

their own understandings mis-understandings

prior knowledge, satisfaction

and sometimes confusion and all of this can happen

during your instruction based on the
personality

of each individual class.

By sharing the results have of your CATs with your students

they can better gauge their progress before they are graded

on major quizzes, assignments, or projects

Last and maybe most importantly, CATs

are rooted in good teaching practice, and are based on evidence

This evidence implies that not only

is student learning improved but so

is student motivation and self-awareness
There are as many different CATs

as there are still learning outcomes and
objectives

so you will want to choose a CAT that
aligns with your instructional goals

whether those incorporate knowledge
building

problem-solving, or critical or creative
thinking.