Using Classroom Assessment Techniques Low Threshold Assessments to Promote Student Learning

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Using Classroom Assessment Techniques (Low
Threshold Assessments) to Promote Student
Learning

• Dr. Barbara Millis
• University of Nevada, Reno
• Dr. Douglas Eder
• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• Dr. Ray Purdom
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro

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We applaud your rapt attention even if it is
somewhat virtual!

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Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)can help
teachers learn what students know or dont know
or misunderstand.

• Learner-Centered
• Teacher-Directed
• Mutually Beneficial
• Formative
• Context-Specific
• Ongoing
• Rooted in Good Teaching Practice
• --Angelo, T. Cross, P. (1993) Classroom
  Assessment Techniques. 2nd Ed. San Francisco
  Jossey-Bass.

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Why would we want to use CATs?

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Low Threshhold Assessment Technique

• Each institution that is logged on please pick a
  number from 1-12.
• Based on your own and your institutions current
  background, knowledge, and experience, what is
  your brief definition of a Low Threshold
  Classroom Assessment Technique?
• Please enter your brief definition on the screen
  line by your selected number.

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Low Threshold Applications

• Definition  A Low Threshold Application (LTA) is
  a teaching/learning application of information
  technology  that is reliable, accessible, easy to
  learn, non-intimidating and (incrementally)
  inexpensive. Each LTA
• . . . contributes to important long-term
  changes in teaching and/or learning.  - Steve
  Gilbert, President, TLT Group

Don't raise unrealistic expectations, don't add
to the hype or the work LOWER THE THRESHOLDS!
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Placing Low Threshold Classroom Assessment
Techniques in the Broader Context of How Students
Learn and Activities that can Foster Learning
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• This Three-Part Webcast
• will look in turn at three key learning
  principles outlined in a book that focuses in
  student learning. Thus, we will discuss
  classroom assessment techniqueswith an emphasis
  on online/hybrid usesnot as quick fixes or
  one-time-only techniques but as part of a
  systematic way to structure and sequence learning
  experiences.
• How People Learn Brain, Mind, Experience, and
  School

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• How People Learn Brain, Mind, Experience,
  and School
• John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R.
  Cocking, editors
• Committee on Developments in the Science of
  Learning
• Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and
  Education
• National Research Council
• NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
• Washington, D.C. 1999
• http//www.nap.edu/html/howpeople1/notice.html

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Three findings . . . have a solid research base
to support them and strong implications for how
we teach. Bransford, Brown, Cocking, Eds. How
People Learn Brain, Mind, Experience, and School.
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Three Key Learning Principles

• Prior Knowledge Students construct new
  knowledge based on what they already know (or
  dont know)
• Deep Foundational Knowledge Students need a deep
  knowledge base and conceptual frameworks
• Metacognition Students must identify learning
  goals and monitor their progress toward them.

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The contemporary view of learning is that people
construct new knowledge and understandings based
on what they already know and believe.
Learning Principle 1
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Teaching/Learning Implications from Key Finding
1

• It is critically important to learn where your
  students are and what they already know or dont
  know, including their misconceptions.

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There is a good deal of evidence that learning
is enhanced when teachers pay attention to the
knowledge and beliefs that learners bring to a
learning task, use this knowledge as a starting
point for new instruction, and monitor students
changing conceptions as instruction proceeds.
Teaching/Learning Implications from Key Finding
1
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LTAs for Learning Principle 1

• Background Knowledge Probe (we will do)
• Focused Listing
• Applications Card
• Directed Paraphrasing (we will do)
• Key Principle Restating (we will do)

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• Background Knowledge Probe Question and Activity
  (see next slide for possible example.)

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Background Knowledge Probe (BKP)

• Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are a
  pedagogical way to monitor student learning as it
  is taking place.
• a. Ive never encountered this idea before.
• b. Ive encountered this idea but wouldnt want
  to have to explain it to a naïve audience.
• c. Ive encountered this idea and can explain it
  with examples.
• d. Ive encountered this idea and already
  adopted it for my teaching environment.
• 2. Assessment monitors student learning it does
  not evaluate faculty teaching.
• a. Ive never encountered this idea before.
• b. Ive encountered this idea but wouldnt want
  to have to explain it to a naïve audience.
• c. Ive encountered this idea and can explain it
  with examples.
• d. Ive encountered this idea and it is in place
  at my institution.
• 3. There is a difference between web-assisted and
  web-based on-line course environments.
• a. Ive never encountered this idea before.
• b. Ive encountered this idea but wouldnt want
  to have to explain it to a naïve audience
• c. Ive encountered this idea and can explain it
  with examples.
• d. Ive encountered this idea and have already
  differentiated it for others to understand.
• 4. The principles for using CATs in an on-line
  environment --whether web-assisted or web-based--
  are much the same as those for using CATs in an
  F2F environment.
• a. Ive never encountered this idea before.
• b. Ive encountered this idea but wouldnt want
  to have to explain it to a naïve audience
• c. Ive encountered this idea and can explain it
  with examples.

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Background Knowledge Probe (BKP)(Source T.
Angelo and P. Cross, Classroom Assessment
Techniques)Effective in small and large classes

• Purpose For students, BKP's highlight key
  information to be studied, offering both a
  preview of material to come and a review of prior
  knowledge for teachers, BKP's help determine
  the best starting point and the most appropriate
  level for a lesson for both, BKP's can be used
  for pre and post-lesson feedback of learning.
• Steps For either a unit of study or for the
  entire course, prepare and administer a
  diagnostic examination. Provide feedback to
  students, both individually and whole-class,
  exploring the results and their implications for
  learning.
• Variations A Knowledge Survey asks students,
  not to answer questions, but to indicate their
  confidence level (e.g, I know this I know at
  least 50 of the answer or know exactly where to
  find the answer I don't know.) Results are
  displayed in a histogram and later correlated to
  the final exam to determine learning gains. Both
  BKPs and Knowledge Surveys are easily adapted for
  online courses.

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Background Knowledge Probe (BKP)(Source T.
Angelo and P. Cross, Classroom Assessment
Techniques)Effective in small and large classes

• Assessment and follow-on Use the results to
  assist individual students and to determine the
  students overall background knowledgeand hence
  the levelat which you begin your
  presentations/activities. When students include
  their names, you can assign students to
  cooperative groups so that each group contains a
  high achiever, a low achiever and two students in
  the middle. You can design activities to bring
  students up-to-speed with prerequisite material
  (e.g., special review sessions self-directed
  learning modules, web-based or otherwise, etc.).
  You can administer the same examination after the
  unit or the course is complete (pre- and
  post-tests), so that students can measure their
  learning gains.
• Examples from various disciplines Define each
  of the following (Chemistry) enthalpy of
  activation (Astronomy) star (Psychology)
  schizophrenia (Literature) genre. Write a short
  essay on the following questions (Management)
  Discuss the differences between a traditional and
  a learning organization (Political Science)
  Explain the key differences between the platforms
  advocated by the Democratic and the Republican
  parties (Child Development) How does a child
  acquire language?

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Focused Listing (Source T. Angelo and P.
Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques)Effective
in small and large classes

• Purpose To determine what learners recall about
  a specific topic, including the concepts they
  associate with the central point. This technique
  can be used before, during, or after a lesson.
• Steps Ask students to write the key word at the
  top of a page and within a set time limit
  (usually 2-3 minutes) to jot down related terms
  important to understanding that topic.
• Variations Have students pair to compare their
  entries. Working in pairs can help students
  build their knowledge base and clarify their
  understanding. Easily adapted for online
  courses.
• Assessment After collecting the index cards,
  compare students' lists with a master one you
  have generated, looking at both the quantity and
  quality of their responses. Categorize responses
  into "related" or "unrelated" or "appropriate" or
  "inappropriate" stacks. Consider compiling a
  master list and having students then sort them by
  categories.

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Focused Listing(Source T. Angelo and P. Cross,
Classroom Assessment Techniques)Effective in
small and large classes

• Follow-on Share with students what you discover
  and act accordingly (e.g., deliberately spending
  more time than planned on a concept students
  clearly find difficult). Use student responses,
  as appropriate, in your mini-lecture.
• Examples from various disciplines Antenna,
  Symbolism, Astronaut, Myth, Reinforcement,
  Corporation, Random Distribution, Electrical
  Circuits, Momentum, Bonding, Schizophrenia

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Note Delete Slide? We didnt plan to demo
this CAT Focused Listing

• Steps Would you please write the key phrase at
  the top of a page and, within about 2 minutes,
  jot down related terms important to understanding
  that topic.
• Key word Distance assessment

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Application Card (Source T. Angelo and P.
Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques)Effective
in small and large classes

• Purpose To determine if students understand
  definitions or concepts in sufficient depth to go
  beyond textbook or teacher terms by reaching the
  application level. This technique can be used
  before, during, or after a lesson.
• Steps Ask students to write the key word at the
  top of a page and within a set time limit
  (usually 2-3 minutes) to give one or more
  real-world applications for an important
  principle, generalization, theory, or procedure.
• Variations Have students pair to compare their
  entries. Working in pairs can help students build
  their knowledge base and clarify their
  understanding. Easily adapted for online courses.
  
• Assessment and follow-on After collecting the
  index cards, review the student responses,
  looking for accuracy and even creativity. The
  responses can be sorted as unacceptable,
  marginal, adequate, or excellent. Provide
  feedback to students about the depth of their
  understanding, sharing particularly apt
  applications.

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Application Card (Source T. Angelo and P.
Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques)Effective
in small and large classes

• Examples from various disciplines
• Business Stephen Covey recommends Win-win
  performance agreements give two specific
  applications, one related to current news and one
  related to your own life
• Government/Law Give a concrete example of the
  concept due process
• Engineering Give two real-world applications
  of torque.

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Note Delete this slide because we didnt plan to
demo it, either? Application Card

• Steps Would you please write the key phrase at
  the top of a page and, within about 2 minutes,
  give one or more real-world applications for how
  you might use this idea in your on-line course.
• Key phrase Background knowledge probe

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Directed Paraphrasing(Source T. Angelo and P.
Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques)Effective
in small and large classes

• Purpose To determine if students understand
  definitions or concepts in sufficient depth,
  rather than merely regurgitating textbook or
  teacher terms. This technique can be used
  before, during, or after a lesson.
• Steps Ask students to write the key word at the
  top of a page and within a set time limit
  (usually 2-3 minutes) to create in their own
  words a definition of a term or concept for a
  specific audience or purpose.
• Variations Have students pair to compare their
  entries. Working in pairs can help students
  build their knowledge base and clarify their
  understanding. Easily adapted for online
  courses.
• Assessment and follow-on After collecting the
  index cards, review the student responses,
  looking for accuracy and even creativity.
  Categorize responses into "related" or
  "unrelated" or "appropriate" or "inappropriate"
  stacks. Provide feedback to students about the
  depth of their understanding, sharing
  particularly apt examples.

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Directed Paraphrasing(Source T. Angelo and P.
Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques)Effective
in small and large classes

• Examples from various disciplines
• Management explain the concept of corporation
  to high school students
• Accounting/ Economics explain an irrevocable
  trust to a group of retirees
• Engineering explain, using a suitable analogy or
  image, the term circuit to a friend who is an
  English major
• Biochemistry define or describe the term
  polymer to a group of nursing students, giving
  five examples of proteins in the body.

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Key Principle and Restating(Source John Hertel,
a law professor at the United States Air Force
Academy)Effective in small and large classes

• Purpose To help both you and your students
  determine the knowledge gains from a single
  lesson.
• Steps Before beginning a discussion/lesson have
  students write on an index card a broad concept
  such as the primary conclusion in a science
  article, the key point in a mini-case study, or
  the theme of a work of literature. Conduct the
  lesson. Before adjournment, have students draw a
  line on the index card under their original
  comment and restate the same broad concept.
• Variations Easily adapted to online courses.
• Assessment and follow-on By comparing students
  understanding prior to the lesson to their
  understanding after the lesson has concluded, you
  get an idea of how well their knowledge has
  deepenedor not. You can discuss with students
  in a subsequent meeting the classs overall
  comprehension, sharing particularly cogent
  student summaries. You can also use the
  responses to identify and subsequently address
  misconceptions.

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John Hertels Key Principles and Restating
Comedy Cottage Key Point whether the manager
violated the duty of loyalty and competition by
opening his business in the same
location -------------------------------------- Ke
y point issue injunction to stop lease order to
prevent him from competing in the comedy club
business with a certain distance

Comedy Cottage No idea what this case is about.
Dont remember. ----------------------------------
------------------------------------ One
principle is that of loyalty. In a corporation
you are required to be loyal and not to take
their secrets and go creatyour own business (Copy
Cat).
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Key Principle and Restating

• Remember the number from 1-12 that you selected
  earlier.
• Now that you have experienced this
  seminar/workshop, what is your new? brief idea
  of a Low Threshold Classroom Assessment
  Technique?
• Please again enter your brief definition on the
  screen line by your selected number.
• To what degree has your idea evolved?

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Questions?
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Further Study --- Good Classroom Assessment web
pages

• http//www.siue.edu/deder/assess/catmain.html
• http//honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/Fac
  DevCom/guidebk/ teachtip/assess-2.htm
• http//www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/assess.htm
• http//www.flaguide.org/

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• The
• End!
• Happy Teaching!

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Note The slides that follow we could include if
you dont think we have enough material for an
hour We could have them actually DO the
formative/summative assessment grid

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Store by Similarity
Long-Term Storage
Working Memory
Retrieve by Difference
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Compare or ContrastThe items being compared or
contrasted can be

• Theories, methods, or models
• Examples of writing, music, art
• Problems or solutions
• Aspects of historical or current events
• Authentic or mythical scenarios.
• Susan Johnston Jim Cooper, (1997)
  QuickthinksActive-Thinking Tasks in Lecture
  Classes and Televised Instruction.

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Graphic Organizer

• A diagram to organize information in a visual
  format that suggests relationships.
• Helping students to organize their knowledge
  is as important as the knowledge itself, since
  knowledge organization is likely to affect
  students intellectual performance.
• Bransford, Brown, Cocking, Eds. How
  People Learn Brain, Mind, Experience, and School.

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What are the differences between Greek Drama?
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What are the differences between Formative and
Summative Assessment?
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Applications for Comparison/Contrast in other
Disciplines

• Literature How are Antigone and Creon alike?
• History What are the similarities between the
  Revolutionary War and the Civil War?
• Biology What are the differences between
  mitosis and meiosis?
• Psychology What are the differences between
  schizophrenia and manic-depressive?