Classroom Assessment Defined
When performing classroom assessment, the cycle of plan, do, respond is imperative. Consider the following:
Best Practices
Best Practices (One-Shot)
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
Classroom assessment techniques (CATs) are "generally non-graded, [sometimes] anonymous, in-class activities designed to give you and your students useful feedback on the teaching-learning process as it is happening" (Vanderbilt University, 2020).
The CATs in this group focus on content learning (University of Kentucky) and focus on the content of a particular subject by assessing prior knowledge, recall, and understanding.
Estimated Time: Students generally need 5 minutes to complete these CATs.
Prep time, discussion, and follow-up times vary.
| CAT | Logistics | Examples | Follow Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preconception Check |
Students share ideas and beliefs about upcoming material. The preconception check can take several forms (true/false, multiple-choice, short-answer). For example: Administer prior to or at the beginning of a library session. |
Information Has Value Preconception Check Information Creation as a Process Preconception Check |
Address issues of common ground/misconceptions as evident in the Preconception Check. Use common ground/misconceptions to garner class discussions and to explore gaps in their knowledge and reinforce concepts they already know. |
| Minute Paper | Students answer on paper, via email, or electronic polling: "What is the most important point you learned today, and what point remains least clear to you?". | Minute Paper Prompts |
Emphasize the issues illuminated by your students' comments during the next class. Administer the minute paper midway through a library session. While students are working on a task, read the minute papers, and respond to questions before class ends. |
| Muddiest Point |
Students answer the question, "What was the muddiest point in today's lesson?". Use sparingly, as asking for negative feedback too often can be discouraging for students and librarians. |
Follow up with the class and attempt to clarify muddy points, either via e-mail or by creating and sharing a LibGuide. | |
| Focused Listing |
Students focus attention on a single, important term, name, or concept from a lesson or class session and direct students to list ideas related to the "focus." Use in the development of topic ideas, related terms for strategic searching, or finding applicable/local examples. |
Application of recall and reflection upon a single lecture theme. |
Students independently concentrate on building a focused list pre-class, then work together in-class to organize, categorize, and differentiate all lists. A way to reflect on thought patterns about what was important to the topic, and the connections students make, alone and collectively. |
| Three Summaries |
Students write three summaries of a new idea, concept or source.
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Three Summaries 1 (see number 3) links out to Webb’s Depth of Knowledge which could be applied with the activity Three Summaries 2 Suggests using Twitter for this activity |
Collect summaries to assess where knowledge gaps exist. |
| Highlighter | Students read the same text, highlighting sentences they find important. Then, students gather within a group to share and present the main idea. | Students read the introduction of an academic article and highlight the thesis statement. | Collect the highlighted sheets to determine if students accurately identify the thesis. |
| Two Roses; One Thorn / Two Steps Forward; One Step Back | Students list two things they learned and one sticky, difficult part of the learning (or a question). |
End of class: Students work in small groups to identify two things they are confident with and one thing they are unsure of and how to approach the latter. Beginning of class: Students share their two roses and one thorn, and then the librarian focuses on these during instruction.
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Collect their responses and analyze knowledge gaps to follow through with. |
Techniques for assessing critical thinking, the CATs in this group focus on the assessment of analysis, such as breaking down information, questions, or problems (University of Kentucky).
Estimated Time: Students generally need 10-15 minutes to complete these CATs.
Prep time, discussion, and follow-up times vary.
| CAT | Logistics | Examples | Follow Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Categorizing Grid |
Students fill in a table of two-three categories. Give students a scrambled list of items and ask them to sort the items in the correct categories. Variations: Adapt to have students categorize physical objects, such as physical publications. |
Analyze the grids for patterns in incorrect responses. Provide feedback to the large group through email, LibGuide, online video, or a follow-up library session. | |
| Content, Form, and Function |
Students analyze the what, how, and why of a message.
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Look for the answers to these questions... Are students able to paraphrase content (WHAT)? Can they identify the form (HOW)? Can they see function within the larger context (WHY)? |
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| Pro & Con Grid |
Students list the pros and cons of the problem or issue. Discuss; compare grids. Variations: Ask students to complete the grid from multiple perspectives. |
Discuss in class. Share results with students. If possible, present a chart or other visual with their results. |
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| Four Corners | Students respond to four multiple-choice questions by moving to the corner of the room with their answer: A, B, C, or D. |
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Students journal about their responses. Students journal about a personal experience that relates to one of their answers. |
| Database Demo | Students demonstrate searching in a specific database after experimenting with it on their own. | Correct or amend their facts as necessary as students present. Clarify WHY students should use this database as opposed to another. | |
| Process Analysis |
Students outline the process they take in completing a specified assignment, such as narrowing a topic, searching for information, evaluating information, reading critically. Variation: |
Process Maps for Individuals, Groups, and During and After the Semester. |
During the Semester: Encourage students to explain the thought process behind their creations. After the Semester: Ask students to revise one of their process analyses from the semester and to reflect on what changes were made and why. |
The CATs in this group focus on the assessment of syntheses, such as the assessment of "intellectual products" that involve judgment, knowledge, and skill. (University of Kentucky).
Estimated Time: Students generally need 5-20 minutes to complete these CATs.
Prep time, discussion, and follow-up times vary.
| CAT | Logistics | Examples | Follow Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-Sentence Summary |
Students write a one-sentence response to a question about a new concept. Their answer should summarize who does what to whom, where, when, why, and how. Tell students at the beginning of a library session what they should learn and how they will be asked to demonstrate it. |
Revisit the topic with the class through email, LibGuide, tutorial, follow-up assignment, or another session. | |
| Word Journal |
Students write a two-part response:
An alternate version of the one minute/sentence summary. |
Short text ideas: News article, abstract, Reference book entry |
The textual equivalent of focused listing. An analysis of why a student chose their word. Examines critical thinking patterns when condensing information. |
| Mind/Concept Mapping |
Students outline similarities, connections, or structures between instructor's concepts and those learned through readings, activities, and/or lectures. Students present this as a diagram or visual representation of their connections to outlying ideas and concepts. |
Concept Mapping | After students generate a list of concepts and organize individually, pair up, and have them compare maps and revise. This enables students the opportunity to be iterative (on the same or different project) for a greater understanding of term/concept relationship. |
| Infographic | Students create an infographic of a learned process, such as the research process, search strategy, keyword creation, etc. | Students evaluate the work of their classmates or other examples and provide feedback. |
The CATs in this area concentrate on the application of "conditional knowledge, knowing when and where to apply learned information" (University of Kentucky).
Estimated Time: Students generally need 5-20 minutes to complete these CATs.
Prep time, discussion, and follow-up times vary.
| CAT | Logistics | Examples | Follow Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-2-1 |
Students list THREE things they have learned, TWO things they found interesting, and ONE question they have. Best when used following foundational material (lecture). Variations: Students can consult their 3-2-1 as they develop research questions. |
Design a follow-up via email, another class, video, or LibGuide.
Share with students the "most interesting or intriguing" responses about how students will use the information they have learned. |
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| Directed Paraphrasing |
Students paraphrase a key idea for a specific audience. This CAT is especially useful when working with pre-professional students, "who will likely have to explain complicated or specialized concepts to a particular audience throughout their careers" (Bowles-Terry and Kvenild, 60). |
Provide individual feedback; therefore, this CAT is most appropriate for a librarian-taught or embedded course. | |
| Application Cards |
Students generate examples of real-world applications for important principles, generalizations, theories, or procedures. Variation of the one-minute paper, in which students write down a real-world application for a theme or subject taught in class that day. |
Application Cards | Students may not make the application appropriately and will need correction. |
| Verifying Authority | Students identify and describe an authority of work in their field of study. |
Students examine cited sources within an academic article and create of list of "authorities" based on recurring author names, articles, written, times cited, institutional affiliations/degrees, etc. Students investigate the authority of a list of authors and/or publications and determine what area their expertise lies within. |
Students outline their process for determining credibility, authority, or expertise. Students reflect on authorship within the context of the "information timeline". |