Classroom Assessment Techniques:

Finding Out What Your Students

Really Know

Dr. Jennifer E. Roberts

Coordinator of Academic Assessment
Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment
Northern Virginia Community College

Student learning outcomes

for todays workshop
After attending todays workshop, you will be able to:
1. Describe what Classroom Assessment is
2. Provide reasons for using CATs
3. Identify various CATs
4. Apply CATs to your course(s).

What is Assessment?
It involves systematically gathering, analyzing,
and interpreting evidence to determine how well
performance matches those expectations and
standards; and using the resulting information to
document, explain, and improve performance.

(Source: AAHE Bulletin, Thomas A. Angelo, 1995)

What is Classroom Assessment?

"Classroom Assessment is a simple method faculty
can use to collect feedback, early and often, on
how well their students are learning what they are
being taught. The purpose of classroom
assessment is to provide faculty and students with
information and insights needed to improve
teaching effectiveness and learning quality."

Angelo, T.A., 1991. Ten easy pieces: Assessing higher learning in four dimensions. In Classroom research: Early
lessons from success. New directions in teaching and learning (#46), Summer, 17-31.

What is Classroom Assessment?

Classroom Assessment is an approach
designed to help teachers find out what students
are learning in the classroom and how well they
are learning it. This approach is
learner-centered,
teacher-directed,
mutually beneficial,
formative,
context-specific,
ongoing,
and firmly rooted in good practice.
Angelo, T.A. & Cross, P.K. (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques (2nd ed.). San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.

What is Classroom Assessment?

Teacher-directed: teacher selects, designs,
administers and chooses how to respond to
results
Formative: on-going during learning; diagnostic;
interventions; not graded; remedial

Classroom Assessment is not Program Assessment

CATs are conducted by individual instructors and
rarely relate to program assessment.
CATs are not formally documented.
Instructors are not assessing program SLOs, but
rather more focused knowledge, skills, and
attitudes from specific course contexts (readings,
lectures, homework, etc).

Classroom Assessment addresses questions

such as
Are my students learning what I think I am
teaching?
Who is learning and who is not learning?
What am I doing that is useful for these students?
What am I doing that is not useful for these
students?
www.iusb.edu/~sbassess/IUSB%20CAT%20Workshop.ppsx

Why Should You Use CATs?

For faculty, frequent use of CATs can:
Provide short-term feedback about the day-to-day
learning and teaching process at a time when it is still
possible to make mid-course corrections.
Provide useful information about student learning with a
much lower investment of time compared to tests,
papers, and other traditional means of learning
assessment.
For students, frequent use of CATs can:
Help them become better monitors of their own learning.
Point out the need to alter study skills.
Allow them to be as honest as possible when done
anonymously.
http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/assess.htm

Questions to Ask Yourself

What do you want to learn by using a CAT?
How will the feedback be helpful to you?

How do CATs compare to Typical Testing?

Typical Testing

CATs

Assess Achievement

Feedback for Learning

Summative (one shot)

Formative (ongoing)

Not Anonymous

Anonymous

Longer/Involved

Quick and Easy

Graded

Not Graded

http://www.powershow.com/view.php?id=P1240280231TGbyE&t=Classroom+Assessment+Techniques
Adapted from Parkland College Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Areas We Can Explore with CATs

Background Knowledge

What have you learned?

Content/Material

What are you learning?

Process

How are you learning?

Application

How do you use it?

Barriers

Whats hindering you?

Study Skills

Do you have the tools?

Attitudes

What do you think?

http://www.powershow.com/view.php?id=P1240280231TGbyE&t=Classroom+Assessment+Techniques
Adapted from Parkland College Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Using CATs to Assess

Course-Related Knowledge and Skills
Prior Knowledge, Recall, and Understanding
Analysis and Critical Thinking
Synthesis and Creative Thinking
Problem Solving
Application and Performance
Learner Attitudes, Values, and Self-Awareness
Students Awareness of Their Attitudes and Values
Students Self-Awareness as Learners
Course-Related Learning and Study Skills, Strategies, and
Behaviors
Learner Reactions to Instruction
Learner Reactions to Teachers and Teaching
Learner Reactions to Class Activities, Assignments, and
Materials

Commonly Used CATs

Assessing Prior Knowledge

Background Knowledge Probe: short, simple questionnaires
prepared by instructors for use at the beginning of a course, at
the start of a new unit or lesson, or prior to introducing an
important new topic.
For fast analysis responses can be sorted into "prepared" and
"not prepared" piles.
For a detailed analysis answers can be classified into the
following categories: [-1] = erroneous background knowledge;
[0] = no relevant background knowledge; [+1] = some relevant
background knowledge; [+2] = significant background
knowledge.
With this feedback faculty can determine the most effective
starting point for a given lesson and the most appropriate level
at which to begin instruction.

Assessing Prior Knowledge

Background Knowledge Probe Example: Below are two questions I would
have given you either at the end of the last workshop or some time before
this workshop (allowing enough time for any necessary modifications).
In response to each name, term or concept in bold print below, circle the
number that best represents your current knowledge:
1. Assessment
a) Have never heard of this
b) Have heard of it, but dont really know what it means
c) Have some idea what this means, but not too clear
d) Have a clear idea what this means and can explain it
2. Classroom Assessment
a) Have never heard of this
b) Have heard of it, but dont really know what it is
c) Have some idea what it is, but not to clear on its purpose
d) Have a clear idea what this is and can explain how to use it

Assessing Recall
Focused Listing: This focuses on a single important term, name,
or concept from a particular lesson or class session and directs
students to list several ideas that are closely related to that
focus point.
Student responses can be compared to the content of your own
lists.
Focused listing can be used before, during, or after the relevant
lesson. As a result, teachers can use this technique to gauge
the best starting point, make midpoint corrections, and measure
the classs progress in learning one specific element of the
course content.

Assessing Recall
Focused Listing Example: At the end of this workshop,
participants are given 2-3 minutes to complete the following
task.
Please list important characteristics of CATs.

I would review the responses and determine where more

emphasize might be needed in future workshops/lessons. For
example, if only 50% of the students listed teacher-directed as
a characteristic, I would then know that more attention must be
paid to this characteristic in future workshops/communications.

Assessing Recall
Empty Outline: Students fill in an empty or partially completed
outline of an in-class presentation or homework assignment
within a limited amount of time.
Student responses can be compared to those you expected,
counting the number of students who agreed or disagreed with
your responses for each item.
The range of responses among students can be reviewed with a
focus more on the patterns that emerge than on how well they
match instructor expectations.
With this feedback faculty can find out who well students have
caught the important points of a lecture, reading, etc.

Assessing Recall
Empty Outline Example:
Provide 2 examples of each category of CATs.
1. Course-Related Knowledge and Skills
a.
b.
2. Learner Attitudes, Values, and Self-Awareness
a.
b.
3. Learner Reactions to Instruction
a.
b.

If necessary, a short review different CATs could be done during

future meetings. I could continue to use this CAT until a
satisfactory number of students can fill in the outline correctly.

Assessing Understanding
Minute Paper: During the last few minutes of the class period,
ask students to answer on a half-sheet of paper:
What is the most important point you learned today?
What point remains least clear to you?
Review responses and note any useful comments.
During the following class periods emphasize the issues
illuminated by your students comments.
With this feedback teachers can decide whether any midcourse corrections or changes are needed and, if so, what kinds
of instructional adjustments to make.

Assessing Understanding
Muddiest Point: At the end of class, ask students to jot down a
quick response to one question:
"What was the muddiest point in the [class meeting,
readings, homework assignment, lecture, etc.] ?
Quickly read through at least half of the responses, looking for
common types of muddy points. Then go back through all the
responses and sort them into piles -several piles containing
groups of related muddy points, and one "catch-all" pile made
up of one-of-a-kind responses.
With this feedback faculty can discover which points are most
difficult for students to learn and this can guide their teaching
decisions about which topics to emphasize and how much time
to spend on each.

Assessing Skill in Analysis and Critical Thinking

Categorizing Grid: Students are given a grid containing two or
three important categories along with a scrambled list of items,
which students must then sort into the correct categories.

With this feedback faculty can determine quickly whether, how,

and how well students understand what goes with what.
Students can also see if they need to revise their categorizing
rules.

Assessing Skill in Analysis and Critical Thinking

Categorizing Grid Example:
Categorize the characteristics of typical testing and the
corresponding characteristics of CATs.
Indirect Methods

Direct Methods

Assess Achievement - Longer/Involved Anonymous

Feedback for Learning Graded - Formative (ongoing)
Not Anonymous - Not Graded - Summative (one shot) - Quick and Easy

Assessing Skill in Analysis and Critical Thinking

Pro and Con Grid: Students are given a grid containing two or
three important categories along with a scrambled list of items,
which students must then sort into the correct categories.
Do a frequency count for the pros and cons students have listed;
which points are most often mentioned? Compare the students
grids to yours to see if they have excluded points or included
extraneous points.
This feedback provides faculty a quick overview of a classs
analysis of the pros and cons, costs and benefits, and
advantages and disadvantages of an issue of mutual concern.
Faculty can thus see the depth and breadth of the students
analyses and their capacity for objectivity.

Assessing Skill in Analysis and Critical Thinking

Pro and Con Grid Example:
Make a list of the pros and cons for using CATs instead of formal
tests to get feedback on student learning. Try to provide at least
3 of each.
I would then review the lists to see if there are patterns (which
points were most often correctly mentioned, while which
incorrect points were included) and discuss the results with the
participants at the next meeting.

Assessing Skill in Synthesis and Creative Thinking

One-Sentence Summary: Students should answer the questions
Who does what to whom, when, where, how, and why? about
a given topic, and then to synthesize those answers into a single
informative, grammatical, and long summary sentence. The
purpose is to require students to select only the defining
features of an idea.
This feedback allows faculty to evaluate the quality of each
summary quickly and holistically and note whether students
have identified the essential concepts of the class topic and their
interrelationships.

Assessing Skill in Application and Performance

Directed Paraphrasing: Students are asked to write a laymans
translation of something they have just learnedgeared to a
specified individual or audience to assess their ability to
comprehend and transfer concepts.
Separate the responses into four piles, which might be labeled
confused, minimal, adequate, and excellent. Compare
within and across categories.
This feedback allows faculty to evaluate the accuracy of the
paraphrase, its suitability for the intended audience, and its
effectiveness in fulfilling the assigned purpose.

Assessing Skill in Application and Performance

Directed Paraphrasing Example:
Paraphrase what you have learned about reasons for using
CATs. Direct your paraphrase to a colleague with no knowledge
of CATs.
I would review the submissions and look for common patterns of
clarity and confusion and make any necessary enhancements to
the content of the workshop.

Assessing Skill in Application and Performance

Application Cards: After learning about an important theory,
principle, or procedure, students are asked to write down at
least one real-world application for what they have just learned.
Quickly read once through the applications and categorize them
according to their quality. Pick out a broad range of examples
(including both excellent and marginal/unacceptable examples)
and present them to the class.
This feedback efficiently shows faculty how well student
understand the possible applications of what they have learned.

Assessing Skill in Application and Performance

Student-Generated Test Questions: Allow students to write test
questions and model answers for specified topics, in a format
consistent with course exams. This will give students the
opportunity to evaluate the course topics, reflect on what they
understand, and what are good test items
Tally the types of questions students propose and look at the
range of topics the questions span.
This feedback shows faculty to assess at least three aspects of
student learning. In these questions, teachers see what their
students consider the most important or memorable content,
what they understand as fair and useful test questions, and how
well they can answer the questions they have posed.
This also alerts faculty to when students have inaccurate
expectations about upcoming tests.

To Consider When Choosing a CAT

Levels of Time and Energy Required for:
Prep: Faculty to prepare to use this CAT
In class: Students to respond to the assessment
Analysis: Faculty to analyze the data collected

Scale: Low, Medium, High

Using CATs
If a CAT does not appeal to your intuition and professional
judgment as a teacher, dont use it.
Dont make Classroom Assessment into a self-inflicted chore
or burden.
Dont ask your students to use any CAT that you havent
previously tried on yourself.
Allow for more time than you think you will need to carry out
and respond to the assessment.
Make sure to close the loop. Let students know what you
learn from their feedback and how you and they can use that
information to improve learning.
Source: Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P.H. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. (2nd ed.) San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993

What is a Good CAT?

DIRECTIONAL can help to confirm that teachers
are on track
MEASURABLE can show what has been learned or
misunderstood
BENEFICIAL benefits are of greater value than the
effort to plan, conduct and collect data

http://www.eltcm.org/eltc/Download/symposium/workshop_B.pdf

Steps to Using CATs

Phase I: Planning a Classroom Assessment Project
Step 1: Choose the class in which to carry out the
Classroom Assessment Project.
Step 2: Focus on an assessable question about
student learning.
Step 3: Design a Classroom Assessment Project
to answer that question.
Source: Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P.H. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. (2nd ed.)
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993

Steps to Using CATs

Phase II: Implementing the Classroom Assessment
Project
Step 4: Teach the target lesson related to the
question being assessed.
Step 5: Assess learning by collecting feedback on
that question.
Step 6: Analyze the feedback and turn the data
into usable information.
Source: Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P.H. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. (2nd ed.) San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993

Steps to Using CATs

Phase III: Responding to the results of the Classroom
Assessment
Step 7: Interpret the results and formulate an
appropriate response to improve learning.
Step 8: Communicate the results to students and
try the response.
Step 9: Evaluate the Classroom Assessment
Projects effect(s) on teaching and learning.
Source: Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P.H. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. (2nd ed.) San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993

CAT Checklist
1. Set clear goals what to teach, how to test, and
type of outcomes/data expected .
2. Do you need to modify CAT chosen? Check
situation and numbers .
3. Do you grade or not grade CAT? Ungraded if for
feedback .
4. Is CAT simple to plan, conduct, analyze?
5. What kind of response do you expect from
learners?
Facts = scores
Concept = qualitative response
http://www.eltcm.org/eltc/Download/symposium/workshop_B.pdf

CAT Checklist
6. Will you get the data you want?
7. Has someone else checked your CAT for validity?
8. Have you informed learners of purpose of CAT
and shared data?
9. Have you collected and analyzed data?
10.What is your follow-up plan?
http://www.eltcm.org/eltc/Download/symposium/workshop_B.pdf

Basic Assumptions of Classroom Assessment

To improve their learning, students need to receive appropriate
and focused feedback early and often; they also need to
learn how to assess their own learning.
The type of assessment most likely to improve teaching and
learning is that conducted by faculty to answer questions
they themselves have formulated in response to issues or
problems in their own teaching.
Classroom assessment does not require specialized training; it
can be carried out by dedicated instructors from all
disciplines.
Source: Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P.H. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. (2nd ed.) San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993

Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P.H.

Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers.
(2nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993

Student learning outcomes

for todays workshop
After attending todays workshop, you will be able to:
1. Describe what Classroom Assessment is
2. Provide reasons for using CATs
3. Identify various CATs
4. Apply CATs to your course(s).

Future Workshops

Developing Rubrics
Closing the Loop Using Results to
Enhance Student Learning
WEAVEonline online management tool

http://www.nvcc.edu/about-nova/directories--offices/administrative-offices/assessment/loop/index.html

Questions?

Contact: Dr. Jennifer Roberts

Coordinator of Academic Assessment
Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment
703-323-3086
[email protected]

Identify Student
Learning
Outcomes

Use
Results

Gather
Evidence

Assessment
at
NOVA

Curriculum
Mapping

Methods of
Assessment

Classroom Assessment Techniques:

Finding Out What Your Students
Really Know

Dr. Jennifer E. Roberts

Coordinator of Academic Assessment
Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment
Northern Virginia Community College