Electronic Classroom Assessment Techniques:

“Taking the Temperature of Learning

in the Online Classroom”

Leah Chuchran, Digital Learning Specialist Emory University

Participate in hands-on live eCATs

Describe Classroom Assessment Techniques

Become familiar with how eCATs can be

utilized in the online classroom using simple and free technologies

Formulate ways to integrate eCATs in synchronous and

asynchronous online classroom activities

Distinguish the difference between CATs

and eCATs

learning outcomes

for the record...

This webinar will cover both eCATs and many types of technologies.

Most technologies have free options or typically are available to you as an instructor at your institution.

I am a proponent of using technology that aligns with instructional goals.

What are CATs/eCATs?

Consistent, frequent, “temperature checks” of learning; simple, non-graded (sometimes)

Techniques that allow instructors to identify gaps of information/

knowledge so that the learners are active participants in the learning process

Typically formative and diagnostic in nature

Activities (synchronous or asynchronous) designed to give

you and your students useful feedback on the teaching-

learning process as it is happening.

what are CATs?

distinction of eCATs

Vs.

You, the audience

Action Item: Click on the

link in the chat window and

answer the one question poll.

background

Much of what we’ll explore today is from the basis of this book, written in 1993 by Angelo and Cross. Most every resource out there will reference this book.

criteria for eCATs

Is the assessment technique relatively simple to

prepare and use?

Are the results from the use of the technique

relatively quick and easy to analyze?

Does the technique focus on "alterable

variables"aspects of teacher or learner behavior

that can be changed to promote better learning?

Will the assessment technique provide

information about what students are learning in individual classrooms?

Will it give teachers and students information they

can use to make mid- course changes and

corrections?

purpose of eCATs With frequent

and consistent use CATs can...

Provide just-in-time feedback about the teaching-learning

process

Provide information about student

learning with less work than traditional assignments (tests,

papers, etc.)

Encourage the view that

teaching is an ongoing process

of inquiry, experimentation,

and reflection

Help students become better

monitors of their own learning

Help students feel less

anonymous and more involved, even in large

courses

Provide concrete evidence that the

instructor cares about learning

assessment vs. evaluation Assessment is the term used to look at how the level of quality of a performance or outcome could be improved in the future. Assessment includes strengths that should be sustained as well as high-priority areas for improvement. The assessment process is not concerned with the level of quality; only with how to improve the level of quality.

Evaluation is the term used to describe the determination of the level of quality in the present time. The evaluation process focuses only on the actual level of quality with no interest in why that level was attained.

phased approach Phase 1:

Planning a e-Classroom Assessment Project

Phase 2: Implementing the e-Classroom

Assessment Project

Phase 3: Responding to Results

Step 1: Choose the focus class (this could be synchronous or an assignment, or weekly topic) Step 2: Focus on an assessable goal or question Step 3: Plan eCATs based on that goal

Step 4: Teach the target lesson related to that goal or question Step 5: Collect feedback data Step 6: Analyze student feedback

Step 7: Interpret results and formulate an appropriate response to improve learning Step 8: Communicate results; try out the response Step 9: Evaluate the project's effect(s) on teaching and learning

eCAT examples for today ●  muddiest point & aha! moment ●  one sentence summary ●  concept mapping ●  self-assessment, self-awareness ●  student generated test/quiz questions ●  one minute reflection

Learners respond to

one question

Assesses Prior Knowledge, Recall, and

Comprehension

Well suited to large, lower division courses but not to those which emphasize integration,

synthesis and evaluation

What was the muddiest point in _________ ?

Alternatively, what was the concept or topic that came to light? What was

your Aha Moment?

Considered by many as the simplest CAT

muddiest point, aha! moment

muddiest point, aha! moment Potential Technologies ●  Today’s Meet (synchronous or asynchronous) ●  Discussion Board

o  anonymous (or not) o  see posts (or not)

●  Survey or Poll (synchronous or asynchronous) o  Survey Monkey o  Google Forms or Docs o  KwikSurveys o  Polleverywhere (limited to 40 with free account)

●  Webinar tool (synchronous session) o  Adobe Connect or Blackboard Collaborate polls

let’s experiment!

Muddiest Point or Aha! Moment

One Sentence Summary

Self-Assessment

One Minute Reflection

Learners write a single informative, grammatical,

and long summary sentence.

Assesses Skill in Synthesis and Creative

Thinking

The instructor asks students to answer the questions about a given topic: "Who does what to whom, when, where, how, and why"?

Instructor is able to assess, original intellectual products that result from a synthesis of course content and the students’ intelligence, judgment, knowledge, and skills

Stimulates creativity

one sentence summary

one sentence summary

Potential Technologies ●  Discussion Boards ●  VoiceThread (audio/video or text-based) ●  Google Docs ●  Blog

o  LMS o  WordPress, etc.

let’s experiment!

Muddiest Point or Aha! Moment

One Sentence Summary

Self-Assessment

One Minute Reflection

Students draw or diagram the

mental connections they make between a

major concept and other concepts

they have learned

Assesses Skill in Synthesis and Creative

Thinking

Provides an observable and assessable record of

the students' conceptual schema the patterns of associations they make in relation to a

given focal concept

Especially useful in any course that covers high theoretical content to

generate and communicate complex

ideas

Stimulates creativity and aids learning by explicitly integrating new and old

knowledge

concept or mind mapping

concept or mind mapping

Potential Technologies ●  Bubbl.us (five free) ●  Popplet (three free) ●  Google Drawing app

Students are likely to learn more if they are

capable of clearly articulating their goal

and self-concepts and making

connections between those and course

goals and requirements.

Designed to assist teachers in developing students’ attitudes,

opinions, values, and self - awareness within the course

curriculum.

Course-related, Self-Confidence Surveys Students complete an anonymous survey indicating their level of confidence in mastering the course material (Rate your ability to…insert learning outcomes here).

Goal Ranking and Matching Students list and prioritize 3 to 5 goals they have for their own learning in the course.

Designed to help students

express personal goals and clarify self-concept in order to

make a connection between the articulated goals and those of

the course.

self-assessment, self-awareness

Potential Technologies ●  Surveys

LMS SurveyMonkey Google Forms

●  Polls KwikSurveys Polleverywhere

self-assessment, self-awareness

let’s experiment!

Muddiest Point or Aha! Moment

One Sentence Summary

Self-Assessment

One Minute Reflection

Students are

asked to prepare two or three potential test questions and accompanying correct (or A+)

responses.

Assesses Skill in Application and

Performance

Instructors see what their students consider the most important or memorable content

Instructors can assess how well the learners

can answer the questions they have

posed

Instructor can also glean what the learners understand as fair and useful test questions

student generated test/quiz questions

Potential Technologies ●  Blog ●  Wiki ●  Discussion Board ●  Test/Quiz in LMS

Other options after the questions are analyzed and solidified: ●  Zaption - interactive quiz maker using multi-media

components

student generated test/quiz questions

Learners answer two questions

Assesses Prior Knowledge, Recall, and

Comprehension

What was the most important thing you

learned during this class? What important question

remains unanswered?

What is the one thing that helped you learn the most in

this week's activities? What is the one thing in this course that is least helpful to your learning?

Perhaps the most frequently used CAT

minute paper (or reflection)

Potential Technologies ●  Discussion Boards ●  VoiceThread (audio/video or text-based) ●  Google Docs ●  Survey

o  LMS o  Survey Monkey o  Google Forms

●  Test/quiz in LMS (can use built-in timer) ●  Blog

o  LMS o  WordPress, etc.

minute paper (or reflection)

let’s experiment! (optional)

One Minute Reflection

NOTE! For this eCAT, you will need a VoiceThread account. If you have one already you can go directly to the link posted in the chat window to post a video, audio or text comment. If you would like to create a free VT account, you will do so at www.voicethread.com and then click on the link for this eCAT to post a video, audio or text comment.

Instructors only use CATs that they have previously tried on

themselves; or experimented with

a colleague

Instructors use only those techniques that appeal to their

intuition and professional judgment

Instructors start with techniques that are quick and

easy to use in a classroom setting in which the

faculty member and the students are comfortable

Instructors must "close the loop" by reporting back to

students what they, as faculty, have learned from

student feedback and how that information can be used to improve student learning

Instructors allow more time to complete the task the first time

than might seem necessary

eCATs final considerations Effectiveness was experienced when...

Resources http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/cats/ http://pages.uoregon.edu/tep/resources/newteach/fifty_cats.pdf http://www.crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/resource_files/ClassroomAssessmentTechniquesHopkins.pdf http://flexiblelearning.net.au/plan-and-deliver/design-e-learning/gallery/concept-maps-and-mind-maps/ http://www.pcrest2.com/institute_resources/PAI/4_1_2.pdf http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED317097.pdf Excellent List of EdTech Tools by type: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gcUtw_j7QGqhhjF8h87lkygkLptaeraC16uL92aRi1w/edit?usp=sharing Technologies: VoiceThread KwikSurvey Google Apps TodaysMeet Popplet Bubbl.us Zaption