CATs - Classroom Assessment Techniques

• What is a CAT?
  
  
  
  • "A simple tool for collecting data on student learning in order to improve it." -- Angelo & Cross
    
    
  • Designed to provide immediate answers to focused questions about student learning
    
    
  • Not meant to replace traditional forms of student evaluation (such as formal grading)
    
    
• Try out a CAT yourself: "The Muddiest Point"
  • Think for a moment and answer the following question in one or two sentences:
    
    What is the most unclear point in this presentation?
    
    Post your response in our conference Discussion Board in the "Muddiest Point" thread.
    
    If this were an actual online course you could e-mail me the response, post it in a board, answer the question using a short-answer survey or quiz form processed by a course management system, etc.
    
    Based on your answers, I could provide feedback to both individual students and the entire group -- via e-mail, announcements, and discussion board postings. I might provide an additional resource or study guide and decide to add extra materials for the course next semester.