Getting the Most From your CATs hones in on the fact that gauging student learning is important and provides ways to assess what has been taught and learned...cornerstones for the teaching and learning cycle. Instructors can gauge if the students are learning or not. CATs help to keep the focus of providing feedback about the teaching and learning component on the forefront as it will help students self-assess and critique their own learning.  It will also give evidence that the instructor cares about the intentions of the “two book ends”: the objective(s) that were taught for each lesson and the end result- what was learned.  As an opening question, what are some successful CATs that you use in your classroom?

-Dr. Sasser

Hello Dr. Sasser, 

I open my cohort classes with a one minute writing exercise.  I pose a question that encapsulates some of the content for the week's topic, and I ask students to write their response to the question.   Then I open discussion on the topic.   This discussion often previews the evening's content, and it allows me to gauge student knowledge and attitudes toward the topic.

Steve

Hello Steve, 

Thank you so much for responding! I do a similar  protocol but I conduct the inquiry by way of my wrap up at the end of each week. I will try to pose a question at the beginning of the week also to see if this will garner more engagement  from the students. 

Great idea to use prior knowledge to guide the delivery and gauge content knowledge. Do you use any special technological  programs  to assist you with this piece or do students  respond by posting as they normally would a DQ?

Hello!

I like to use a CAT called Show me. I teach for the online graduate Education program and I have my students "bring in"  artifacts (graphic organizers, formative assessments, Cloze readings, etc.) as they relate to the material for that week and what they have found beneficial in their own classrooms. It is one of the most successful CATS because teachers love to share and we love to borrow ideas from others. 

Great idea Nicole. I like having them share ideas they have come up with as well. Do you have them add their ideas as attachments ot do they cut and paste them into a post? I have tried both, but attachments seen to work best for me because pasting gets weird sometimes.

Hello Everyone,

I like to post additional resources in the announcement section of the course. I then ask probing questions pertaining to the weekly announcement, that relate to that specific weeks discussion questions. I also post weekly jing tutorials. This is a brief 5 minute video where I discuss a specific strategy. I find this prompt better engagement.

Christine

Scott,

I agree with you about pasting. I have them post as attachments. Some will even post videos of themselves actually using a certain strategy to show how it works. 

Nicole

Hello Nicole,

 Thank you for responding. I like the idea of students bringing in ideas. I will try that in my next class. You are right. Teachers do find benefits generally in sharing information especially if it has been a success for others. This is also a way to make the class more personable even in an online format. 

Scott,

 Good question. I was wondering that too. Attachments may work best. Sometimes with pasting, formatting may interfere with how the true product is to look. 

Christine,

 These are great ideas. These action steps will certainly add dimension to all formats of classes. How do you modify your weekly class instruction based on the feedback that you get from the probing questions?

 Also, has any of your students commented on the tutorials. I think these are great ideas! 

Hi all:

I teach quite a few different courses online and in each there are certain concepts that seem to give many of the students difficulty. When I see one of these topics as a consistent problem, I find Internet available sources that expand on the course material for that problem concept. I develop a CAT with the links and either some questions about the material or a request that students let me know what they found helpful about the materials.

My all time favorite example is "Writing Performance Objectives." You would think that grad students in Education would know how to do so. In most courses they have to write detailed lesson plans based on well written objectives and on Common Core Standards. Many don't have a clue how to do this and so this kind of CAT saves a lot of nagging  feedback and reassigned assignments. I have one for nearly all course topics that fall in that category and they work great if I can get students to look at them, which is a whole other issue. They are a good way to expand on the regular course content that is provided.

Hello Scott,

 I thought about bringing in additional materials, but did not want to inundate  students with more reading materials. After reading you comment, it is safe to say that instructors can still add to the body of knowledge with graphic organizers instead, of say, a lengthy  article. For example, one of my courses touches on building the master schedule and protocols for creating and maintaining it. It would be helpful for students to see via links or attachments  key stages of master schedule building and viewing actual artifacts from the process. Thanks for your input. 

Good Evening,

Good conversation here. It appears that engagement plays a major role in assessing teaching and learning in the online or brick and mortar classroom. The more engagement you have with the students and amongst the students themselves the better, you can accurately assess mastery of concepts. In a physical setting, I like to use multiple response strategies such as turn and talk; table talk; and depending on the course, I also use exit tickets to gauge my teaching and student learning. 

One additional question....What elements have to be present in a CAT in order for instructors to go deeper in assessing student mastery in a concept or concepts? 

Hi Nesa and All,

Thank you very much for creating this opportunity for collaboration.  I have the privilege of serving the university in three capacities, as a facilitator, peer evaluator, and mentor.  I use these opportunities to become a learner as well.

In regards CAT questions, I often consider the level of the course I am facilitating.  I understand that my learners in the education program may range from eighteen year olds, who just three short months ago were high school students; to grandparents, who have raised their own children and are embarking upon a second career.  For this reason, I will often use the most "student-friendly" resource, video, link, etc. as the basis for the CAT.  

As the thread emerges, I am able to assess student understanding and "raise the bar," enrich, or remediate appropriately, with subsequent CAT questions and tasks, as well as via probing questions.  

If I can offer one practice which has served me well as a facilitator, it would be to take the time to respond to students who post a CAT response.  While we cannot require a student to respond, our thoughtful feedback can often encourage students to put forth the additional effort to respond.

Happy New Year!  Lopes Up!

Cheers,

Matt

Nicole,

Thank you for sharing the suggestion for students to "bring in" (share) an artifact.  I facilitate in the College of Education as well and can certainly see this as being a highly effective CAT.  It would most definitely create a meaningful dialogue, while filling "tool boxes" with strategies, approaches, organizers, practices, etc.  I especially look forward to including this strategy within my courses which include Clinical Field Experience.

Happy New Year!

All the Best,
Matt

Hello Dr. Sasser,

I create an optional discussion question. I ask the students a question that takes the topic we are discussing and applies it to their own nursing practice. So often the topics we discuss seem that they don't really apply to actual hands-on, day to day nursing. Having the students think of how, for example, the Affordable Care Act, impacts their nursing practice, helps them understand the broader picture of health care in the US.

Matthew,

These are great ideas, I normally use a CAT at the end of each week to assess learning. I make it a point to respond to each student who replies especially because it is optional to respond and it does not count toward their weekly participation points. It lets the student know that you hear them and that their input is important. Tiering these questions based on prior knowledge and experience is needed and helps to advance the course and the understanding of real world situations that relate to the course. 

MaryLou,

Thank you for responding.  I like your idea about making the topic relevant and come alive for the students where they can apply their prior knowledge. My engagement is normally revved up when I relate the topic to a current event or a topic that is effective our nation today. I often use this as a catalyst to get the conversation started in my weekly discussion questions. I will use these also in my CATs at the end or the beginning of the week. Thanks for your input.

Matt,

Thank you! I find this to be one of my more successful types of CATs. As you had said, the others that I find successful are those that have a video with a powerful message, such as Every Kid Needs a Champion or funny cartoons that I have them discuss. Which are your most successful? 

Hi Nicole, 

Thank you for responding! I normally get great feedback when I ask for a-ha moments. When the students realize through discussion with their peers something new in the lesson that they can apply to their practice.