What Are CATs?

Classroom assessment techniques are formative, low-stakes pedagogical methods that provide instructors and students with feedback on their learning. They are short, and easy to design and implement, so that they can be used often in classroom settings.

Why Use CATs?

CATs provide feedback that instructors can use immediately to support student learning. Students can use these short assessments to give instructors feedback on their learning and help guide their studying.

Examples of commonly used CATs in Eberly College of Science classrooms include the following:

• Think-Pair-Share. Students think individually, discuss with a partner, then share with the class.
• Classroom Polls. Quick surveys gauge student understanding or opinions.
• Muddiest Point. Students identify the most confusing part of a lesson.
• Minute Papers. Students write brief responses to questions about the lesson.
• One-Sentence Summaries. Students summarize a topic in one concise sentence.

How Should I Use CATs?

The following steps are helpful when using CATs:

• Decide what you want to assess.
• Choose a CAT that will let you obtain the feedback you need and works well with your pedagogical practices.
• Make sure the students know why you are asking them to complete the CAT.
• Share the results of the CAT with your students.

Resources

Here are a few helpful CATs-related resources:

• A list of 50 CATs and detailed descriptions
• “5 Great CATs for Higher Education”
• Angelo, Thomas A. and K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. Jossey-Bass, 1993.