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As we enter week four of the semester, I hope your classes are getting into a rhythm of learning and growth. But how do you know if students understand what we are trying to teach? Classroom assessment activities (CATs) are simple, low-stakes, formative assessments that you can use to ensure your students are “picking up what you are putting down.”
Many of us already use these in class activities – maybe the muddiest moment or minute papers – but a wide range of techniques go beyond just checking for understanding. CATs can help improve student engagement, create connections between prior and new knowledge, provide closure, and prepare for what’s next, to name a few. For a digestible introduction, visit this page from CU Boulder. Look at this piece from Michigan for a quick one-pager of CATs with the description and time required.