Assessment Tool

Lecture: General Purpose Assessment

Content Tested: Lecture-Dependent

Goals:

Develop ability to synthesize and integrate information and ideas
Develop ability to think holistically; to see the whole as well as the parts
Improve skill at paying attention
Improve listening skills
Learn terms and facts of this subject
Learn concepts and theories in this subject

Assessment Technique: Minute Paper

Purpose:

This activity allows instructors to collect written feedback about what students are understanding in lecture. This tool also gives students an opportunity to summarize the important points made in a lecture and to ask questions of the instructor anonymously.

Activity:

Give students five minutes to answer the following questions:
1. What was the most important thing you learned during today's class?
2. What important question remains unanswered?

Possible Uses of Activity:

After collecting the responses, the instructor can quickly read the main points to see if they make sense in the context of the daily lecture. The instructor should address the questions raised by the students to facilitate discussion.
This technique need not be used at the conclusion of a single topic, but could be used at an appropriate time in the middle of a confusing topic. Experience with teaching cse 142 shows that functions and pointer parameters are difficult concepts for students to learn.