Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are frequent, low-stakes formative assessments. Originally designed as simple, non-graded activities, they provide you and your students with immediate feedback on the teaching-learning process as it happens.

Why Use CATs?

Provides just-in-time feedback on student comprehension with less effort than high-stakes exams.
Helps students become better at self-monitoring their own learning strategies.
Reduces student anxiety over graded assessments by clarifying your expectations.
Decreases feelings of anonymity, especially for students in large courses.Provides just-in-time feedback on student comprehension with less effort than high-stakes exams.
Helps students become better at self-monitoring their own learning strategies.
Reduces student anxiety over graded assessments by clarifying your expectations.
Decreases feelings of anonymity, especially for students in large courses.

4 Steps to Implementation

1. Plan: Decide what you want to assess and choose an appropriate CAT.
2. Execute: Explain the purpose of the activity to your students and conduct it.
3. Analyze: Review the results to determine what instructional changes, if any, are needed.
4. Close the Loop: Tell your students what you learned from the exercise and how you will use that information.

Popular CAT Examples

Quick Comprehension Checks

The Minute Paper: At the end of class, ask students to write down the most important point they learned and what question remains unanswered.
Muddiest Point: Ask students to identify the most unclear point from a lecture, reading, or unit.

Synthesis and Critical Thinking

One-Sentence Summary: Challenge students to summarize a topic by answering “Who does what to whom, when, where, how, and why?” in a single sentence.
Concept Maps: Have students draw diagrams to show the mental connections they are making between major concepts.

Problem-solving and Application

Directed Paraphrasing: Ask students to translate newly learned material into layperson’s terms for a specific target audience, like an employer or a grandparent.
Application Cards: After introducing a new theory or procedure, have students write down at least one possible, real-world application for it.

What About Online Courses?

All of these CATs can be effectively adapted for both online and face-to-face courses. Instructors can easily collect responses using Google Forms, Moodle links, or digital concept mapping tools.

Need Help?

Contact the Office for Faculty Excellence to schedule a consultation on designing CATs for your courses.