Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are quick techniques for assessing learning in your classroom.
Types of Classroom Assessment
Diagnostic Assessments (AKA “Baseline Assessments”)
- Measure students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities before instruction (or additional instruction) takes place
- Help you, the instructor, determine the most effective starting point for a lesson or course
- Examples: Background Knowledge Checks, Misconception/Preconception Checks, Ice Breakers
Formative Assessments
- Measure what students are learning in the midst of the teaching and learning process
- Provide feedback that you can use to guide improvements during the semester or unit, or within a specific class period
- Examples: Minute Paper, Muddiest Point, Memory Matrix, Journal
- Note: Formative assessments are what most people think of when they refer to CATs because they take place during the learning process. However, CATs can also refer to diagnostic (and some summative) techniques.
Summative Assessments
- Measure what students have learned from a unit, course, or program
- Conducted at the end of a course or program, or after completing a specific section of a course (as classroom assessment)
- Examples: sections of portfolios, performance tasks
Other Resources
- Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers - College of DuPage faculty can borrow a copy of the classroom assessment textbook from the Learning Assessment office by emailing learningassessment@cod.edu.
- Patricia Cross Academy Video Library
Contact Information
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
Faon Crystal, Director
Email: learningassessment@cod.edu