Abstract
Effective teaching is not just standing in front of a classroom filled with students and sharing disciplinary content knowledge, especially with today’s students. Without student learning, has teaching actually occurred, or was it just talking? What are students thinking about? What are students understanding? Are students able to connect new information presented with prior knowledge and then construct new knowledge that can be reinforced and committed to long-term memory? Are students able to use this knowledge to meet the learning goal of “knowing and being able to do”, by making practical applications? Checking for understanding is a research-proven approach using real-time assessments of students’ learning to inform teachers about students’ progress in learning. Using a variety of questioning techniques is one approach to using in checking for understanding. One five-step process using a learning objective, cold calling, no op out, guided practice, and debrief offers a structure for helping students actively self-assess formatively as they progress in their learning. Over 30 strategies are provided for checking for understanding before, during, and after class, verbally, in writing, and through physical movements describing how to engage students in learning activities to reinforce what they know and are able to do.
Highlights
IntroductionThe goal of teaching is not covering the content in the textbook by standing in the front of a classroom and just talking (Briggs, 2014)
College teachers seem to hope students understand information spoken during lectures, despite their inattentiveness, falling sleeping, non-academic use of technology devices, and too often lack of class attendance
Berger et al (2014) suggest four ways to use questions when checking for understanding: (1) ask students how to connect the learning objective to prior knowledge learned; (2) scaffold questions from basic to more complex to strengthen their thinking skills, synthesize information, and make applications; (3) ask student text- and content-specific questions, rather than opinion questions, to elicit higher-order thinking; and (4) use questions to ensure students know the expectations for success
Summary
The goal of teaching is not covering the content in the textbook by standing in the front of a classroom and just talking (Briggs, 2014). Berger et al (2014) suggest four ways to use questions when checking for understanding: (1) ask students how to connect the learning objective to prior knowledge learned; (2) scaffold questions from basic to more complex to strengthen their thinking skills, synthesize information, and make applications; (3) ask student text- and content-specific questions, rather than opinion questions, to elicit higher-order thinking; and (4) use questions to ensure students know the expectations for success. The teacher concludes the class by affirming and reinforcing students’ achievement of the learning objective This five-step process offers a structure for helping student actively self-assess formatively as they progress in their learning. Use 3-2-1 by asking students to respond verbally (or in writing) with three things they learned, two things they want to know more about, and one remaining question they have (Barkley & Major, 2018). Respond to a minute paper with these two questions: “What was the most important thing you learned today in class?” and “What important questions remains unanswered?” (Angelo & Cross, 1993)
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