The newly-published 3rd edition of Classroom Assessment Techniques: Formative Feedback Tools for College and University Teachers includes over 50 Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) you can use to quickly gauge your students’ learning, help them organize course material, and obtain feedback about their learning. One of the simplest and most useful CATs is the Muddiest Point.
The Muddiest Point CAT is a tool to help you learn what your students find most confusing about a lecture, topic, or reading. To get feedback about a lecture, for example, simply ask students, “What was the muddiest point in today’s lecture?” at the end of the class period. Have them jot down an answer on a 3×5 card or enter their answer in an online survey. After collecting all the responses, you can sort them into categories to discern themes in what topics were most confusing, which you can then respond to in a subsequent class or a message to students.
This tool is among the most efficient and adaptable CATs. Sorting the responses into categories is easy and quick because they typically consist of only a few words or phrases. They provide clear indications of what students found confusing – information you can use to determine what topics to spend more time on in class. And that moment of reflection can help students know where they need to spend more time, too. The technique can also be adapted for use with a homework assignment, guest lecture, or other learning experience. It can be used in large as well as small classes, and in online or in-person formats.
The Muddiest Point CAT is a technique that requires little time or energy, but yields a substantial amount of valuable information that you can use to improve your students’ learning.
We will share other techniques from the CATs book throughout the semester. If you’d like more information about how to gather feedback from your students about their understanding of course content, you can contact the CITL to request a consultation.
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