Monitoring what students learn
A. Determine a student’s
prior knowledge
the
essential tasks
of teaching
B. Promote learning
C. Carry out
activity
continuous evaluation
translated and adapted from a
presentation by Asko Karjalainen
Feedback before the lecture
 Feedback before the start of the actual
teaching helps the teacher to adjust the aims
of the lecture, the level, the style, the pace
and the division into sections.
 Changes made on the basis of this feedback
improve the lesson from the perspective of
learning aims.
(Kekäle, p. 64)
Diagnostic test
The test guides the lecturer in the planning and
realisation of lectures.
The lecturer asks questions related to the key
themes and sub-themes of the intended lecture.
The short diagnostic test is recommended on the
day prior to the lecture.
Students can complete the test, for example, at
home and grade it themselves at the start of the
lecture using instructions on an OHT.
(Kekäle, p. 60)
Level test
 The level test can help to clarify the students’ prior knowledge and
serves as a basis for planning and the final assessment.
 The level test is often held during the first lesson.
 Questions can also be asked about what the participants are
interested in, their motives for taking the course, and their
understanding of key topics and concepts which will be dealt with
during the course.
 Questions can also be asked to gather background information: age,
major, profession, year of study.
 The results of the level test should also be presented to the
students.
 The level test may bring to light certain ways of thinking that impede
the understanding and learning of the topic.
(Kekäle, p. 60)
Question bank
 A question bank is an objective, computer-based pool of right/wrong
questions. It is particularly suited to courses on which a large
amount of factual information is taught.
 The bank contains hundreds of questions about the lecture topics
and related themes.
 The questions are organised into sets of five, divided up according
to the lecture themes.
 Before the lecture, appropriate questions can be printed out from the
question bank. These can be given out for students to answer during
the first 5-10 minutes of the lecture.
 The students can check the answers themselves with a key
provided by the lecturer.
 The purpose is to focus the students’ attention on areas they have
not yet mastered.
(Kekäle, p. 61)
Feedback during the lecture
It is worthwhile collecting feedback about
the course while the course is in progress.
This makes it possible to react quickly to
the feedback and make changes in the
teaching if necessary.
Students can also find out more about
unclear topics by giving feedback.
(Kekäle, p. 64)
Asking and listening
 Do the students understand the topic being dealt with? Is
something still unclear?
 How well do the students understand the ideas and
concepts presented? How well are they able to connect
them to their earlier knowledge constructs?
 How do the students process, relate to, apply and
assess the topic being dealt with? How meaningful is it
to them?
 How does the material to be taught correspond to the
students wishes? Is it relevant to the students’ individual
needs?
(Kekäle, p. 64)
Proper timing of questions
 Consider at which stage to ask for feedback.  It is a
good idea to collect feedback about 20-30 minutes after
lecturing, not just at the end of the lecture.
 Give students time to form questions.
 Give students the chance to make sure that their
questions are not stupid (for example, by discussing with
a partner).
 Ask everyone to form questions.
(Kekäle, p. 74)
Feedback statements
 The aim is to give students the message that the teacher
is interested in the reception his or her teaching
received, i.e., how the students experienced the course
and its content, its pace, etc.
 Statements can be given orally.
 All kinds of statements can be given, from formal
statements to comments related to discussion.
(Kekäle, p. 64)
Non-verbal feedback I
 The teacher can draw conclusions from the students’ behaviour,
expressions and gestures.
 The arrival of the students  A sense of the social grouping helps
the planning of group work. Do the students come into the
classroom alone, in pairs or in groups? With whom? In which part of
the classroom do they sit?
 Student groups and differences between students  Who
express opinions independently? Who second the opinions of
others? Are there leaders in the classroom?
 Student reactions  How quickly do the students’ reactions show
on their faces (interested, tired, sulky)? These signals can help the
teacher to plan the teaching.
(Kekäle, p. 67)
Non-verbal feedback II
 Students’ note-taking strategies  Do the students
write down everything or do they make summaries?
Writing down everything presented is often a signal of
mechanical, thoughtless copying, while summarising
requires thought.
 Students’ attitude to the pace and timing  Allow
sufficient time for taking notes and understanding the
topic. If the pace is too fast, there is a risk that surface
learning and mechanical copying will result.
(Kekäle, p. 68)
Quizzes
 Quizzes provide immediate feedback about how well the
students have assimilated and mastered the topic.
 They also give tips about what should be focused on in
the next lesson.
 After a brief period of lecturing (about 5 mins), ask the
students, alone or in groups, to answer a quiz on the
topic (for example, multiple choice questions).
 The students give immediate answers.
 Extra questions can be given on the problematic points.
(Kekäle, p. 68)
Multiple choice questions
 These can be used in large groups.
 At the start of the lesson, give out coloured plastic cards
with which the students can indicate their answer.
 The multiple choice questions are projected on the OHP
so that everyone can see them.
 The alternative answers are colour-coded (for example,
green, red, blue, yellow).
 From the range of coloured responses, the teacher can
see at a glance if the topic has been understood.
 The alternative answers and colours can be numbered.
(Kekäle, p. 69)
Fish bowl
 Give the students slips of paper on which they can write
down one question about the course material.
 The question can be about, for example, a point which is
unclear or the practical application of the topic.
 At the end of the lesson or the start of the following
lesson (if writing the question is set for homework), ask
the students to put their question slips into a bowl.
 Lift the questions out of the bowl and answer them Also,
give the students the chance to answer the questions.
(www.tlc.eku.edu/tips)
Feedback at
the end of the lesson
Feedback can be used to
 give more specific instructions
 recommend supplementary reading
 prepare and distribute a supplementary handout
 give tutoring or guidance
 clarify certain points at the next lesson
 encourage students to attend the teacher’s office hour if they
have further questions
 redefine the course objectives and learning goals
 develop a lecture course
 provide tips about the key topics of the course, which may be
important for a test
(Kekäle, p. 68)
Speedy feedback
 This is recommended for use about once a week during the course.
 Arrive in the classroom before the lesson and write the following on
the board:
 What was the most important thing you learned today?
 What question is uppermost in your mind after the lesson?
 Explain that students will write brief answers to the questions on the
board at the end of the lesson.
 Reserve time at the end of the lesson for writing answers.
 Alternatively, you can also ask the students to write down
 three important points which best encapsulate the content or core of the
lesson
 the hardest or most confusing point or theme.
(Kekäle, p. 71-72)
Preparing group feedback
 The students can be divided into groups of four.
 Each group is given a different task during the lesson.
 After the lesson, the groups discuss their assignments,
collect ideas and report them to the teacher, who
presents his or her own view of the students wishes.
 Group A works on an assignment connected with the lesson content.
 Group B collects personal experiences of topics presented in the
lesson.
 Group C lists points about which they disagree with the teacher.
 Group D makes a listen of points related to the topic about which they
would like to hear more.
(Kekäle, p. 72)
Quick survey
 This is presented to the class on an OHT.
 The OHT contains several statements to which the students
respond:
 I agree / yes
 I don’t know
 I disagree / no
 The students write down the number of the statements and give
their response.
 Examples of statements:
 I can list four ways of measuring… I understand the concept of… I can
list three sources of error… I still need more practice / exercises… I still
don’t understand the key theme of the lesson, which is… My notes are
still incomplete… The lessons go too fast…
 The teacher collects the papers with the answers.
(Kekäle, p. 73)
Minute paper
Ask the students to answer two questions.
The students have only one minute to give an
answer.
What is the most significant and helpful point
which you learned in today’s lesson?
What questions still remain uppermost in your
minds from this lesson?
Ask for the students’ responses.
(http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/assess/feedback.htm#types)
Muddiest point
Ask the students to write down what was still
unclear at the end of the lesson. There may be
more than one point.
In the next lesson, you can clarify the points
which remained unclear.
(http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/assess/feedback.htm#types)
Five main points
Ask the students to write down the main point of
the lesson in one or two sentences.
Ask them also to list five main topics which were
covered in the lesson:





1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
(http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/assess/feedback.htm#types)
Application of ideas
Ask the students to think about interesting
ideas and thoughts that have arisen from
the lesson.
Next, ask them to come up with ways in
which their thoughts are exemplified in
everyday reality.  applications
(http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/assess/feedback.htm#types)
Feedback after teaching
 Students can assess the teaching




in absolute terms,
by comparing it to other lessons,
by giving their opinions of the pluses and minuses of the lesson,
by making suggestions about how the lesson can be improved.
 Students can also give feedback
 about the teacher’s mastery of the subject and ability to
communicate it to the students,
 the teacher’s style and disturbing mannerisms,
 his or her approachability and methods,
 his or her relationship with the students.
(Kekäle, p. 76)
Feedback forms
 Forms can be adapted for different purposes, for
example, computer-based feedback forms, selfassessment forms, feedback forms for use at the start,
middle or end of the course.
 Forms assist in the analysis of feedback from large
groups.
 The next three slides give examples of types of feedback
forms 
1/3
I would like to develop my teaching and your help would be appreciated.
Describe my teaching briefly in your own words in the boxes provided below.
GENERAL IMPRESSION
STRENGTHS
AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT
2/3
ASSESSMENT FORM
To help develop the course and the teaching, write a brief assessment of the
course in the boxes provided. Please provide reasons for your views.
Which aspects of the course
helped you to learn or ”work well”?
Which aspects of the course
did not promote learning or
”what went wrong”?
How can this course be developed?
3/3
Feedback box
 A cardboard box can be placed at the back of the
classroom for collection of feedback.
 After each class, students leave about 25 questions or
comments.
 The feedback is written up on an OHT for discussion at
the start of the next lesson.
(Kekäle, p. 76)
Feedback by e-mail
 E-mail can be used to communicate feedback, questions
and answers.
 Time in lessons can be saved when feedback is dealt
with outside the classroom.
 This method gives even shy students a better
opportunity of giving feedback.
 Using e-mail, students can receive almost immediate
responses to their questions.
(Kekäle, p. 77)
Written feedback
 RESERVE CLASS TIME FOR GIVING FEEDBACK
 Distribute feedback forms during the lesson and give the students time
to fill them in.
 Electronic feedback: reserve a computer lab and ask the students to
give feedback during class time.
 GIVE GUIDANCE FOR GIVING FEEDBACK
 Explain about assessment already at the beginning of the course.
 Explain why feedback is collected and how it will be used.
 EXPLAIN WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH THE FEEDBACK
 Summarise the feedback from the previous course and explain how it
was used.
 Explain what changes were made.
 Explain what was not changed and why suggestions from students were
not acted upon.
 Tell the students where they can read about the consequences of the
feedback they give (for example, give the address of a web page where
they can read the outcomes).
Lesson committee
 A committee of students is formed, and they meet the
teacher at regular intervals.
 The job of these student representatives is to pass on
the feedback they receive from other students about the
courses and their progress in their studies.
 The student committee can then propose a plan for
modifications to the courses.
(Kekäle, p. 77)
References
• Kekäle, J. 1994. Luento-opetuksen
kehittäminen. Vähemmälläluennoimisella
parempiin tuloksiin. Korkeakoulupedagogiikan
perusmateriaali. Oulu.