During the course of instruction there are multiple ways you can gauge your students' understanding of the topic. In instructonal terminology, we call these activities formative assessments. Formative implies that there is still opportunity to help a student improve and grow towards learning.

The Key to Success with this Strategy

Using Activities to Assess Student Understanding

Formative assessments are usually low stakes (non-graded) activities that allow you to see where each student is in terms of learning a concept. If you are giving a lecture, you don't always know if every student is understanding or not. Blank stares, or even head nodding and smiling, are not enough to actually determine if they are comprehending the lesson.

Formative assessments are typically 'checked' but NOT graded. This allows for a safe, low stakes chance for you and the student to see where they are at in comprehending the topic to allow for improvement.
Give formative assessments often. Such as after a 30 minute lecture and right before a break so you can take a quick glance at their input and adjust your lecture/lesson as needed. (You'll see quick ways to give them in How Do I Implement section below.)
Formative assessments are FOR learning. Meaning the learning opportunity is still malleable (vs. summative assessments which are are OF learning. Such as a final test.)
Be explicit about intent of formative assessments. Formative assessments provide opportunities for students to reflect on their own thinking and learning (metacognition), which help in the learning process.

Using formative assessments during each lecture can help you (and the student) assess their understanding in ways that can help you make shifts in instruction towards their learning.

Using this Strategy is Culturally Responsive because...

Cognition/Self-reflection

You are allowing each student the opportunity to reflect on their own learning progress, and see where they are doing well or need to improve, without you always being the one to tell them. It allows them to take ownership of their learning.

No Assumptions

Formative assessments allow you to gauge where teaching may need to be shifted, without assuming who is or isn't getting it. It allows you to see where you may need to change tactics in lecture or discussion strategies, or who you can have work together in small groups to help each other out.

The following articles discuss strategies and/or impact of formative assessments:

Ives, C. (2014, March 24). Daydreaming or Deep in Thought? Using Formative Assessment to Evaluate Student Participation. Retrieved October 04, 2020, from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/daydreaming-deep-thought-using-formative-assessment-evaluate-student-participation/
Thomas, L. (2019, April 26). 7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment. Retrieved October 04, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-smart-fast-ways-do-formative-assessment

How do I Implement this Strategy?

During/After Lecture

Many of these strategies can be done after a portion of lecture or at the end of class. Oftentimes called 'exit tickets' when at the end of class. If done during lecture, allow for a quick break so your students can clear their mind for a few minutes, while you glance over the results. This allows time for you to make a shifts in lecture or discussions as needed to catch anyone up, or realize it's okay to move on.

Hand Signals During lecture, one easy way to gauge students' learning is by having them use hand signals. "Thumbs up if you are understanding, thumbs sideways if kind of getting it, thumbs down if still unclear." Let them know they can hold it close to their chest so others aren't necessarily seeing their response. This can also be done on Zoom if their cameras are on, but could also be setup as a poll as some may feel embarrassed if they are thumbs down. (Poll Options: Thumbs Up, Thumb Sideways, Thumbs Down.)
Index Card +/- Before they exit lecture, pass out index card to each. Have them write a positive (+) about lecture one one side, and negative (-) on the other. (This could be done on Zoom if you setup to have Chat responses going to just Instructor, or this could be setup as a post-lecture nongraded assignment in Canvas.)
3-minute Pause (or 1-minute paper) - After a portion of lecture, or upon exiting the lecture students write down the answer to a question you pose to them to gauge their learning. (Some examples of questions can be found in the next strategies.)
(3-2-1) What are three things you learned today in lecture, two things you're still curious about, and one thing you don't understand.
I'm Feeling/Because Right now I'm feeling (blank) about what were were learning about because (blank).
Important/Unanswered What is the most important thing you learned during lecture? What important questions remain unanswered?
Muddiest Point - Students answer the following question right before a quick break or at the end of a class:
- What is the muddiest (least clear, most confusing) point in the lecture, reading, unit, assignment, etc.?
Think/Pair/Share. Post a question and first have the students formulate their own answers. Then in small groups (breakout rooms if in Zoom) have the students share their responses with each other. Once back as a large group, the instructor can call upon responses from each group.
Practice Quiz - Again, this should be "ungraded" and just checked to provide feedback for both you (to see where you may need to re-strategize lecture) and for the student so they know what they can still work on.

Online/Canvas: Many of these can be setup to be answered in an "ungraded" Canvas Quiz. (Or just grade for completion of it, not for right/wrong answers.)

Tech Tools Can Be Used

- Flipgrid has become a popular online tool that allows you to pose a question to gauge for understanding, and assign a short video response for students to respond to. Use this when they are preparing a paper, or a project, so they can talk it through and/or with using visuals. They can also see each others' responses if you set it up that way.
- Kahoot and Polleverywhere are also free tools you can look into using to create polls or fun ungraded quizzed to check for understanding.

Download a list of many more Formative Assessment techniques* or Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs).

*Compiled by K Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services, 4/2012; Revised by Peg Balachowski, Everett Community College; Additions by Sally Heilstedt, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, 3/2016