ETP - Checking for Student Understanding

Rationale

Accurately gauging student understanding during class is essential for effective teaching. When instructors use strategies like PAUSE (plan questions, address misconceptions, use wait time, select a range of respondents, and encourage expanded answers), they can make student thinking visible and respond in real time. Pairing these approaches with classroom assessment techniques, such as the One-Minute Paper or Muddiest Point, helps both instructors and students track learning progress. These formative checks improve engagement, clarify understanding, and lead to stronger learning outcomes (Black & Wiliam, 1998).

Practices

Plan questions aligned to your learning goals
Address common misconceptions
Use wait time to encourage deeper thinking and engagement
Select volunteers and nonvolunteers
Encourage students to clarify and expand their responses
Use classroom assessment techniques to gauge students’ understanding
Use responses to adjust your instruction

This content is only available to Commons members. If you are a Commons member, this course content is available for those who have completed this ACUE course.

ETP - Checking for Student Understanding

Rationale

Practices

Plan questions aligned to your learning goals

Address common misconceptions

Use wait time to encourage deeper thinking and engagement

Select volunteers and nonvolunteers

Encourage students to clarify and expand their responses

Use classroom assessment techniques to gauge students’ understanding

Use responses to adjust your instruction

Use wait time to encourage deeper thinking and engagement