Digitally-Enabled, Evidence-Based Teaching Practice: Assessing & Activating Prior Knowledge

  • Using Daily Warm-up Questions to Activate Prior Knowledge

    Reviewing a previous class day’s notes through a warm-up question allows an instructor to simultaneously re-emphasize important material and activate students’ prior knowledge. This can deepen understanding and enhance connections with new material.

  • Using an Online Simulation to Connect Linear Equations and Electrical Circuits

    Active learning through online simulations and explorations increases student participation, moving them beyond receiving information to creating knowledge. This particular example builds connections between the theory of solving one-step linear equations and the application of Ohm’s law and electric circuits.

  • Study Skills Videos Support Student Development of Learning Strategies

    This study skills video series is designed to support students enrolled in developmental and introductory mathematics courses or corequisite courses. The videos serve students early in their math sequence and focus on building learning strategies, confidence, and persistence rather than introducing new mathematical content.

  • Using Practice Exams to Increase Proficiency and Reduce Anxiety

    Online practice exams create transparency around exam format and identify areas where students should practice more before the actual exam.

  • Using Online Quiz Tools to Assess Prior Knowledge

    Professor Kimberly Jackson uses Chem Quiz to assess how students are progressing and determine any gaps in instruction that she can address. Professors address specific learning needs, adjust pace, and provide supportive pathways when necessary. This knowledge informs the course content, helping professors address specific learning needs and and provide supportive pathways when necessary.

  • Leveraging Student Interests and Experiences Through Gamified Digital Assessment

    Michele Hampton, a professor of economics, uses Kahoot! to recap lectures and award students extra credit points if they make it into the top three of the class. Content can be tailored to student interests, and easily adjusted in real-time. Professor Hampton also incorporates celebratory music videos into her Kahoot! quizzes, adding an element of engagement and…

  • Initial Knowledge Checks in Courseware

    Kimberly Jackson, a professor of biochemistry, uses ALEKS in her general chemistry courses, which includes an initial knowledge check for students to complete. Based on how much students know and remember from high school, she can adjust how she covers certain chemistry and mathematics concepts, and ALEKS will use that same data to generate a personalized…

  • Assessing Interests and Experiences with Digital Survey Tools

    Maria Tackett, a professor of statistical science, uses digital surveys in Qualtrics at the beginning of her statistics course to assess student experience and interests. These survey responses inform both course subject matter, for example types of data sets they might look at, as well as how Dr. Tackett groups students into project groups based on…