[SIZE="5"]What is classroom assessment?
Classroom assessment is both a teaching approach and a set of techniques. The approach is that the more you know about what and how students are learning, the better you can plan learning activities to structure your teaching. The techniques are mostly simple, non-graded, anonymous, in-class activities that give both you and your students useful feedback on the teaching-learning process.

How is classroom assessment different?

Classroom assessment differs from tests and other forms of student assessment in that it is aimed at course improvement, rather than at assigning grades. The primary goal is to better understand your students' learning and so to improve your teaching.

How do I use Classroom Assessment Techniques?

Decide what you want to learn from a classroom assessment.
Choose a Classroom Assessment Technique (CAT) that provides this feedback, is consistent with your teaching style, and can be easily implemented in your class.
Explain the purpose of the activity to students, then conduct it.
After class, review the results and decide what changes, if any, to make.
Let your students know what you learned from the CAT and how you will use this information.
Why should I use CATs?

For faculty, more frequent use of CATs can:

Provide short-term feedback about the day-to-day learning and teaching process at a time when it is still possible to make mid-course corrections.
Provide useful information about student learning with a much lower investment of time compared to tests, papers, and other traditional means of learning assessment.
Help to foster good rapport with students and increase the efficacy of teaching and learning.
Encourage the view that teaching is a formative process that evolves over time with feedback.
For students, more frequent use of CATs can:

Help them become better monitors of their own learning.
Help break down feelings of anonymity, especially in larger courses.
Point out the need to alter study skills.
Provide concrete evidence that the instructor cares about learning[/size]