Take a minute to complete the loop: using electronic Classroom Assessment Techniques in computer science labs
Laurie Murphy, DAVID A. WOLFF · Journal of computing sciences in colleges · 2005
Laboratory assignments play a critical role in the study of introductory programming, allowing students to put into practice the concepts and theories presented in class. However, it is not always clear that students come away from labs with an adequate understanding of the focal concept(s) they are intended to reinforce. In this paper we describe a pilot project designed to evaluate the usefulness of the Minute Paper for facilitating a feedback loop from computer science labs back to the classroom. The Minute Paper is a simple and widely used Classroom Assessment Technique (CAT) that is traditionally implemented in a classroom setting using pencil-and-paper. Our study compares minute paper responses obtained during data structures closed labs via traditional means with those obtained using a database enabled web implementation. While our results show a higher response rate for the pencil-and-paper version, the electronic Minute Papers were superior in that students provided longer responses, they allowed the instructor greater flexibility when replying to students, and they were automatically archived for future use. We performed an informal content analysis of students' minute paper responses which tended to fall broadly into three categories: those in anticipation of completing some portion of the lab, those asking for clarification of an already accomplished task, and those that inquired about an advanced or peripheral topic. We also conducted a short mid-course survey that revealed students found the Minute Papers useful regardless of modality and suggested they increased students' awareness of their peers' learning.