Effective Teaching: Gauging Learning while Teaching.
Occasionally, a college professor is surprised by students' generally poor performance on an examination covering material that may have been somewhat difficult but seemed to have been covered adequately. The lower-than-expected test results may prove to be especially bewildering if the students' behavior during presentation had not differed much from that normally found in the classroom-or, indeed, if their attendance, attention, and involvement had appeared better than average. Searching for an explanation, the professor might recall a few student requests to restate some material from time to time during the lectures; or he or she might remember some concerns about correct spelling of newly introduced vocabulary; or there might have been a general hesitation by the class to respond to questions-finally, though, there was little apparent evidence of any particular problem. In any event, the group did poorly on the exam, and by the time test results were analyzed, the limited enthusiasm that students may have had at the time of their first exposure to the material was probably lost. Students who felt insecure during the initial presentation could be expected to feel even more intimidated after having done poorly on the test, and resistance by students and professor alike to any needed reteaching of the material could be expected also. If only the situation were changed, if only the general lack of student understanding had been detected earlier, then some of the problems associated with failure might have been avoided. Thus, the question is whether there might be an "early warning system" that could