Suggestions for Use
Introduction of ConcepTests:
ConcepTests can be used in virtually any kind of SMET course, from introductory courses for majors or nonmajors through upper level courses. If possible, instructors should start to introduce ConcepTests the first day of class and may wish to mention the use of this and/or other collaborative learning methods in their syllabus. Students are sometimes resistant to change and may resent the introduction of a new format later in the course. If ConcepTests are used throughout the course, this format will seem natural to the class and the instructor. While many classes embrace the method upon its first use, it is not uncommon for an instructor and class to need to work through several ConcepTests before both are comfortable with the method and the class learns that they are expected to participate.
Presentation:
It is straightforward to build ConcepTests into the planning of a lecture. They can be presented to the class verbally and/or with the questions and possible answers written on a blackboard or overhead transparency. Pre-prepared ConcepTests can also be presented using overhead transparencies or electronic PowerPoint presentations. The number of ConcepTests used during any one lecture can vary substantially. In a typical 50-minute lecture, instructors have used anywhere from one to about half-a-dozen ConcepTests.
Demonstrations, designed to pique student interest and connect explanations with observable scientific phenomena, are traditionally presented with an introduction telling students what they will observe. A ConcepTest requiring students to predict the outcome is a convenient way to engage students and involve them in the demonstration. After discussion, the instructor does the demonstration and the students can determine whether or not their predictions were correct. ConcepTests can also be constructed around computer-based animations or film clips.
ConcepTests may incorporate graphs or tables of data. These ConcepTests assess not only students' conceptual understanding, but also their ability to extract information.
Student response: