Course Development

Classroom Assessment Techniques for Distance Education: Muddiest Point

Karen Hallett
Instructional Consulting

Descriptions

The muddiest point technique provides information on what students find least clear or most confusing about a particular lesson or topic. Faculty use that feedback to discover which points are most difficult for students to learn and to guide their teaching decisions about which topics to emphasize and how much time to spend on each.

Teaching Improvement

• better uses of available technology (effective uses)
• uses of appropriate strategies for distance education environment
• provide more contact with students, accessibility
• provide information about tailoring instructional activities to meet student's needs

Improving student learning

• improve opportunities to ask questions
• improve opportunities for input and feedback
• provide more contact with students accessibility

Criteria

• equally accessible from both sites
• immediacy of use
• adaptable to a wide range of learning situations
• require minimal time investment of students/instructor
• has continued use as learning tool for students, instructional resource for instructor.