Course Development

Classroom Assessment Techniques for Distance Education: Classroom Opinions Polls

Karen Hallett
Instructional Consulting

Descriptions

Classroom opinion polls helps faculty discover student opinions about course related issues. Students often have pre-existing opinions about the material that they will encounter in courses, and those opinions. This CAT can sensitize faculty to potentially divisive questions and can provide a forewarning of likely conflicts. In addition, Classroom Opinion Polling encourages opinions with those of their classmates, and to test their opinions against evidence and expert opinion.

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.