Even with the best teaching methods, it’s common for students to misunderstand new concepts as they are first introduced in lessons. If these misunderstandings are not addressed, they can become ingrained in their long-term memory and prevent them from fully understanding the material. That’s why it is important that we check for understanding. So, how can we tell if they really get what you’re teaching?
Finding out from Adam Robbins
To explore this question, we interviewed teacher, author, and lead practitioner in a large comprehensive school, Adam Robbins, for our Teacher CPD Academy Expert Insight series. He provided us with valuable insight into the reasons why we should check for understanding, plus a variety of practical strategies for teachers to employ. Read on to learn more about:
- Balancing checking for understanding with teaching new content
- Why you should check for understanding
- Strategies to ensure your students comprehend
Why you should check for understanding
Before introducing a new concept, Adam explains that checking for understanding can help teachers decide “where best to start delivering new information to the students.” For example, some students might come into the lesson with some experience related to the topic, whereas others might not have come across it before. By knowing what students already understand, teachers can adjust their lessons to better suit everyone’s needs.
Adam also points out that the way questions are asked can influence how students answer. Since students want to look good and avoid embarrassment, they’re less likely to give honest answers if they feel like they’re being singled out in front of the class. In fact, Adam notes that “very few students have the confidence to say they don’t understand things.” For ideas on what questions to ask, check out this blog on four types of questions to check for understanding.
3 strategies to check for understanding
The way you check for understanding can impact how well students respond, so Adam emphasises the importance of doing it right. He suggests creating a low-pressure environment where students feel comfortable participating. Also, teachers often find it helpful to use methods that let them gather responses from many students at once to save time and increase efficiency. Adam shares three simple strategies to check for understanding:
1. Verbal questioning strategies
Verbal questioning strategies require no additional equipment – only the verbal interactions between teachers and students. Adam explains that “done effectively with highly attentive students and a good routine,” such as a Cold-Calling routine, this strategy can facilitate deep and effortful thinking from students. However, it only involves a few students at a time and doesn’t allow the teacher to gather input from the whole class.
2. Technological strategies
Using technology can make it easier for teachers to gather information from students. For example, Adam suggests using online quizzes or forms that students can fill out on their own, even before class begins. This approach helps collect a lot of responses and also reduces students’ anxiety about appearing wrong in front of peers but can be challenging for teachers who don’t have access to the necessary tools.
3. “High participation, low tech” strategies
Adam labels this as the best strategy because it gets lots of students involved and is easy for teachers to use. One way he applies it is with mini whiteboards. Here, students write their answers on the boards and then hold them up for Adam to quickly check.
Adam points out two advantages of mini whiteboards. Firstly, he explains that “it’s very impermanent, so if students make a mistake, they can wipe it off.” He also argues that mini whiteboards are:
“private in many ways, because with a good routine, all students are showing their boards at the same time. They don’t really have much time to look at what other students have written.”.
This ensures that the process of answering questions in class remains low stakes and anonymous, which, in Adam’s view, is important for quality checks of understanding.
Balancing checking for understanding with teaching new content
One issue teachers may encounter is that checking for understanding takes up lesson time, leaving less available for teaching new content. But does this mean that it should be kept short?
Adam suggests that, while he does not believe in exact amounts of time to spend checking for understanding, teachers should “take the amount of time they think they need… and double it.” This then allows for optimal integration of new content with prior knowledge. But is there some way to figure out how much time to allocate to both checking for understanding and teaching new content?
There are two factors that can impact how much time teachers might want to spend checking for understanding:
1. Course structure
The amount of time teachers spend checking for understanding can vary depending on the type of course. In linear courses, where each lesson builds on the previous one, teachers often need to spend more time making sure students understand. In modular courses where lessons cover separate topics that don’t depend on earlier ones, less time may be needed for these checks.
2. Course progress
The further you are into a course and the deeper into the material, the more time that is spent on checking for understanding rather than learning new material. This allows for the accumulation and integration of knowledge throughout the learning process.
Final thoughts on checking for understanding
Regularly checking if students understand what’s being taught helps teachers see what students know and how well they grasp it. By checking for understanding in the classroom, teachers can better support students in fully understanding both new and previously learnt concepts.
A big thank you to Adam Robbins for contributing his expertise to the Teacher CPD Academy’s Developing Schema module. Want your staff to learn from him and other top experts as part of your in-house professional development? Sign up for the Teacher CPD Academy!
