1 00:00:07,696 --> 00:00:09,070 OLIVER DE WECK: Concept questions 2 00:00:09,070 --> 00:00:14,740 are a fairly recent instrument for checking 3 00:00:14,740 --> 00:00:18,430 the understanding of students in real time during the class. 4 00:00:18,430 --> 00:00:20,500 One way to administer concept questions 5 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:22,570 is using clicker systems. 6 00:00:22,570 --> 00:00:24,640 They've been around for several years. 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,390 A concept question is typically a very short question 8 00:00:28,390 --> 00:00:31,600 that requires either reflection, or some very simple 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,940 calculation, that can be done in less than a minute. 10 00:00:35,940 --> 00:00:42,130 The concept question is intended to surface misconceptions, 11 00:00:42,130 --> 00:00:45,040 but also alignment and understanding. 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:50,920 And I do administer the concept questions using, 13 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,230 in this case, Google Forms. 14 00:00:53,230 --> 00:00:56,110 But there's other ways to do it, essentially providing 15 00:00:56,110 --> 00:00:59,120 the students a very short URL-- 16 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,250 a link that they can enter either on their laptops, even 17 00:01:03,250 --> 00:01:05,770 on their smartphones or on their tablets. 18 00:01:05,770 --> 00:01:09,460 And usually, a concept question is a multiple choice question. 19 00:01:09,460 --> 00:01:11,080 Sometimes, it's very easy. 20 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,240 Sometimes, it's quite tricky. 21 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,150 And I give the students about 30 seconds 22 00:01:16,150 --> 00:01:21,100 or so to think about it, work out an answer, respond online. 23 00:01:21,100 --> 00:01:25,640 And then, once the answer period is over, 24 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,390 I display the responses in real time. 25 00:01:28,390 --> 00:01:31,420 And what's nice about it, in the context of a SPOC, 26 00:01:31,420 --> 00:01:33,520 it doesn't matter where the students sit, 27 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,360 whether they're with you in the classroom, 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:36,400 whether they're online. 29 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:37,990 Everybody has the same link. 30 00:01:37,990 --> 00:01:40,810 So you're getting everybody's responses at the same time. 31 00:01:40,810 --> 00:01:43,620 So it's a great mechanism for engagement. 32 00:01:43,620 --> 00:01:46,330 Sometimes, everybody agrees-- 33 00:01:46,330 --> 00:01:48,520 100% or 90% agreement. 34 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,590 Everybody chose the right answer. 35 00:01:50,590 --> 00:01:53,560 And in that case, there's not much discussion needed. 36 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,080 Because it's clear that it clicked. 37 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,120 You know the concept is well understood. 38 00:01:58,120 --> 00:01:59,680 My favorite concept questions are 39 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,430 the ones where the answers are all over the map. 40 00:02:03,430 --> 00:02:05,650 You have five possible choices, and each of them 41 00:02:05,650 --> 00:02:08,650 got close to 20%. 42 00:02:08,650 --> 00:02:13,250 That's great, because now, you have a hook for discussion. 43 00:02:13,250 --> 00:02:15,550 So I would then, if that happens. 44 00:02:15,550 --> 00:02:17,890 spend the next three, four, five minutes 45 00:02:17,890 --> 00:02:20,620 in the class reiterating the concept, 46 00:02:20,620 --> 00:02:23,380 and then asking students, who voted for A? 47 00:02:23,380 --> 00:02:24,490 Who voted for B? 48 00:02:24,490 --> 00:02:25,660 Why did you do that? 49 00:02:25,660 --> 00:02:27,370 What was your opinion? 50 00:02:27,370 --> 00:02:29,590 And so you get a great discussion going, 51 00:02:29,590 --> 00:02:32,110 which, again, can have the in-classroom, and then 52 00:02:32,110 --> 00:02:34,040 the online component, as well. 53 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:38,840 We also use the chat during those post-concept questions. 54 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,890 And it's a great way to activate it. 55 00:02:40,890 --> 00:02:43,150 And there's a second reason I also 56 00:02:43,150 --> 00:02:44,940 do concept questions, at least one 57 00:02:44,940 --> 00:02:48,740 during lecture, which is, it's a great way to track attendance. 58 00:02:48,740 --> 00:02:51,280 And I'm up front with the students about this. 59 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,940 Because you can see the time tag when students responded. 60 00:02:54,940 --> 00:02:57,790 So you know exactly who responded to the chat 61 00:02:57,790 --> 00:02:59,110 during the class. 62 00:02:59,110 --> 00:03:04,120 And I do use that for participation grading.