WEBVTT

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OLIVER DE WECK:
Concept questions

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are a fairly recent
instrument for checking

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the understanding of students
in real time during the class.

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One way to administer
concept questions

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is using clicker systems.

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They've been around
for several years.

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A concept question is
typically a very short question

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that requires either
reflection, or some very simple

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calculation, that can be
done in less than a minute.

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The concept question is intended
to surface misconceptions,

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but also alignment
and understanding.

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And I do administer the
concept questions using,

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in this case, Google Forms.

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But there's other ways to
do it, essentially providing

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the students a very short URL--

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a link that they can enter
either on their laptops, even

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on their smartphones
or on their tablets.

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And usually, a concept question
is a multiple choice question.

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Sometimes, it's very easy.

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Sometimes, it's quite tricky.

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And I give the students
about 30 seconds

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or so to think about it, work
out an answer, respond online.

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And then, once the
answer period is over,

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I display the
responses in real time.

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And what's nice about it,
in the context of a SPOC,

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it doesn't matter
where the students sit,

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whether they're with
you in the classroom,

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whether they're online.

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Everybody has the same link.

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So you're getting everybody's
responses at the same time.

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So it's a great
mechanism for engagement.

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Sometimes, everybody agrees--

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100% or 90% agreement.

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Everybody chose
the right answer.

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And in that case, there's
not much discussion needed.

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Because it's clear
that it clicked.

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You know the concept
is well understood.

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My favorite concept
questions are

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the ones where the answers
are all over the map.

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You have five possible
choices, and each of them

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got close to 20%.

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That's great, because now, you
have a hook for discussion.

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So I would then,
if that happens.

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spend the next three,
four, five minutes

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in the class
reiterating the concept,

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and then asking students,
who voted for A?

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Who voted for B?

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Why did you do that?

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What was your opinion?

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And so you get a great
discussion going,

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which, again, can have
the in-classroom, and then

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the online component, as well.

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We also use the chat during
those post-concept questions.

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And it's a great
way to activate it.

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And there's a
second reason I also

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do concept questions,
at least one

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during lecture, which is, it's
a great way to track attendance.

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And I'm up front with
the students about this.

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Because you can see the time
tag when students responded.

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So you know exactly who
responded to the chat

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during the class.

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And I do use that for
participation grading.