Question or Topic:

We would like to learn about and discuss universal student response as a formative assessment strategy.

What:

Research has shown that increasing student engagement improves student learning. Universal Response, Every Pupil Responds (EPR), or Total Participation Techniques (TPT) are teaching techniques that require evidence of participation and cognitive engagement from all students at the same time.  These techniques function as formative assessments that help teachers accurately monitor progress, provide feedback, and modify instruction.

Why:

Too often in the classroom, teachers default to hand-raising and call on one student to respond to a posed question. Think about the traditional question-and-answer session that happens daily in many classrooms. We ask a question directed at the entire class, wait for hands to go up, and then select one of the few hands raised.

It provides us with a great assessment of the students on whom we've called. But what about the other students? Are they with us? And how do we know? What evidence do we have that they're actively processing the content using higher-order thinking?

Despite what we know about the importance of having students actively process concepts, we still get caught in the rut of the traditional Q & A.

How/Resources:

• Universal Response Digital Notebook Resource - (created by Donna and Christen)

Total Participation Techniques (TPT)

• 1. What they are? 

  2. Why do they matter?

  3. How to do them?

Explained in the Digital Notebook Resource above.