CFD Teaching & Learning Strategies 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A faculty developer notices that students in a seminar rarely speak unless called upon. Which evidence-based strategy would MOST improve voluntary participation?
- Increasing the number of cold-call questions
- Using anonymous polling tools to lower the social risk of responding (Correct answer)
- Requiring written permission before students may speak
- Reducing discussion time to decrease anxiety
Correct answer: Using anonymous polling tools to lower the social risk of responding
Anonymous polling (e.g., clickers or online tools) lowers the perceived risk of being wrong publicly, increasing voluntary engagement.
Question 2: Which teaching strategy is MOST effective for helping students transfer learning to new contexts?
- Repeated drill on identical practice problems
- Massed practice sessions close to the exam
- Varied practice across different problem types and contexts (Correct answer)
- Providing students with full answer keys in advance
Correct answer: Varied practice across different problem types and contexts
Varied practice, a principle of desirable difficulties, promotes flexible knowledge application by exposing learners to diverse contexts.
Question 3: What distinguishes formative assessment from summative assessment in a college course?
- Formative assessment is always graded; summative is not
- Formative assessment provides ongoing feedback to improve learning; summative evaluates final achievement (Correct answer)
- Summative assessment occurs weekly; formative occurs at end of semester
- Formative assessment measures skills; summative measures knowledge only
Correct answer: Formative assessment provides ongoing feedback to improve learning; summative evaluates final achievement
Formative assessment is used during the learning process to guide instruction, while summative assessment evaluates learning at a defined endpoint.
Question 4: A faculty member assigns a semester-long project where students document their progress through written reflections. This strategy BEST reflects which pedagogical approach?
- Behaviorism
- Portfolio-based learning (Correct answer)
- Lecture-recitation
- Programmed instruction
Correct answer: Portfolio-based learning
Portfolio-based learning collects evolving student work and reflections to document growth and deepen metacognitive awareness.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes the 'spacing effect' as applied to course design?
- Allowing equal white space in course slides for readability
- Distributing practice and review of content across multiple sessions rather than massing it (Correct answer)
- Spacing student desks to prevent cheating
- Evenly spacing exam dates throughout the semester
Correct answer: Distributing practice and review of content across multiple sessions rather than massing it
The spacing effect demonstrates that distributed practice over time produces better long-term retention than concentrated study sessions.
Question 6: In Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which principle encourages providing multiple means of engagement?
- Offering content in only the most accessible format
- Addressing learner motivation, interest, and self-regulation through varied approaches (Correct answer)
- Standardizing all assessments to ensure fairness
- Removing choices to reduce decision fatigue
Correct answer: Addressing learner motivation, interest, and self-regulation through varied approaches
UDL's engagement principle recognizes that learners differ in what motivates them, so varied options sustain interest and persistence.
Question 7: A faculty developer coaches an instructor who lectures for 75 minutes without breaks. Which evidence-based recommendation should be offered FIRST?
- Shorten the course to 50 minutes
- Replace all lectures with online video content
- Incorporate brief active learning pauses every 10–15 minutes to re-engage attention (Correct answer)
- Assign more readings to replace lecture time
Correct answer: Incorporate brief active learning pauses every 10–15 minutes to re-engage attention
Research shows sustained attention declines sharply after 10–15 minutes; brief active pauses restore focus and consolidate learning.
CFD Teaching & Learning Strategies 4
A faculty developer notices that students in a seminar rarely speak unless called upon.
Which evidence-based strategy would MOST improve voluntary participation?