CFD Teaching & Learning Strategies 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which assessment strategy requires students to apply knowledge to a real-world task that resembles professional practice?
- Multiple-choice final exam
- Authentic assessment (Correct answer)
- Norm-referenced testing
- Standardized placement test
Correct answer: Authentic assessment
Authentic assessment tasks mirror real-world challenges, asking students to demonstrate competence in meaningful, applied contexts.
Question 2: Bloom's Taxonomy was revised in 2001. Which of the following represents the HIGHEST cognitive level in the revised taxonomy?
- Evaluating
- Analyzing
- Creating (Correct answer)
- Applying
Correct answer: Creating
The 2001 revision placed 'Creating'—synthesizing ideas into something new—at the apex of the cognitive hierarchy above 'Evaluating.'
Question 3: A faculty developer is helping design a course for diverse learners. Which instructional approach BEST supports students with varying prior knowledge?
- Delivering identical instruction to all students
- Using pre-assessments to gauge prior knowledge and differentiate instruction accordingly (Correct answer)
- Requiring all students to complete identical prerequisite courses
- Grouping students by standardized test scores only
Correct answer: Using pre-assessments to gauge prior knowledge and differentiate instruction accordingly
Pre-assessments identify knowledge gaps and strengths, enabling faculty to tailor instruction to meet learners where they are.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a learning objective as opposed to a course goal?
- A learning objective describes broad program aspirations; a goal is specific
- A learning objective is specific, measurable, and student-centered; a goal is broader and faculty-centered (Correct answer)
- Both terms are interchangeable in course design
- A learning objective applies only to assessments, not instruction
Correct answer: A learning objective is specific, measurable, and student-centered; a goal is broader and faculty-centered
Learning objectives use measurable action verbs and specify what students will demonstrate, while goals describe the instructor's general intent.
Question 5: An instructor uses 'retrieval practice' as a learning strategy. What does this primarily involve?
- Distributing comprehensive notes before each class
- Repeatedly re-reading highlighted text passages
- Requiring students to recall information from memory through low-stakes quizzes or prompts (Correct answer)
- Providing detailed worked examples for every problem type
Correct answer: Requiring students to recall information from memory through low-stakes quizzes or prompts
Retrieval practice (the 'testing effect') strengthens long-term memory by requiring the learner to actively reconstruct knowledge from memory.
Question 6: Which classroom management strategy MOST effectively establishes a productive learning environment from the first day of class?
- Distributing a lengthy list of punishments for misbehavior
- Co-creating community agreements with students about norms for participation and respect (Correct answer)
- Avoiding any mention of expectations to prevent anxiety
- Assigning seats alphabetically to control behavior
Correct answer: Co-creating community agreements with students about norms for participation and respect
Co-creating norms fosters student ownership of the learning environment, increasing buy-in and reducing disruptive behaviors.
Question 7: When a faculty developer evaluates whether an instructional strategy is evidence-based, which source of evidence carries the MOST weight?
- Testimonials from individual successful professors
- Peer-reviewed research demonstrating consistent learning outcome improvements across multiple studies (Correct answer)
- Informal feedback from one semester of implementation
- Publisher recommendations included in textbook instructor guides
Correct answer: Peer-reviewed research demonstrating consistent learning outcome improvements across multiple studies
Peer-reviewed research replicated across multiple studies provides the strongest evidence that a strategy reliably improves learning outcomes.
CFD Teaching & Learning Strategies 5
Which assessment strategy requires students to apply knowledge to a real-world task that resembles professional practice?