CPI Teaching Strategies & Learning Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An instructor uses 'think-pair-share' during a lecture. Which learning principle does this primarily support?
- Rote memorization through repetition
- Active processing and peer dialogue (Correct answer)
- Summative evaluation of knowledge
- Instructor-centered content delivery
Correct answer: Active processing and peer dialogue
Think-pair-share engages active processing by requiring students to formulate, articulate, and refine ideas with a peer.
Question 2: Which type of assessment is BEST suited for measuring a student's ability to synthesize and evaluate information?
- Multiple-choice recall tests
- True/false quizzes
- Performance-based portfolios (Correct answer)
- Attendance tracking
Correct answer: Performance-based portfolios
Performance-based portfolios require students to demonstrate higher-order thinking skills such as synthesis and evaluation over time.
Question 3: A student consistently struggles with reading comprehension. Which Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principle should the instructor apply first?
- Provide multiple means of representation (Correct answer)
- Increase assessment frequency
- Reduce course content complexity
- Limit peer collaboration
Correct answer: Provide multiple means of representation
UDL's first principle—multiple means of representation—addresses diverse ways learners perceive and understand information.
Question 4: Backward design begins with which instructional planning step?
- Selecting engaging classroom activities
- Identifying desired learning outcomes (Correct answer)
- Choosing a textbook
- Writing daily lesson plans
Correct answer: Identifying desired learning outcomes
Backward design (Wiggins & McTighe) starts with defining desired results before planning instruction or assessment.
Question 5: Which strategy best supports metacognitive development in postsecondary students?
- Providing all answers after each quiz
- Assigning reflective learning journals (Correct answer)
- Giving only summative exams
- Reducing student choice in assignments
Correct answer: Assigning reflective learning journals
Reflective journals prompt students to think about their own thinking, a core component of metacognition.
Question 6: An instructor notices some students lose focus midway through a 90-minute lecture. The MOST effective response is to:
- End the class early
- Use a mid-session activity or brain break (Correct answer)
- Speak more loudly
- Assign additional reading
Correct answer: Use a mid-session activity or brain break
Inserting brief activities or brain breaks re-engages attention and improves retention during long instructional periods.
Question 7: Criterion-referenced assessment measures student performance against:
- The class average
- A fixed set of learning standards (Correct answer)
- The top-performing student
- The instructor's subjective judgment
Correct answer: A fixed set of learning standards
Criterion-referenced assessments compare individual performance to predetermined standards, not to other students.
CPI Teaching Strategies & Learning Assessment 2
An instructor uses 'think-pair-share' during a lecture.
Which learning principle does this primarily support?