CAT Background Knowledge Probe

Teacher's Purpose:
- Helps teachers determine the starting point and appropriate level of the lesson
- Allows teachers to assess learners prior understading of the topic
Learner's Purpose:
- Focuses attention on the important material
- Can serve as a preview and review
Timing:
- First class meeting
- Orientation session
- Assigned to answer at begining of module
- Complete both at beginning and end of module -- compare results
Hint:
- Ask at least one question that everyone should be able to answer
- Ask at least one question that you deem to be difficult
Feedback:
- Review responses
- E-mail students individually if appropriate with additional resources
- Post results in an announcement or discusion board.

Topic:
- Web Servers
Method:
- Survey with one multiple choice and two short answer questions.
Question:
- "Describe the purpose of a web server."
- "Choose the most popular web server from the list provided below"
- "What reasons do you have for your choice?"
Feedback:
- Learners complete the survey and the course management system collects responses. Instructor reads responses and may e-mail individual students or post selected results in an announcement or discussion thread.