By the time our students are in chemistry class, it’s important that we really start asking them to be responsible for their own learning! I’ve found one of the most effective ways to help them achieve this is by encouraging self-assessment. When students reflect on their own understanding, they become more engaged in their learning and can identify areas where they need improvement. This not only builds confidence but also makes teaching more efficient as students take more responsibility for their progress.
Benefits of Self Assessment
- It promotes active learning: When students are expected to be responsible for their understanding of chemistry content knowledge, they are more active learners.
- It encourages taking ownership: With frequent (ideally daily) self assessment, students are required to take ownership of their learning. Anything to make the kids take responsibility is a win in my book.
- It builds confidence: Not just in chemistry, but also in their ability to learn anything at all. When students are asked to look at themselves and decide how well/what/if they are learning, they can apply that skill to anything they pursue in life.
- It improves performance: When students are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, they can focus on areas needing improvement and skip studying what they’re good at. (In other words, increase effectiveness during study time). This targeted practice leads to better academic outcomes.
- And for you, it makes your teaching more efficient: Self-assessment helps you to quickly identify student needs without waiting for formal assessments. You can adjust your teaching in real-time, ensuring that all students keep pace with the curriculum.
Strategies for Having Students Self Assess in Chemistry Class
Learning Targets Checklists
Each of your lessons should have a learning target. I used to think they were sort of useless, but I’ve learned a lot since I first started teaching.
I give my students a “study guide” with vocabulary terms and all of the unit’s learning targets on it. Students use this to decide how well they have learned the class material and what they will need to study. Think of it like a checklist! It can also help to inform your teaching throughout the unit.
“Exit Tickets”
I really don’t love the idea of exit tickets. I instead like to use Show What You Know questions. They’re sort of the same thing, but also not really. Hear me out.
At the end of a lesson, students are given 10 or so questions to test their understanding of the content learned that day. The students will answer these to the best of their ability and they get to see the answers in class. They get to hold on to these questions and answers in their notebooks. (They turn into great test study material!) In my mind, an exit ticket is turned in. Otherwise this is really no different. I like to match this strategy with the next one.
3-2-1 (Puppy) System
I have a thing for dogs, and my students know it, so I’ve made my 3-2-1 system based on puppies. Some people like to do traffic lights for this. Essentially, you have students judge their understanding on a scale. If they’re feeling really good, or getting a lot of answers correct, they’d self assess as a 3. A 2 is “feeling okay, but need more practice.” And level 1 is the “lost puppy.” This is a great way to see how your students are doing in a quick pH style test. You can decide if you need to come up with more practice questions or if it’s time to move on. I will say, with the “puppy system” I find that my students are VERY willing to share their score.
You can integrate this directly into your lecture. I like to use it a few times throughout a lesson. Or you can have students drop their names in bins or buckets like the Puppy Bins pictured below. I’ve even had scored Do Nows or Exit Tickets dropped into these bins. Sometimes it’s based on the score, other times, “how you feel.” (Sometimes a bad score turns into “feeling good” after some discussion.)
Self-Checking Practice Sheets
Provide students with assignments that include an answer key or hints, allowing them to check their answers as they go. This encourages them to assess their understanding without waiting for feedback from you.
I have a few options I like to use in my classroom:
Pixel Art
A Google Sheet assignment that uncovers a picture as students fill in the sheet with correct answers. Mine have a check for correct answers and X for incorrect as they fill out the sheet.
Magic Answer Checker
Plug in your own answers to a Google Sheet based on the questions on any worksheet you already have. I like to pair these with short worksheet games to make otherwise boring concepts more fun and engaging.
Escape Rooms
I use Google Forms for this. Students answer questions in sequential order. They can’t move on to question 2 before getting question 1 correct.
Peer Teaching
Encourage students to teach a concept to their peers. My preferred way to do this is using Whole Brain Teaching’s strategy, Turn and Teach. Students pair up and take turns teaching each other what they’ve just learned during your lecture. Being able to explain a topic clearly is a strong indicator of understanding, and the act of teaching forces students to self-assess their own knowledge gaps. Plus, you get to overhear everything and step in where necessary.
Student-Led Question Time
Set aside a portion of each lesson where students can ask any lingering questions they have about the material. This encourages self-reflection as they consider what they don’t fully understand, and it allows you to address gaps right away. I’m guilty of letting students ask questions that are super off topic, but pique their interests. If you’re going to do this, be sure to keep things directed if you’re short on time.
Reflection Time
After tests, give students time to reflect on what they got wrong and why. This kind of self-assessment leads to deeper learning. It’s also a great way to allow students to either retake tests or do test corrections.
Personalized Study Plans
Based on their self-assessments, encourage students to create personalized study plans. The more you encourage them, the better and easier this will get. I like to have students graph their test scores throughout the year. It helps them to know if they are struggling and need to retake a test. Sometimes it just lets them know they are too busy with other things, like sports, or work and aren’t spending the time they need on chemistry. If they are paying attention to study plans, they can make adjustments for new tests.
Practice Makes Perfect
The more self assessment you include in your lessons, the better both you and your students will be with it. I know it can be really tricky to get your students on board with self assessing. Especially if you are asking them to make a public announcement about their progress (like the 3-2-1 method). You can read more about how I create a climate in my classroom that makes self assessment easier for students in this post.
The gist of it is: be nice. Make your students feel safe in your classroom. Let them know that progress and growth are FAR more important to you than raw results. They catch on pretty quick.
