Strategy:One-Minute Paper

Time:3 minutes

Intent:A one-minute paper is normally completed at the end of a class session. This activity provides real-time feedback regarding what your students comprehend about the ideas presented in a lecture or class discussion. By clarifying information that students may not completely understood, you are able to build stronger comprehension of the course content.

Process:

  • Identify a question(s) you want students to answer related to a topic or student learning outcomediscussed in class.For example:
  • What was the most important point made in class today?
  • What unanswered question(s) do you still have?
  • How does/will ______relate to your future profession?
  • What can you tell me about ______?
  • Allow students one minute to respond on a sheet of paper or a 3x5 card.
  • Collect student responses.
  • Let students know that you will not be able to discuss every response but that you will address common themes.
  • Review responses prior to the next class session.
  • Based on student responses, you will be able to adjust and clarify any information because you will know what is still unclear.
  • Set aside five to ten minutes at the beginning of your next class session to clarify information for your students.

Uses:

  • Provides you with timely feedback about what your students have learned or what questions are still unanswered.
  • Reinforces learningfor students, assists in developing students’ critical thinking skills, and tells you something about your own teaching.
  • Students know you are paying attention to them and to their needs if you begin the next class by clarifying where necessary.

Variation:

  • Ask students to name five significant points that have been made in class that day. By taking time early in the term to learn about and discuss student comprehension, an instructor can relate this to what they hope students will see as the main ideas of the class. Through this process, students can learn how to identify the main ideas in each lecture, which will allow them to reflect on their learning and identify their levels of understanding.

Additional Information:

The One-Minute Paper