Checks for Understanding: Getting a Response from Every Student

Capture each student’s thinking with fast, effective formative checks.

DR. JACQUI STOLZER
Senior Professional Development Coach

​In the article Designing Great Hinge Questions, Dylan Thomas outlines four principles that make Hinge Questions — questions that serve as checks for understanding, often at a lesson’s midpoint — meaningful and effective. 

To me, the principle of “elicit a response from every student” really stands out, both for its importance and the challenge it presents. Even the most veteran teachers amongst us have fallen into the trap of hearing from a few enthusiastic students in response to a question or task, and thinking, “okay great, everyone is with me!” It can be easy to conflate the responses of a few with the status of the entire class. 

But, how do we truly hear from everyone, without wasting the entire class period? Balancing this need to capture all students with efficiency is tricky. Here are four tools — from low tech to high tech — that invite all students to opt in:

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Finger Voting

​How it works: When the hinge question is in a multiple choice format, students use their fingers to indicate the choice that best answers the question. For example, students hold up one finger to indicate choice one, two fingers to indicate choice two, etc. 

Benefits: This method requires no additional materials and can be implemented in a short amount of time. This is a great option for when teachers realize mid-lesson that they are unsure of students’ readiness for what is coming next in the plan, and they want to facilitate a spur-of-the moment check for understanding. 

Potential drawbacks: With this method, there are limitations to the type of question that can be posed. Furthermore, there is no record of student responses to which you can refer later (unless the teacher is taking notes, which can slow things down). 

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Post-it Notes

​How it works: Each student is given a Post-it note, on which they write their response to a hinge question. Students can either put the Post-it note in a visible place on their desk, which the teacher(s) circulate to read, or students may place their post-it note on the board or in a predetermined place in the room. 

Benefits: This is a great low-tech option for when a hinge question is best answered with a sentence or two (rather than a closed response format such as multiple choice). Some students might appreciate the tactile nature of the approach, as well as the opportunity for movement when used in combination with a “parking lot.” The manipulative nature of Post-its can also be of great benefit from the teacher’s perspective, especially if students’ responses are being used to create strategic groups; the post-its can be moved around in order to visualize who might benefit from working together. 

Potential drawbacks: Some teachers might find it overwhelming to organize and make sense of potentially 20-30 individual pieces of paper on the spot, especially if they are the sole educator in the room. 

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Google Forms

​How it works: Within Google Workspace, teachers can use a range of question formats (short answer, multiple choice, likert scale, etc.) 

Benefits: The technology makes it very easy to quickly recognize whole class trends through visual representation of the data, while simultaneously allowing for the collection of individualized student data (as long as there is a question asking for their name!). Data is also automatically archived if you wish to review it again after class. 

Potential drawbacks: Google Forms are a great, straightforward choice if students are already accessing technology during the lesson. However, if it is the only digital element of the lesson, the time it can take to start up devices and get to the link might be too disruptive to the flow of the learning. Same goes for tools like Formative, Nearpod, and Peardeck. 

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Plickers

​How it works: Plickers is a free online platform designed specifically for this type of formative assessment. Teachers use Plickers to prepare and present their hinge questions, and assign each student a card number. Students are then provided with a card (which can be printed for free from the website) and answer the question through the orientation of the card (each orientation corresponds with one of the answer choices). 

Benefits: Like the other digital tools mentioned, Plickers updates teachers on student responses in real time, and also captures individual student data to be considered later on. However, a unique benefit to Plickers is that while it seems high tech it actually integrates more seamlessly into a low-tech environment; students don’t need their own device. 
 
Potential drawbacks: To new users, the system can seem complicated at first, and learning and managing a new set of procedures can be overwhelming for students and teachers alike. As with any new tool or technology, teachers can expect a bit of a learning curve. 

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​While Thomas’s Hinge Question principles are widely applicable, there is no single “best” way to check for everyone’s understanding; the right tool depends on the moment, the content, and the students in front of you. Whether it's a quick finger vote or more tech-based tool like Plickers, what matters most is the commitment to hearing from every student. Not only does this help us gather better data, but students get the message that their thinking matters to you.