Classroom Assessment Techniques (commonly called CATS) are quick ways of getting feedback on how well students are learning or are prepared to learn the class material.  Furthermore, they allow students to monitor--and quite possibly strengthen--their own learning.  For more background and practical suggestions, follow these links:

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS) (from Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Iowa State)

• What they are
• How they improve teaching and learning
• Different kinds of CATS

Five Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handy Handbook (California State Long Beach College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics)

• Offers description, purpose, suggestions and ways to use information for five common assessment techniques

CATS for assessing on the first day of class

Other methods

• Administering surveys and quizzes through Blackboard or Quickdata
• [Future: assessing learning with clickers]