Entrance and Exit Tickets
What are Entrance and Exit Tickets?
At the start and/or end of a class session, a ticket is a short prompt that can provide instructors with a quick formative assessment or student diagnostic. An “entry ticket” is an exercise that students do for the first two minutes before the lesson begins. The “exit ticket” is an exercise that students do for the last two minutes of the class period. These exercises can be collected on 3”x5” index cards, on a small piece of paper, via polling in a student response system or online through a survey or MyClasses.
Advantages of entrance and exit tickets include:
- Participation by all students and can be used as a method of attendance
- Identifies and highlights key concepts and ideas
- Provides feedback around concepts that are challenging to students or misconceptions
- Provides feedback for the instructor to guide teaching decisions and future lessons
Entry Tickets:
Entry tickets focus student attention on the day’s topic or ask students to recall background knowledge relevant to the day’s lesson. Examples:
- “Based on the readings for class today, what is your understanding of ___________?”
- Invite students to make predictions by asking students to write down knowledge they already have about the subject. For example, “What strategies are used in commercials for persuasion?” prior to discussing persuasive strategies for speeches.
- Check for lingering questions – “From our lesson on _______, what question or concept are you still struggling with and/or what was you most important take-away?”
Exit Tickets:
Exit tickets focus on reflection on the students’ grasp of the day’s concepts and what they have learned. Information obtained from the exit tickets can inform your approach to the next class session. Examples:
- “Was working in pairs today useful in discussing ___________?”
- “Write and answer your own question on a key point from today’s concept.” This could be used as part of future low or high stake assessments.
- Provide a prompt that summarizes a key concept and ask them to select from a list of statements which one is true related to that concept.
- What is working and not working in this class for you to support your learning?
Additional Resources:
- Chapter 7: Reflection Opportunities in Harrington, C. & Zakrajsek, T. (2017). Dynamic lecturing: Research-based strategies to enhance lecture effectiveness. Stylus Publishing.
- Kenner, C. (2020, November 12). Beyond Formative Assessment: Exit Tickets Led Me in the Right Direction. EduCause
- “Sample Exit Tickets.” The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Brown University.