# Scratchie
##  Intro
The **Scratchie activity** lets you assess students using the **Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF-AT)**, a highly interactive, **team-based approach** to multiple-choice assessment.
In a Scratchie activity, students work together to answer each question. Instead of simply selecting an option, the team **“scratches” their chosen answer** to reveal whether it is correct. This mirrors the experience of a scratch card, where the correct response is hidden beneath a surface layer. The key benefit is **immediate feedback**, allowing the team to confirm their understanding or rethink their reasoning instantly.
Scratchie is **designed primarily for team assessment**, not individual work. Typically, one student acts as **the team leader**, making the final selection **on behalf of the group** after discussion. This encourages **collaboration, peer instruction, and shared decision-making**.
#### Scoring and Attempts
Scoring in Scratchie is directly linked to the number of attempts:
* **First attempt correct → full marks (e.g. 4 points)**
* **Second attempt correct → reduced marks (e.g. 2 points)**
* **Third attempt correct → minimal marks (e.g. 1 point)**
* **Further attempts → no points**
This means the **fewer attempts a team needs, the higher their score**.
Overall, Scratchie turns assessment into a **collaborative learning experience, where discussion matters, feedback is immediate, and learning happens in real time**.
### Why you want to use Scratchie as an educational activity?
* **Encourages discussion and consensus-building**\
Students must **debate, justify, and agree** on an answer before committing to it.
* **Drives high levels of engagement**\
The combination of **instant feedback** and **shared team scoring** creates energy, focus, and often lively debate within teams.
* **Promotes accountability within teams**\
Because the **score is shared**, every student has a stake in selecting the correct answer early.
* **Supports constructive feedback and reflection**\
Students can raise **“burning questions”**, encouraging deeper clarification and reflection on misunderstandings.
* **Strengthens team dynamics over time**\
Working in consistent teams helps students develop **trust, awareness of strengths, and collaborative skills**.
{% hint style="success" %}
#### **Educational Insight**
Scratchie goes beyond assessment, it becomes a learning experience in itself.
* **Deepens understanding through peer learning**\
Students learn by **explaining, challenging, and refining ideas together**.
* **Shifts focus from grades to reasoning**\
The goal becomes **finding the correct answer through discussion**, not just scoring points.
* **Reinforces knowledge through immediate feedback**\
Instant confirmation helps students **correct misconceptions in real time**.
* **Improves retention and application**\
Collaborative problem-solving leads to **stronger memory and better transfer of knowledge**.
* **Builds communication and critical thinking skills**\
Students practise **articulating ideas, negotiating perspectives, and making decisions under uncertainty**.
{% endhint %}
### What can I use Scratchie for?
Scratchie is ideal for **any form of team-based assessment**, particularly where you want students to **apply knowledge rather than recall it individually**.
* [**Team-Based Learning (TBL)**](https://docs.lamsfoundation.org/tbl/), especially for **Team Readiness Assurance Tests (tRAT)**
* **Concept checking and reinforcement** after lectures or preparatory work
* **Formative assessment with immediate feedback loops**
* **Surfacing misconceptions** through team discussion and class-wide follow-up
It also enables a **student–teacher–student feedback cycle**, where questions raised by teams can be discussed collectively.
*Pedagogies that use Scratchie:* [Team Based Learning](https://docs.lamsfoundation.org/tbl/) uses scratchie extensively for its [Team readiness assurance test](https://docs.lamsfoundation.org/tbl/tbl-process#3-team-readiness-assurance-test-trat) (iRAT)
### How does it work?
You create a set of **multiple-choice and or Very Short answer** questions for students.
Students **work in teams** to discuss each question. Once the team agree on the answer, then one student, the [**team leader**](/lams/tools/leader-selection.md), selects the team’s answer on behalf of the team
The team then receives immediate feedback:
* If **correct** → **they earn points immediately**
* If **incorrect** → they **try again**, selecting from the remaining options
**Scoring depends on attempts:**
* **Fewer attempts = higher score**
* **More attempts = lower score**
If students need clarification, they can submit a **“burning question”**, which is addressed later by the teacher and the class.
As the teacher, you can **monitor team responses and attempts in real time**, giving you immediate visibility into how each group is progressing through the activity. This allows you to **quickly identify common knowledge gaps, misconceptions, or questions that multiple teams are struggling with**, so you can address them at the right moment. In addition, you can view all the **“burning questions” raised by teams**, helping you pinpoint areas of uncertainty or debate. Once all teams have completed the activity, these questions can be used to **facilitate rich, whole-class discussion**, encouraging students to reflect, challenge ideas, and deepen their understanding collectively.
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