Formative assessment is an important aspect of the learning process, as it helps teachers determine what students know while they’re still learning. Designing effective assessments can be challenging, but there are several strategies that can help. One key aspect of formative assessment is that it should be low-stakes and focused on progress, rather than graded.
Teachers need to look at more than one kind of information to figure out what students really know. A single data point, no matter how well-designed, isn’t enough to plan the next step in instruction. Different learning tasks are best measured in different ways, and teachers need a variety of formative assessment tools that can be deployed quickly and seamlessly.
7 Approaches to Formative Assessment
There are several approaches to formative assessment that teachers can use. These include entry and exit slips and low-stakes quizzes and polls. Each of these approaches has its own strengths and can be used in different ways to assess student learning.
Entry and exit slips can be used to find out what students remember at the beginning and end of class. These can be done using tools like Padlet or Poll Everywhere, or by having students write on paper. The key is to keep it simple and focused on progress. A quick way to see the big picture if you use paper exit tickets is to sort the papers into three piles: Students got the point; they sort of got it; and they didn’t get it. The size of the stacks is your clue about what to do next. No matter the tool, the key to keeping students engaged in the process of just-walked-in or almost-out-the-door formative assessment is the questions. Ask students to write for one minute on the most meaningful thing they learned. You can try prompts like: What are three things you learned, two things you’re still curious about, and one thing you don’t understand? How would you have done things differently today, if you had the choice? What I found interesting about this work was… Or skip the words completely and have students draw or circle emojis to represent their assessment of their understanding.
Low-stakes quizzes and polls can be used to find out whether students really understand the material. These can be created using tools like Socrative or Quizlet, and can be designed to be low-stakes by assigning low point values. This encourages students to try their best without feeling overwhelmed. Kids in many classes are always logged in to these tools, so formative assessments can be done very quickly. Teachers can see each kid’s response, and determine both individually and in aggregate how students are doing. Because you can design the questions yourself, you determine the level of complexity. Ask questions at the bottom of Bloom’s taxonomy and you’ll get insight into what facts, vocabulary terms, or processes kids remember. Ask more complicated questions, and you’ll get more sophisticated insights.
Using Technology to Enhance Formative Assessment
Technology can be a powerful tool in formative assessment, allowing teachers to quickly and easily assess student learning. Tools like Google Classroom’s Question tool, Google Forms with Flubaroo, and Edulastic can make it easy to see what students know and understand. These tools can also help teachers identify areas where students need more support, such as through flexible policies that boost student motivation.
Ultimately, the key to effective formative assessment is to keep it simple, focused on progress, and low-stakes. By using a variety of approaches and tools, teachers can get a clear picture of what students know and understand, and make informed decisions about future instruction, which can also be supported by expanded research network access.
They can ensure that their assessments are effective by using a range of strategies.
