Geography

An example of using formative assessment

Junior Cycle GEOGRAPHY Learning Outcomes

Strand one: Exploring the physical world

Element: Processes, patterns, systems and scale

Students should be able to

1.1 describe the formation and global distribution of volcanoes, earthquakes and fold mountains in the context of plate tectonics and structure of the Earth


Sample Learning Intention

From the learning outcome above we devised the following learning intention. (Students should understand and recall the different parts of a volcano, demonstrating this on a sketch)

We will be able to sketch and identify the structural features of a volcano

Sharing Success Criteria

The following success criteria are shared or co-created with students:

  • Clear and identifiable diagram of a volcano following the 'diagram guidelines'

  • Each feature of the volcano included and labelled

            • Volcanic Cone

            • Crater

            • Conduit/Vent

            • Magma Chamber

            • Layers of Ash

            • Layers of Lava

            • Ash Cloud


Distributing the assignment

Prior to assigning the work a page was created titled Volcano Diagram in the Teacher Only section under the tab titled Homework. This is where the homework pages are stored. (You can choose to have this 'Homework' tab in the Teacher Only Section or the Content Library.)

The assignment is shared with the students in the Teams assignment section by selecting 'Add resources'.

This OneNote page is distributed to each student's Notebook once the homework is assigned.

Teacher providing feedback

The students submit their homework through the assignment section in Teams. They select the resource page, in this case the OneNote page and insert a picture of their diagram and check off the check lists provided and submit. The teacher can then correct the homework using a tablet and stylus in OneNote.


Clarke 2005, suggests different levels of support for students which are needed when giving feedback. The three types of prompts are; reminder, scaffold and example. The example below shows effective feedback from the teacher to the student on a OneNote page. The type of feedback given here is an example of a reminder prompt.

Completed piece of work

The student acts on the feedback provided by the teacher and uploads the amended work onto the assigned page. The student can now view their progression comparing the original piece of work to the amended piece of work.