Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is assessment that is integrated with the learning process; it is focused on assessing learning as it is in progress to improve instruction -- in contrast with summative assessment which is used at the end of the learning process. As you can see in the cartoon, the pilot did not assess his progress during the flight: He found out he had been going in the wrong direction for five hours after it was too late. He failed to do any formative assessment. He did, however, perform a summative assessment, stating "rats!".

This word 'rats' is really a measurement of his success; and, if translated into an academic grade, would be an 'F'. Learning is like going on a journey with a specific direction in mind, and we need to monitor it as it progresses. When implementing formative assessment procedures in the classroom, both students and teachers engage in a variety of activities that provide insight into how learning is going. If the captain of the plane had been practicing formative assessment on his journey, it would have gone like this:

Pilot: Hmm, this compass does not look right...something is wrong.

Co-pilot: Yes, let's check our instruments

Pilot: The GPS coordinates were entered wrong.

Co-pilot: It's true. We need to turn around.

Pilot: OK, I am turning now.

Pilot: Ladies and gentlemen we are going to adjust our course to ensure that we arrive in London on time.

Formative assessment is referred to as assessment FOR learning, not assessment OF learning. Formative assessment is an overall approach to teaching where information and feedback are of paramount importance so teachers and students can react to how the learning process is unfolding on a daily basis to ensure student success.

The following document offers a plethora of formative assessment class activities . Here is an example of a formative assessment I did with my education students who were learning about the concept of Writing to Learn. In groups the students shared facts and ideas about Writing to Learn for a secondary classroom and then posted it on a virtual blank wall through Padlet, and excellent formative assessment tool in my view. As they added new ideas, I monitored their contributions. This activity showed me that they were on track with their learning. If you are interested in a great formative assessment tool, go to www.plickers.com.

Here is my Pinterest board with a variety of formative assessments ideas.

I also sometimes use a Google presentation as a formative assessment tool. In this example the students have a short quiz using the inter-linking features to help the student see if they understand the learning. In this example, it is about complex sentences: