Formative Assessment

Eliciting, understanding and responding to student ideas

Formative assessment is directed at eliciting student thinking, making sense of their ideas, and improving student understanding. Effective formative assessment generates valuable information for both instructors and students that can be used to more effectively achieve targeted learning goals.

Instructors guided by formative assessment:

  • Make students’ thinking visible

  • Notice key features of students’ reasoning and understanding

  • Make sense of students’ current reasoning and understanding

  • Respond with instructional actions that further support student learning

Introduction to Formative Assessment

  1. Read: Introduction to Formative Assessment

  2. Watch: Formative Assessment (this video is intended for K-12 teachers but gives a very nice overview of formative assessment and its role in instruction that applies to higher ed as well)

  3. Read: Examples of formative-assessment activities for large-enrollment STEM courses