Continuous Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is used to improve learning while it is happening, while summative assessment is used to evaluate learning at the end of a unit or course.  

Computer Supported Collaborative Science (CSCS) employs a variety of technological tools  and techniques to allow teachers to identify misconceptions, adapt lesson plans, and tailor instruction to meet diverse student needs. For students, continuous formative assessment fosters self-regulation, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of scientific concepts, as they receive timely, constructive feedback that informs their learning journey. This iterative process helps cultivate a growth mindset and ensures that learners build a strong foundation for mastering complex scientific principles.

Continuous Formative Assessment (CFA) 

Continuous formative assessment in science education is a dynamic process that supports both teaching and learning by providing ongoing feedback to students and educators. This approach emphasizes monitoring student progress and understanding throughout the instructional process rather than waiting until the end of a unit or course. 

Continuous Formative Assessment employs synchronous collaborative web-based documents to perform continuous, real-time formative assessments of student understanding so that science teachers can adjust their instruction to address the immediate needs of their students.  There are numerous ways to perform continuous formative assessment, one of which is the online "quickwrite".

Formative Assessment Tools

• Dedicated formative assessment tools 

• Cloud-Based Productivity Tools- (e.g. slides,  docs, sheets, maps, drive,  forms, etc.) can be used to collect student work from a variety of resources so that the instructor can formatively assess student learning and skill development.

References

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