What are Formative Assessments?
Formative assessments include a range of evaluative processes used by educators to monitor learner learning and provide ongoing feedback. Unlike summative assessment, which evaluates learner performance at the end of an instructional period, formative assessment occurs during the learning process. Its primary purpose is to identify learning gaps, clarify misunderstandings, and guide learners towards achieving learning outcomes.
Formative assessments are typically designed to evaluate learning progress without significantly impacting a learner’s overall grade or academic standing. This approach encourages learners to engage with the material, take risks, and learn from mistakes without feeling the pressure of failing or losing marks. By removing these fears, low-stakes assessments help to create a supportive environment where the focus shifts to growth, understanding, and skill development rather than solely on performance or grades.
Why are Formative Assessments Important?
Formative assessments play a crucial role in enhancing the learning experience by fostering engagement and providing ongoing feedback. Some key reasons to integrate formative assessment into your teaching include:
Ongoing feedback allows learners to monitor their progress and recognize both strengths and areas that need improvement as the progress towards learning goals. This continuous cycle of feedback and adjustment encourages learners to engage more actively in their studies. As they observe steady progress over time, they develop confidence and independence, ultimately leading to better understanding and retention of the material.
Frequent, low-pressure assessments create an environment where learners feel safe to experiment and learn from mistakes without major consequences. This approach reduces anxiety and shifts the focus from perfection to improvement, building confidence and resilience. Celebrating small successes along the way helps learners stay motivated and willing to tackle more challenging material.
Real-time feedback from formative assessments provides instructors with a clear understanding of how well learners are grasping the material. This information helps educators to identify areas that need further clarification and adjust lesson plans or methods accordingly. By responding to learners’ needs, instructors create more effective and supportive learning environments.
Formative assessments address the varied needs and speeds of learners, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to succeed. They enable instructors to pinpoint unique challenges and offer personalized support or alternative strategies. This approach promotes inclusivity and helps create a learning environment where all learners can thrive.
The ongoing process of formative assessment fosters collaboration and mutual respect between learners and instructors. By providing consistent feedback and support, educators show their commitment to learners’ success, building trust and a sense of partnership. This connection enhances both academic performance and the overall educational experience.
Getting Started
Formative assessments can take many forms, such as brief activities that check understanding or tasks that provide feedback during the learning process. Here are some examples:
- writing a summary of a lecture’s main point
- submitting an outline or proposal for feedback
- completing interactive online quizzes with hints
- engaging in peer-reviewed writing exercises with a rubric
- responding to in-class polls to clarify misconceptions and guide instruction
To incorporate formative assessments into your course, look for opportunities to provide timely feedback that helps students improve before submitting a high-stakes assignment. Examples include:
- breaking larger assignments into smaller, low-stakes tasks spread across the term, such as requiring components of a written assignment before submission of the completed draft
- assigning short quizzes throughout the course can help students prepare for final exams by encouraging regular study and reinforcing key concepts
Formative Assessment Techniques
Incorporating formative assessment need not be complex or time-intensive. Click on the tabs to explore formative assessment techniques that will work in both in-person and online classroom.
The Minute Paper or Muddiest Point
- What: At the end of a lecture, ask learners to write brief responses to questions such as, “What was the most important thing you learned today?” or “What concept remains unclear?”
- Why: This provides immediate feedback on learner understanding and highlights areas needing review.
- How: Collect responses using index cards or sticky notes, or use an online polling tool to gather responses digitally.
Think-Pair-Share
- What: Pose a question, have learners think about their response individually, discuss with a peer, and share with the class.
- Why: Encourages critical thinking and peer learning while allowing instructors to gauge comprehension through shared responses.
- How: Build this activity into your in-person lectures or leverage breakout rooms in Teams for pair discussions and the chat for sharing back answers.
Classroom Polling with Reflection
- What: Begin class with one or more multiple-choice questions related to a relevant course topic. Discuss the results and clarify misconceptions.
- Why: Promotes active engagement and provides a baseline understanding of prior knowledge.
- How: Build poll questions into your slides or use an online polling tool to gather responses.
Concept Mapping
- What: Ask learners to create visual representations of their understanding of a topic, such as a mind map or flowchart.
- Why: Helps learners organize their knowledge and identify gaps in their understanding.
- How: In-person learners could work collaboratively on paper or at the whiteboard, or investigate online tools that could support this purpose.