Formative assessment is an essential part of the teaching and learning process that provides feedback to both teachers and students about progress towards learning goals. It involves assessing student understanding and learning throughout the instructional process, rather than just at the end of a unit or course.
Here are some effective formative assessment strategies that can be used in the classroom.
| Strategy 1 |
Exit Tickets |
| Explanation |
Exit tickets are short questions that students answer at the end of a class period or lesson. They can be used to quickly assess student understanding and identify areas where students may need more support. |
| Execution |
At the end of a class period or lesson, students answer a question or complete a short task that demonstrates their understanding of the material covered. |
| Example |
In a history class, students might be asked to write a short paragraph summarising the main idea of the lesson. |
| Strategy 2 |
Think-Pair-Share |
| Explanation |
Think-pair-share is a collaborative activity that encourages students to share their ideas and learn from their peers. Students think about a question or prompt, discuss their ideas with a partner, and then share their thoughts with the class. |
| Execution |
Students work individually to generate ideas or responses to a prompt, then share their ideas with a partner. Finally, the pairs share their ideas with the class. |
| Example |
In a science class, students might be asked to think about the causes of global warming. They would work with a partner to generate a list of possible causes and then share their ideas with the class. |
| Strategy 3 |
Peer Feedback |
| Explanation |
Peer feedback is a powerful tool for formative assessment. It allows students to receive feedback from their peers and learn from their mistakes. |
| Execution |
Students work in pairs or small groups to review each other's work and provide feedback. |
| Example |
In an English class, students might work in pairs to review each other's essays and provide feedback on organisation, grammar, and content. |
| Strategy 4 |
Graphic Organisers |
| Explanation |
Graphic organisers are visual tools that help students organise information and understand the relationships between different ideas. |
| Execution |
Students use a graphic organiser to organise information, compare and contrast different concepts, or summarise information. |
| Example |
In a social studies class, students might use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two different civilisations. |
| Strategy 5 |
One-Minute Papers |
| Explanation |
One-minute papers are a quick formative assessment tool that allows students to reflect on their learning. Students are given one minute to write a response to a prompt or question. |
| Execution |
Students write a brief response to a prompt or question in one minute. |
| Example |
In a maths class, students might be asked to reflect on their understanding of a concept and write a response in one minute. |
Using these formative assessment strategies can help teachers gauge student understanding and adjust their teaching accordingly. By providing regular feedback to students, formative assessment can help students identify areas where they need more support and take ownership of their learning.
If you want to dive deeper into this area of teaching and learning, please feel free to check out our course on Assessment and Evaluation Techniques.
