What Is Formative Assessment? Examples and Types of Formative Assessment

Why are exams the most stressful yet necessary part of the education system? It is worth asking, especially because it leads to tremendous pressure on students. Nonetheless, it is a significant tool that helps measure a student’s understanding of a subject or concept.

But does that explain establishing an exam-centric system that fosters rote learning or memorization? The traditional educational system equates high marks in exams with academic brilliance and low marks with poor learning. However, that’s hardly the case, since conventional testing mechanisms may not always assess students' potential.

The solution lies in strategic examinations like formative assessments, which help teachers assess students' ongoing progress and holistic development.

What are Formative Assessments?

Formative assessments are an examination method wherein teachers regularly assess students, helping to evaluate their grasp of concepts and subjects. In contrast to summative assessments that focus on final outcomes, formative exams emphasise continuous progress.

Furthermore, it provides a platform for teachers to address different learning styles and identify key issues affecting students' academic performance. Hence, all students get equal attention and are able to improve their shortcomings.

What’s more, instructors can implement different kinds of questions and activities that help assess academic and cognitive levels. The feedback mechanism is the most crucial aspect of the system, enabling learners to get real-time insights into their performance.

It is a student-centric approach that strives to motivate students to take active participation in their learning journey.

How to Differentiate Between Summative and Formative Assessment?

Summative assessments follow a periodic framework, according to which institutes conduct exams towards the end and in the middle of the term. Furthermore, central and state educational board-specific directives set the protocol for the examinations.

It focuses on assessing student learning and academic achievement by the end of the unit, program, school year, or semester. On the other hand, formative assessments allow teachers to evaluate students continuously, helping to track students' ongoing progress.

Therefore, the approach and objectives are central points of difference, with one highlighting continuous evaluation and the other on year- or mid-academic outcomes.

Examples and Types of Formative Assessments

Summative assessments comprise strict and specific standards, whereas formative assessments include a flexible approach and can implement the following examples:

1. Impromptu Quizzes

Schools and colleges often conduct quiz competitions as a part of co-curricular activities, but incorporating them into in-class activities is hugely beneficial. For example, teachers can conduct impromptu quizzes mid-class and after completing a chapter.

Also, students can take online quizzes from time to time on various topics and subjects, helping them to self-assess their knowledge level. It is a great way for students and teachers to evaluate their current understanding levels.

2. Pre-Class Open-Ended Questions

‘’Today we will learn about black holes’’ or ‘’Who can tell me about black holes''- although both statements may guarantee students’ responses, the latter is an effective way to initiate open-ended conversations.

Furthermore, it encourages students to think critically, recall their previous readings, and share their perspectives. So, teachers can ask topic-related questions before providing in-depth explanations; they can ask questions such as:

• Can you describe what comes to mind when someone says the year 1942?
• What would you say are the primary causes of landslides?

3. End-of-Class Questionnaires

Rushing to somehow finish explaining the topic does not always guarantee that all students understood whatever the teacher explained. Likewise, it is challenging to assess each individual’s comprehension capability without effective methods.

That is where employing end-of-class questionnaires helps to evaluate accurately through methods such as short questions, surveys, etc. Also, teachers can ask direct questions to understand whether students grasped the lesson’s goal.

• What was the most fascinating aspect of what you learnt today?
• Do you think the topic applies to real-world scenarios? If so, how?

4. Word Clouds

Word clouds are a visual representation of texts or words that teachers can encourage students to use, or the latter can be used for effective learning. Moreover, it allows students to provide short, brief, and one-word answers.

This is where teachers can utilise the student information system that integrates well with learning tools to develop a word cloud based on student responses. The next step entails analysing the answers to identify common themes and misconceptions.

5. Tag Feedback

Tag feedback is a specific type of formative assessment methodology, wherein teachers develop a set of tags or labels as per the assessment task. Terms like ‘’good, ‘’excellent, ‘’creative, ‘’innovative, ‘’well-organised’’, and needs improvement are central to this method.

Teachers apply the above tags to different parts of the work after checking students’ assignments, projects, or exam answer sheets. As a result, students can understand the areas where they have made progress and the ones that they still must work on. Moreover, including additional explanations or comments can help students understand the tags’ meaning and take appropriate action plans.

6. Discussion Panels

Is it worth the time and effort of a teacher to conduct group discussions if it often leads to chaos and arguments? The answer is yes, especially if he/she plans and implements the activity in a well-structured manner through the following ways:

Small Group Discussions

Provide specific questions and prompts, helping to guide a discussion between a small group of students. Likewise, use rubrics to observe each student’s participation and interaction within the group and ask follow-up questions.

Whole-Class Discussion

Pair up students with partners and have them think about a topic/question individually and discuss it with their partner. After that, they can share their thoughts with the whole class one by one.

Online Discussion

Teachers can use the learning management system to develop online forums to facilitate online discussions.

Debates

Establish a clear structure and rules for the debate, including rebuttals and instructions to avoid talking over each other.

Why are Formative Assessments Beneficial?

The effectiveness of formative assessments makes them immensely beneficial for students, as they provide the following advantages:

• Teachers can identify the specific areas where students struggle the most or have misconceptions that hinder their progress.
• Students get timely feedback on their work, enabling them to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
• The timely feedback allows students to gain insight into their academic performance, motivating them to take decisive steps towards improvement.
• Teachers can utilise the formative assessment data to analyse their instructional strategies and make appropriate changes. For instance, they can modify activities or provide additional support.
• Aligning the formative assessments with learning objectives and incorporating regular feedback increases student engagement.