“Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down” Formative Assessment
Links:
https://theartofeducation.edu/2019/01/18/6-strategies-for-fast-and-formative-assessments/
https://www.plymouth.k12.in.us/formative/signals
Benefits:
- Can be used after students are
given instructions, to see if they feel
like they understand what they are
doing before they start.
- It is a quick assessment strategy,
and can be used at various points in
the lessons.
- Non-verbal assessment type, helps
students who struggle with verbal
and writing forms of communication
Weaknesses:
- The students don’t always know that
they don’t understand something, so
they might put their thumb up, but as
I am walking around and checking on
them, some students might be doing
it wrong.
Examples:
- After I give students instructions, I’ll
ask for thumbs up if they understand
what they are doing. If most students
have thumbs up, I’ll let them start
working and go around to the few
students who didn’t have their
thumbs up. But if a lot of students
don’t have their thumbs up, I know I
need to re-explain the instructions to
the whole class because I wasn’t clear
enough the first time. (Can use it to
assess my own instructions).
- This is especially useful in my school
that has a large population of
students with hearing impairments.
When I ask students to do this, I will
do the signals myself so the students
see what I’m asking them to do and
they recognize that they are using it
to show me if they understand.