FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Techniques for Formative Assessment

Here are some techniques given by Fisher and Frey (2007) that teachers can use while teaching to
check on student's understanding:
1. Response cards - These are either pre-printed or write-on cards.
2. Hand signals
3. Games

Games for Formative Assessment

Here are some games especially suited for formative assessment to try in your classroom (Cassie, J.
2018, p.59)

a. Socrative (www.socrative.com, free and paid options) - It is a classroom — engagement app

that provides games and other activities for students. A favorite element is "Space Race"
which can turn an assessment into a gamified experience between individuals or groups .
b. Kahoot (www.kahoo.com, free and paid options) - Its a mobile application that allows
teachers to construct homework assignments almost as though they were video game-type
quests.The app also has a feature where teachers can write their own games and make them
available to students with an access code.
c. Quizlet (www.quizlet.com, free) This app allows educators to convert data-gathering into a
gamified form that they can use to inform their teaching practice.
d. Quizizz (www.quizizz.com, free) - This lets teachers monitor the results of students' work as
they do it. The app lets students progress at their own pace throughout the game.
e. Quizalize (www.quizalize.com, free and paid options) It provides the same kinds of quizzes
and assessments as other similar tools, but it also lets you track the work of individual
students at a granular level.
f. Plickers (Available at App Store or Google Play, free) This formative assessment tool uses a
series of abstract cards that the teacher photographs using a mobile device. The program then
analyzes the data and presents the teacher with individualized reports of student success.

Self-assessment in Formative Assessment. An increasing trend in formative assessment is self-assessment.

Self—assessment is aligned with the principle of learner agency which means that learning involves the
activity and the initiative of the learner, more than the inputs that transmitted to him/her by the teacher. With
learner agency, are self-regulated learners who engage in self-monitoring and self evaluation. Self-regulated
learners continually monitor their progress toward the learning outcomes. Self-regulated learners determine
whether they attained the intended learning outcomes which they have made as their very own learning
outcomes.

So it is best that students get actively involved to assess their own learning to determine how they are
progressing. This can increase their self-confidence and motivation to learn. (Davis and McGowen, 2007).

Scoring Rubrics and Formative Assessment

In formative assessment, teachers give feedback. These feedbacks are made more specific when they are
based on rubrics which enumerate the criteria and describe the expected student's performance (process and
product). Scoring rubrics especially analytic rubrics are, therefore, a good framework for feedback.
(Brookhart, 2013). Analytic rubrics are of great help to students in assessing their own progress.
Additional Formative Assessment Strategies
Below are formative assessment strategies from Watanabe's book on Mindful Assessment: The 6
Essential Fluencies of Innovative Learning (2016) for you to try out:

Activity How It is Done

Round Robin Charts Teacher passes charts among groups to assess understanding. Each group of 4 or
5 students begins with a chart and some markers. The group records an answer to
an open-ended question. They can also share the knowledge they have on a topic
covered in class. Once the students finish the chart, they pass it on to the next
group. When every group has worked on every chart, responses are discussed as
a class.
Questioning strategies Questioning strategies may be used with individuals, small groups, or the entire
class. Effective formative

assessment strategies involve asking students to answer higher-order questions

such as "why" and "how." With the students' answers, teacher discerns the level
and extent of the students' understanding.
3-way Summaries Students can work in groups or individually. In response to a question or topic
inquiry, they write three different summaries
 10—15 words long.
 30—50 words long
 75—100 words long
Teacher can have students use Twitter with which mos students are already
familiar.

Think-Pair-Share The teacher asks a question, and students write down their answers. Students are
then placed in pairs to discuss their responses. Teacher moves around the
classroom and listens to various discussions then lets them share their response/s
as a pair to the class.

3-2-1 Countdown Teacher requires students to respond to three separate statements at the end of the
lesson.
 3 things you didn't know before
 2 things that surprised you about this topic,
 1 thing you want to start doing with what you've learned

Teacher can ask other questions or ask students to write questions about the topic
they want to ask.

One—minute Paper One-minute papers are usually done at the end of the day. Students can work
individually or in groups here. They must answer a brief question in writing.
Typical questions posed by teachers center around:
 Main point
 Most surprising concept
 Questions not answered
 Most confusing area of a topic
Exit/Admit Tickets Exit tickets are small pieces of paper or cards that students give to the teacher as
they leave the classroom.
Students write down one main idea that they learned that day.
 Admit tickets are answers to a question or homework on a past lesson
written in small pieces of paper or cards that students are required to submit
as they enter the class.
Creative Extension Teacher asks students to come up with simple projects to demonstrate
Projects comprehension. These don't have to be big and complicated. They can take a day,
a half-day, or even an hour. Here are examples of quick projects:
Top of Form  Create a poster or collage illustrating the subject matter
 Record a rehearsed skit or podcast discussing the topics covered
 Build a diorama about the subject and create a narrative behind it
 Let students design their own flashcards to test each other with
 Keynote presentations made by students on the topic