| Formative | ||
| Formative assessment provides feedback and information during the instructional process, while learning is taking place, and while learning is occurring. Formative assessment measures student progress but it can also assess your own progress as an instructor. For example, when implementing a new activity in class, you can, through observation and/or surveying the students, determine whether or not the activity should be used again (or modified). A primary focus of formative assessment is to identify areas that may need improvement. These assessments typically are not graded and act as a gauge to students’ learning progress and to determine teaching effectiveness (implementing appropriate methods and activities). | ||
| Types of Formative Assessments | ||
| In-Formal | ||
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• Those classroom assessments that are not recorded |
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• Observations during in-class activities; of students non-verbal feedback during lecture |
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• Question and answer sessions, both formal—planned and informal—spontaneous |
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• Conferences between the instructor and student at various points in the semester |
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| Formal | ||
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• Chapter tests, Quizzes; usually those things that are recorded |
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• Question and answer sessions, both formal—planned and informal—spontaneous |
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• Student feedback collected by periodically answering specific question about the instruction and their self-evaluation of performance and progress |
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• In-class activities where students informally present their results |
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• Homework exercises as review for exams and class discussions |
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• Reflections journals that are reviewed periodically during the semester |
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| Assessment |