What is Formative Assessment?
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Formative Assessment comes in many shapes, sizes and forms. Formative Assessment is often referred to as; assessment for learning,
informal assessment, and formative classroom practice.
An easy distinction between formative and summative assessment:
Formative
assessment is assessment for learning. Its focus is on future achievement. (See the list of useful methods below).
Summative
assessment is assessment of learning. It assesses what has been learnt in the past.This could be a formal test to measure achievement.
Black and Wiliam (1998), described findings which changed the way assessment was approached and defined. Their research showed that formative assessment does raise standards of attainment. They also explained Assessment for Learning and the point where it then becomes 'Formative Assessment'.
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
"Assessment for learning is any assessment for which the first priority in its design and practice is to serve the purpose of promoting students' learning. It thus differs from assessment designed primarily to serve the purposes of accountability or of ranking. "
"An assessment activity can help learning if it provides information that teachers and their students can use as feedback in assessing themselves and one another and in modifying the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged."
"Such assessment becomes "Formative Assessment" when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching work to meet learning needs."
(Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall & Wiliam, 2004, p.10)
Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D. (2004). Working Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom. Phi Delta Kappan. (86) 8-21.
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In what ways does Formative Assessment
inform teaching practice and improve student
learning?
"It identifies which children need help."
"It allows teachers to select appropriate learning strategies to improve their teaching."
"It allows the teacher to see where the student 'is' and where they need to be - next learning steps."
"It informs our next teaching/planning step." - "We are then teaching to the needs."
"Students are not left behind as teaching plans are flexible."
"Lessons based on what students know and can do now, and how the knowledge and skills need to be developed."
"Formative assessment informs teaching practice because it can be adapted to suit the level of attainment. It improves student learning because it sets clear goals for success. The child knows what they have learnt and their quality of achievement. They then are self-directed or teacher directed to move forward in their learning."
"Formative assessment gives a more focused/broader look at what a student is achieving."
"it enables both the teacher and student to look forward, set goals and progress."
...........................................................................................................................................................................................
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
METHODS
There any many different methods, strategies and techniques useful for assisting with Formative Assessment in the classroom. Teachers use a range of strategies and these depend on the learners and their level of development.
Below are the main classroom strategies adopted by teachers (based on my research).
Useful Formative Assessment methods used by teachers include;
Discussion
Questioning
Observation
Feedback
Peer and Self-Assessment
Checklists
Goal Setting
Work Sample
Informal Notes
Discussions, questioning and observation were the methods used by all teachers surveyed and noted as being the most useful strategies to adopt in the classroom environment.
Formative Assessment comes in many shapes, sizes and forms. Formative Assessment is often referred to as; assessment for learning,
informal assessment, and formative classroom practice.
An easy distinction between formative and summative assessment:
Formative
assessment is assessment for learning. Its focus is on future achievement. (See the list of useful methods below).
Summative
assessment is assessment of learning. It assesses what has been learnt in the past.This could be a formal test to measure achievement.
Black and Wiliam (1998), described findings which changed the way assessment was approached and defined. Their research showed that formative assessment does raise standards of attainment. They also explained Assessment for Learning and the point where it then becomes 'Formative Assessment'.
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
"Assessment for learning is any assessment for which the first priority in its design and practice is to serve the purpose of promoting students' learning. It thus differs from assessment designed primarily to serve the purposes of accountability or of ranking. "
"An assessment activity can help learning if it provides information that teachers and their students can use as feedback in assessing themselves and one another and in modifying the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged."
"Such assessment becomes "Formative Assessment" when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching work to meet learning needs."
(Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall & Wiliam, 2004, p.10)
Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D. (2004). Working Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom. Phi Delta Kappan. (86) 8-21.
...........................................................................................................................................................................................
In what ways does Formative Assessment
inform teaching practice and improve student
learning?
"It identifies which children need help."
"It allows teachers to select appropriate learning strategies to improve their teaching."
"It allows the teacher to see where the student 'is' and where they need to be - next learning steps."
"It informs our next teaching/planning step." - "We are then teaching to the needs."
"Students are not left behind as teaching plans are flexible."
"Lessons based on what students know and can do now, and how the knowledge and skills need to be developed."
"Formative assessment informs teaching practice because it can be adapted to suit the level of attainment. It improves student learning because it sets clear goals for success. The child knows what they have learnt and their quality of achievement. They then are self-directed or teacher directed to move forward in their learning."
"Formative assessment gives a more focused/broader look at what a student is achieving."
"it enables both the teacher and student to look forward, set goals and progress."
...........................................................................................................................................................................................
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
METHODS
There any many different methods, strategies and techniques useful for assisting with Formative Assessment in the classroom. Teachers use a range of strategies and these depend on the learners and their level of development.
Below are the main classroom strategies adopted by teachers (based on my research).
Useful Formative Assessment methods used by teachers include;
Discussion
Questioning
Observation
Feedback
Peer and Self-Assessment
Checklists
Goal Setting
Work Sample
Informal Notes
Discussions, questioning and observation were the methods used by all teachers surveyed and noted as being the most useful strategies to adopt in the classroom environment.