Formative assessment refers to the analysis of students which takes place (often several times) after a course begins, but prior to its completion. Hughes (2003) describes it as follows:
Assessment is formative when teachers use it to check on the progress of students, to see how far they have mastered what they should have learned, and then to use this information to modify their future learning plans.
(p. 5)
The primary purpose of formative assessment is recognizing weaknesses and gaps in student knowledge. It can take many forms, including practice tests, homework assignments, portfolios, classroom observations, etc.
While formative assessment is generally used to help teachers measure student progress relating to course goals and objectives, these same types of assessments can be used to provide a space for students to air grievances and describe their own perceptions of a course. While end of course evaluations also provide this opportunity, they are inherently insufficient because they do not provide opportunities for teachers to respond (either verbally or through action). This can leave both students and teachers feeling frustrated.
In the Slideshare presentation below, I describe how Google Forms can be created and used for formative assessment. One advantage of using Google Forms is that they can easily be designed to provide opportunities for students to share about affective issues in addition to academic ones. Teachers can easily provide a survey on Fridays and spend a few minutes addressing concerns each Monday. Doing so has three specific advantages:
1. Requesting student input provides learners with opportunity to express preferences in regards to course content and activities.
While teachers might bring more learning and experience in regards to what is effective pedagogically, there are a number of ways in which students can learn. Providing students the opportunity to share about their own preferred learning styles and to comment on the previous week’s activities can help teachers choose tasks that are both effective and enjoyable.
2. Listening to students empowers them to bring up issues where classroom dynamics are less than ideal.
Students do not always get along with one another. Neither do they always get along with their teacher. Compounding the issue, teachers are not always aware of when they offend or frustrate their pupils. Providing an opportunity for students to air grievances can help teachers maintain a safe and supportive classroom environment, and to address minor issues before they become major.
3. Asking for students to share their ideas helps them to “own” the class.
It can be difficult to engage in a class where one’s voice is seen as irrelevant. Inviting students’ voices, and responding to their specific concerns and ideas, personalizes lessons and demonstrates to students that they are seen and valued as individuals.
In sum, adding questions that touch on affective issues while performing formative assessment does not require a great deal of time or effort, and provides significant benefits for both teachers and students.
References
Hughes, A. (2003). Testing for language teachers. (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Assessment is formative when teachers use it to check on the progress of students, to see how far they have mastered what they should have learned, and then to use this information to modify their future learning plans.
(p. 5)
The primary purpose of formative assessment is recognizing weaknesses and gaps in student knowledge. It can take many forms, including practice tests, homework assignments, portfolios, classroom observations, etc.
While formative assessment is generally used to help teachers measure student progress relating to course goals and objectives, these same types of assessments can be used to provide a space for students to air grievances and describe their own perceptions of a course. While end of course evaluations also provide this opportunity, they are inherently insufficient because they do not provide opportunities for teachers to respond (either verbally or through action). This can leave both students and teachers feeling frustrated.
In the Slideshare presentation below, I describe how Google Forms can be created and used for formative assessment. One advantage of using Google Forms is that they can easily be designed to provide opportunities for students to share about affective issues in addition to academic ones. Teachers can easily provide a survey on Fridays and spend a few minutes addressing concerns each Monday. Doing so has three specific advantages:
1. Requesting student input provides learners with opportunity to express preferences in regards to course content and activities.
While teachers might bring more learning and experience in regards to what is effective pedagogically, there are a number of ways in which students can learn. Providing students the opportunity to share about their own preferred learning styles and to comment on the previous week’s activities can help teachers choose tasks that are both effective and enjoyable.
2. Listening to students empowers them to bring up issues where classroom dynamics are less than ideal.
Students do not always get along with one another. Neither do they always get along with their teacher. Compounding the issue, teachers are not always aware of when they offend or frustrate their pupils. Providing an opportunity for students to air grievances can help teachers maintain a safe and supportive classroom environment, and to address minor issues before they become major.
3. Asking for students to share their ideas helps them to “own” the class.
It can be difficult to engage in a class where one’s voice is seen as irrelevant. Inviting students’ voices, and responding to their specific concerns and ideas, personalizes lessons and demonstrates to students that they are seen and valued as individuals.
In sum, adding questions that touch on affective issues while performing formative assessment does not require a great deal of time or effort, and provides significant benefits for both teachers and students.
References
Hughes, A. (2003). Testing for language teachers. (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.