Formative Assessment

1. Formative Assessment

2. What is formative assessment? • a range of formal and informal assessment procedures employed by teachers during the learning process in order to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment • range of formal/informal assessment procedures (what) • during the learning process (when) • modify teaching and learning activities & improve student attainment (why)

3. How does it differ from summative assessment? • Summative = assessment OF learning (after instruction) • Did they learn? • Formative = assessment FOR learning (during instruction) • Are they learning?

4. Common Forms of F.A. • Observations • Questioning • Discussion • Graphic Organizers • Quizzes • Think-Pair-Share

5. Things to Remember About F.A. • They do not have to be quizzes • They do not have to be for a grade • They do not have to take up a lot of class time

6. Formative Assessment Techniques • Question, Answer, Argue, Explain • Present students with a multiple choice question (via projector). Students signal according to their answer (i.e. one finger for A; two fingers for B; etc.) • Teacher scans the room and notes how students answer (paying particular attention to those who have given the wrong answer) but says nothing • Teacher directs students to: 1) find someone who has given a different answer and 2) try to convince that person that your answer is correct (2 minutes for discussion)

7. Formative Assessment Techniques • After discussion, have students answer the question again using the same signal system • Teacher scans the room and notes how students answer the second time, paying particular attention to those who have changed from an incorrect answer to a correct one • Teacher chooses one student who has the correct answer (but was previously wrong) to explain why he/she chose that answer and what made him/her change answers • *Student then becomes a ‘peer teacher’ • *Variation is four corners strategy (viewpoint instead of possible answer; move to a designated corner of room)

8. Formative Assessment Techniques • Idea Spinner • Teacher creates a spinner marked into 4 quadrants and labeled “Predict, Explain, Summarize, Evaluate.” • After new material is presented, the teacher spins the spinner and asks students to answer a question based on the location of the spinner. For example, if the spinner lands in the “Summarize” quadrant, the teacher might say, “List the key concepts just presented.” • Variation – cubes • Can have more than 4

9. Formative Assessment Techniques • Inside-Outside Circle (Kagan, 1994) • After students read a section of text (or other presentation of material), the teacher divides the group. Half of the students stand up and form a circle with their backs to the inside of the circle. They are partner A. The other half of the students form a circle facing a partner from the first circle. These students are partner B. • Partner A will speak first, quickly summarizing what they read. This takes about a minute. Then partner B speaks for the same length of time, adding to the summary.

10. Formative Assessment Techniques • Now it is time to move. Have the students who are partner A raise their right hands and then move two people to the right to meet with a new partner. Repeat the summary with partner B speaking first. • For the third move, have all students who are partner B raise their right hand and move two people to the right. After they are with a new partner, they continue with the summary with partner A speaking first. • Inside-Outside Circle holds all students accountable for having something to say. You can use this activity as a formative assessment by standing in the center of the circle and listening to the conversations that take placewhile making anecdotal notes on interactions and discussions.

11. Formative Assessment Techniques • Exit Cards / Ticket Out the Door • Exit cards are written student responses to questions posed at the end of a class or learning activity or at the end of a day. • Stems (I learned… I still don’t understand… etc.) • General summary or reflection of lesson • Answer a question • Explain how the lesson could be used in the real world • Can be extended to a Moodle Forum discussion assignment for homework (that can also be extended to the next day)

12. Formative Assessment Techniques • Facts, Questions, Responses (FQR) • Introduce the passage that students will read and describe the details of the FQR focused reading strategy. • Students will use 3 different color sticky notes for each category. • As students read the passage, they should make note (using sticky notes) of the facts, questions, and responses (each in a different color) that arise as they read the material. Paste these in appropriate places in the reading.

13. Formative Assessment Techniques • Facts: materials presented as truthful items; students can also include items in this category that they want to verify or have clarified. • Questions: items from the text that are confusing or for which further information is needed • Responses: personal reactions to specific sections of the reading • After students complete the reading, have them categorize their findings in a chart listing facts, questions, and responses along with the page numbers from the text (which can be turned in). • Discuss the results of the reading with the entire class.

14. Formative Assessment Techniques • Final Jeopardy Question • Pose students with questions (via projector) • With their tablets in the pen mode (and flipped down), have them write their answers on a blank screen then place the pen down to avoid changing answers • When directed ask students to reveal answers (one at a time, all at once, or choose particular students) • Discuss students’ answers

15. Formative Assessment Techniques • Misconception Check • Present students with common or predictable misconceptions about a designated concept, principle, or process. Ask them whether they agree or disagree and explain why. • The misconception check can also be presented in the form of a multiple-choice or true-false quiz or a survey. • Multiple choice – explain what makes the correct answer correct/incorrect answers incorrect • True/False – if a statement is deemed to be false, have students explain what would make it true • Survey – Show of hands; move to a corner of the room (degree to which they agree or disagree)