Formative assessment tests can be done in 4 ways to evaluate student learning and teaching effectiveness:
1) Entry and exit slips at the start and end of class using tools like Google Forms to see what students remember and found interesting.
2) Low-stakes quizzes and polls using apps like Quizlet and Socrative to get instant feedback on student understanding.
3) Self-assessment tests where students use rubrics or participation cards to indicate their progress in different colors on a whiteboard.
4) Peer assessment through group discussions and private tests on apps like Seesaw to understand each student's learning from their peers' perspectives.
1. 4 ways to do formative assessment tests
Student assessment is integral to effective teaching. The general purpose of student assessment is to
evaluate students' learning progress. Student assessment helps teachers to identify gaps in their
students' learning and help them achieve their goals. Additionally, teachers can also judge the
effectiveness of their teaching. There are two ways to perform student assessment tests. One is a
formative assessment, and the other is a summative assessment. Educators tend to value more
formative assessments because they are ongoing tests that can be done in various ways.
1. Entry and Exit Slips
Entry and exit slips can be very functional at the beginning and the end of every class. Before you
begin a lesson or a new topic, find out what the kids remember from the previous lesson. At the end
of the class, you can ask them to rate how well they understood the topic discussed. You can do this
in several ways. You can use online tools such as Google forms or Edulastic, or you can do it
manually. You can ask the students to tell you the three things they learned or what part of the
lesson they found most interesting. Better yet, you can have them describe their understanding
using emojis. Choose a tool that works for you and your students and use it.
2. Quizzes and Polls
Class quizzes don't have to affect the students' grades. A great way to make students feel
comfortable about taking the examinations is to assign low point values for the quizzes. Some of
the best primary schools in Singapore have kids logged into online assessment tools such as Quizlet
or Socrative. These tools enable teachers to get feedback instantly. In these apps, teachers can form
their questions to get the data they need.
3. Self-assessment Tests
Self-assessment tests are a great way of knowing your students' opinions about a particular topic.
You can give students your rubric to tick the areas where they are struggling with. Another great way
is to use participation cards. Kids can then respond using the cards when you ask a question. You can
2. also use different colored sticky notes on a whiteboard to help students communicate their
progress. For example, you can have red, green, and yellow sticky notes. Red indicates they don't
understand, green to say they understand, and yellow to show they are confused. Make three
columns on the whiteboard for the different colors and have each student stick their sticky notes on
there.
4. Peer to peer assessment
Encourage students to participate in group discussions where they ask each other questions or
comment on something their classmates did well. Such classroom activities will give you insight into
each student's learning progress when they share with you their views. Keep in mind that some
students might be reserved and might not participate in these groups. Fortunately, there are some
private assessment tests that you can carry out using apps like Seesaw.
Formative assessment can create a lot of pressure for both teachers and students. However, up until
now, the benefits of it are undeniable. Formative tests can help teachers improve their teaching
techniques and know which students need extra tuition. After all, a teacher always wants their
student to achieve their academic goals.