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6.2 Developing Effective Formative Assessment Strategies

CollaboratiVET Massive Open Online Course! Module 6 Assessing Learning in a Flipped Classroom: Evaluation and Refinement of the Implementation Process 6.2 Developing Effective Formative Assessment Strategies

Learning Objectives

  • L.O1: To describe the characteristics of formative assessments
  • L.O2: To practice formative assessments as a vehicle for providing feedback
  • L.O3: To compose formative assessment strategies on an ad hoc basis

Importance of formative assessment in flipped classroom learning

  • Formative assessment enables learners to monitor and reflect on their own learning progress.
  • Regular feedback allows learners to check their knowledge and understanding and work specifically on their weaknesses.
  • Teachers can use formative assessment to adapt lessons to learners' needs and provide individualised support.
  • Formative assessment encourages active learning as learners have to continuously apply and review their knowledge.
  • Formative assessment allows learners to set their own learning goals and track their progress.
  • Formative assessment enables teachers to improve the learning process and make teaching more effective.

Objectives of formative assessment

Goal 1

Formative assessment enables learners to monitor and reflect on their own learning progress.

Goal 2

Regular feedback allows learners to check their knowledge and understanding and work specifically on their weaknesses.

Goal 3

Formative assessment encourages active learning as learners have to continuously apply and review their knowledge.

Goal 4

Formative assessment allows learners to set their own learning goals and track their progress.

Types of formative assessment

Oral feedback during the lesson:

Teachers give learners verbal feedback on their progress and performance during lessons.

Advantages:

Immediate feedback, direct interaction between teachers and students, opportunity to clarify questions and misunderstandings.

Written tasks and tests

Learners complete written tasks or tests to check their knowledge and understanding.

Advantages:

Opportunity for self-reflection, individualised pace, opportunity for targeted repetition and consolidation of the learning material.

Importance of feedback 

  • Feedback provides learners with information about their current learning status and performance.
  • Feedback enables learners to recognise their strengths and weaknesses and work specifically on their weaknesses.
  • Feedback enables learners to check and improve their knowledge and understanding.
  • Feedback motivates learners to give their best and develop further.
  • Feedback enables learners to set their own learning goals and track their progress.
  • Feedback supports the learning process by helping learners to reflect on their thought processes and deepen their understanding.

Promotion of self-reflection through formative assessments 

1

Formative assessments enable learners to reflect on their own learning progress and recognise their strengths and weaknesses.

2

Formative assessments allow learners to set their own learning goals and track their progress.

3

Formative assessments promote self-regulation as learners plan, monitor and evaluate their learning independently.

4

Through formative assessments, learners receive feedback on their mistakes and can correct them in a targeted manner.

5

Formative assessments motivate learners to give their best and continuously improve.

Regular review of learning progress 

Regular review of learning progress leads to:

  • Promotion of independent learning
  • Increasing the motivation and commitment of learners
  • Improving the understanding and application of learning content
  • Strengthening the self-confidence of learners
  • Supporting the development of problem-solving skills
  • Encourage active participation in the learning process and interaction with other learners
  • Improving the learning outcomes and progress of learners

Use of technology for formative assessment in flipped classroom learning

  • Online platforms and learning management systems: These enable learners to access and submit learning materials and assignments online. Teachers can track learners' progress and provide individualised feedback.
  • Interactive learning videos: By using interactive elements such as quizzes or tasks in learning videos, learners can check their understanding and receive immediate feedback.
  • Online tests and quizzes: Teachers can create online tests and quizzes to check learners' understanding. The results can be analysed automatically.
  • Online discussion forums: Learners can discuss learning content online in discussion forums and ask questions. Teachers can follow the discussions and provide targeted feedback.
  • Online collaboration tools: Learners can work together online, e.g. by editing documents together or through virtual group work.

Importance of flexibility in the development and adaptation of formative assessment strategies

  1. Adaptation to different learning needs: Flexibility allows teachers to use different strategies to meet the different needs of learners
  2. Consideration of individual learning styles: Through flexible assessment strategies, teachers can accommodate different learning styles and enable learners to learn in their preferred way. 
  3. Adaptation to learning progress: Flexible assessment strategies enable teachers to take into account the learning progress of students and adapt their teaching accordingly.
  4. Adaptation to different learning objectives: Flexible assessment strategies allow teachers to consider different learning objectives and adapt the assessment accordingly
  5. Promote peer learning: flexible assessment strategies allow learners to interact and learn from each other by giving each other feedback

Documentation for formative assessment 

  • Note observations: Teachers can make observations during lessons and record them in a notebook or electronic file.
  • Recording feedback: Teachers can record oral or written feedback for learners to give them detailed feedback.
  • Documentation of learning progress: Teachers can document learners' learning progress in order to track their development over time.
  • Digital tools for documentation: Teachers can use digital tools such as learning management systems or online portfolios to document observations, feedback and work samples.
  • Peer feedback documentation: Teachers can document peer feedback sessions to track and assess exchanges between learners.
  • Summary of learning progress: Teachers can create regular summaries of learners' progress to enable comprehensive assessment.

Time management in the context of formative assessments - 4 key aspects 

Effective time management enables teachers to make the best use of teaching time and incorporate different assessment strategies into lessons without compromising learning progress.

Appropriate time management allows learners to plan time for reflection and self-assessment in order to reflect on their own learning and recognise their strengths and weaknesses.

Good time management allows learners to have time for dialogue and mutual assessment.

Good time management allows teachers to have time to communicate with learners to answer questions, give feedback and support learners in their individual learning goals.

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.