Purpose and Benefits of Formative Assessment.

1. Purpose and Benefits of Formative Assessment. By: Ariel Davide

2. Assessment: • Black and Wiliam (1998) define assessment broadly to include all activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used to alter teaching and learning • Under this definition assessment includes observation, classroom discussion, and analysis of student work • For example: homework and tests

3. Why is assessment useful? • This information helps a teacher to see if the child is progressing or failing behind • By doing this they can make the necessary adjusts to their teaching that is needed • Such as re-teaching, trying alternative instructional approaches or having more room for practice. Like going over things before school, at lunch or after. • Black and Wiliam conducted a research review and concluded that using formative assessment you see a significant change in the students performance ( even students with a disability)

4. Types of Assessment Strategies: • Summaries and reflections • Lists, charts, and graphic organizers • Visual representations of information • Collaborative activities

5. Feedback: • This is very important and helpful when using formative assessment • This helps the teacher see where their students stand, between their desired goal and their current knowledge, understand, or skill and guides them through the right steps to achieve their goals • The most helpful type on tests and homework provides specific comments and suggestion for improvement. This also encourages students to focus their attention on the task rather than on dimply getting the right answer

6. Examples of Formative Assessment: • Black and William suggested to use questioning and classroom discussion to increase students knowledge and improve understanding • They said you need to involve everyone • let students discuss a topic with the whole class or in groups • Show several different answers to the question and make the students vote • Have students write in their own words their understanding of vocabulary or concepts • Have student write a brief summary of what they had learned from the lesson

7. Continued… • Black and William also made the following suggestions: • Give more short test on topics rather than putting a lot of information on one test • New learning should be tested within a week of what they had learned • Also look for an outside source to collect different ideas and ways of teaching for your own benefit and for the students.