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https://www.cambridge.org/gb/education/blog/2019/07/02/what-assessment-learning-and-what-are-benefits/

"Assessment for Learning" is an educational approach that focuses on using assessment as a tool to support and enhance the learning process of students. It is also referred to as formative assessment. Unlike traditional assessments that primarily measure students' knowledge and skills at the end of a learning unit or course (summative assessment), Assessment for Learning is an ongoing process that occurs throughout the learning experience.

The main purpose of Assessment for Learning is to provide students with timely and constructive feedback on their progress, strengths, and areas for improvement. It aims to enable students to understand their own learning goals, make adjustments to their learning strategies, and actively engage in their own learning process. This type of assessment promotes a growth mindset and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

Here are some key characteristics and benefits of Assessment for Learning:

1. Ongoing and Informative: Assessment for Learning is conducted throughout the learning journey, providing immediate feedback to students on their understanding and progress. This feedback helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to focus on areas that require further attention.

2. Student-Centered: Assessment for Learning places students at the center of the assessment process. It empowers them to take ownership of their learning by encouraging self-reflection, self-assessment, and goal setting.

3. Feedback and Feedforward: The feedback provided in Assessment for Learning is constructive and specific, highlighting what the student has done well and offering guidance on how to improve. It focuses on the next steps for learning, often referred to as "feedforward," rather than solely dwelling on past performance.

4. Differentiation: This approach allows for differentiation of instruction, as teachers gain insights into individual students' needs and tailor their teaching accordingly. By understanding where students are in their learning journey, educators can provide targeted support and interventions.

5. Motivation and Engagement: Assessment for Learning promotes a positive and supportive classroom environment that encourages active engagement, risk-taking, and a growth mindset. Students are more likely to be motivated when they see assessments as opportunities for growth rather than as judgments of their abilities.

6. Curriculum Development: Teachers can utilize the data and insights gathered through Assessment for Learning to inform their instructional practices and refine the curriculum. It helps educators identify areas of strength or weakness in their teaching approaches and make adjustments accordingly.

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Performance assessment is a task students must perform instead of writing a test. For instance, in a Spanish class, students may be asked to deliver an oral presentation rather than a traditional exam.
Performance assessments consist of open-ended response exercises, extended tasks, and portfolios. In an open-ended response exercise, students describe their observations from an experiment or enacting historical events.
It involves students participating in skill-building activities rather than answering questions about how to perform those skills on paper.

The purpose of a performance assessment is to improve the student learning experience and evaluate the effectiveness of lesson plans. These assessments measure how well a student can apply the knowledge they've learned, not if they can recall the knowledge.
They help educators identify if students are progressing and what adjustments to make to the class curriculum to ensure they succeed. They are also very helpful while evaluating the effectiveness of course lesson plans.

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Diagnostic assessments are sets of written questions (multiple choice or short answer) that assess a learner's current knowledge base or current views on a topic/issue to be studied in the course.

It is used to get a snapshot of where students currently stand - intellectually, emotionally, or ideologically - allowing the instructor to make sound instructional choices regarding how to teach the new course content and what teaching approach to use.
The teacher uses this data to create a realistic roadmap addressing any knowledge gaps.
Diagnostic assessments benefit the instructor by providing a baseline for teaching. The teacher would know the most important areas to focus on and the topics that should be ignored. They also have the chance to correct any misconceptions before beginning a learning activity.

Ultimately, diagnostic assessments make the teaching/learning process more efficient and effective by zeroing in on content that needs to be taught and mastered. It puts the students and teachers on the same page and creates a better learning experience for everyone.

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ITTT International TEFL & TESOL Training

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The Importance of Diagnostic Tests in an ESL Classroom | ITTT | TEFL Blog

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1. Presentation: One easy way to have students complete a performance-based activity is to have them do a presentation. Students may choose to add visual aids or a PowerPoint presentation, or Google Slides to help illustrate elements in their speech. Presentations work well across the curriculum as long as there are clear expectations for students to work with from the beginning of the report. This activity could be done by students, which takes time, or in collaborative groups. Students may choose to add visual aids or a PowerPoint presentation, or Google Slides to help illustrate elements in their speech. Presentations work well across the curriculum as long as there are clear expectations for students to work with from the beginning.
The basis for the presentation may be one of the following:

Providing information

Teaching a skill

Reporting progress

Persuading other

2. Portfolios: Student portfolios can include items students have created and collected over time. Art portfolios are for students who want to apply to art programs in college.
Another example is when students create a portfolio of their written work that shows how they have progressed from the beginning to the end of class. The writing in a portfolio can be from any discipline or a combination of disciplines.
You can have students select the items they feel represents their best work to be included in a portfolio. The benefit of this activity is that it grows over time and is not just completed and forgotten. A portfolio can provide students with endless artifacts to use later in their academic careers.
Reflections may be included in student portfolios in which students may note their growth based on the materials in the portfolio.

3. Performances: Dramatic performances are one kind of collaborative activity that can be used as a performance-based assessment. Students can create, perform, and provide critical responses. Examples include dance, recital, and dramatic enactment. There may be prose or poetry interpretation.
This form of performance-based assessment can take time, so there must be a clear pacing guide.
Students must be provided time to address the demands of the activity; resources must be readily available and meet all safety standards. Students should have opportunities to draft stage work and practice.
Developing the criteria and the rubric and sharing these with students before evaluating a dramatic performance is critical.

4. Projects: Projects are commonly used by teachers as performance-based activities. They can include everything from research papers to artistic representations of information learned. Projects may require students to apply their knowledge and skills while completing the assigned task. They can be aligned with higher levels of creativity, analysis, and synthesis.
Students might be asked to complete reports, diagrams, and maps. Teachers can also choose to have students work individually or in groups.
Journals may be part of a performance-based assessment. Journals can be used to record student reflections. Teachers may require students to complete journal entries. Some teachers may use journals as a way to record participation.

5. Exhibits and Fairs: Teachers can expand the idea of performance-based activities by creating exhibits or fairs for students to display their work. Examples include things like history fairs to art exhibitions. Students work on a product or item that will be exhibited publicly.
Exhibitions show in-depth learning and may include feedback from viewers.
In some cases, students might be required to explain or defend their work to those attending the exhibition.
Some fairs, like science fairs, could include the possibility of prizes and awards.

6. Debates: A debate in the classroom is one form of performance-based learning that teaches students about varied viewpoints and opinions. Skills associated with debate include research, media and argument literacy, reading comprehension, evidence evaluation, public speaking, and civic skills.
There are many different formats for debate. One is the fishbowl debate, in which a handful of students form a half circle facing the other students and debate a topic. The rest of the classmates may pose questions to the panel.
Another form is a mock trial, where teams representing the prosecution and defense take on the roles of attorneys and witnesses. A judge, or judging panel, oversees the courtroom presentation.
Middle and high schools can use debates in the classroom, with increased levels of sophistication by grade level.

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The teacher may use surveys and questionnaires, unit pretests, checklists, Curriculum-based measurements, Impromptu Quizzes, or entry slips for diagnostic assessment.
Here are some sample diagnostic assessments across various fields.

1. Psychology: Students are asked to visually illustrate the order in which Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development take place.

2. English: Students are asked to complete a survey examining which of Shakespeare’s texts they have read before and which themes apply to each play.

3. Chemistry: Students review and complete a checklist of all the necessary steps before completing a chemical experiment in the lab.

4. Economics: Students are given an entry slip to complete upon arriving to class that is used to gauge their understanding of how supply and demand trends have impacted one area of their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Diagnostic Assessment: Examples & Overview

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summative assessment in classroom - Bing images
Summative assessment is a type of assessment that evaluates a student's learning at the end of a unit, course, or school year. The purpose of a summative assessment is to measure the student's overall understanding of the material that has been taught, usually in the form of a final exam, project, or essay.

Summative assessments are often used to assign grades, determine whether a student is ready to move on to the next level of education, or to provide feedback to teachers about the effectiveness of their teaching methods. Examples of summative assessments include standardized tests, end-of-year exams, term papers, and final projects.

Compared to formative assessments, which are used to monitor student progress throughout a unit or course and provide feedback to improve learning, summative assessments are used to make judgments about student achievement and to determine the effectiveness of instruction.

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summative assessment in classroom - Bing

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Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you're looking for and rewards you.

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Evaluation and Testing of Students - Diagnostic & Progress Test

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Evaluation and Testing of Students - Diagnostic & Progress Test

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ITTT International TEFL & TESOL Training

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Evaluation and Testing of Students - Diagnostic & Progress Test

# data[].attributes.headline
Evaluation and Testing of Students - Diagnostic & Progress Test

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Evaluation and Testing of Students - Diagnostic & Progress Test

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
ITTT International TEFL & TESOL Training

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Evaluation and Testing of Students - Diagnostic & Progress Test

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https://www.tomedes.com/translator-hub/language-proficiency-test

These tests, such as IELTS and TOEFL, measure how well you can use a target language like English. Then tend to measure the student's skills in listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

Getting a good score on a test like this can help with:
*Getting a job
*Going abroad
*Working abroad
*Studying abroad

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Do you need to take a language proficiency test? Find out what’s involved and how you can prepare by reading this article.

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https://www.ielts.org/

Testing English skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, the IELTS test can be used to gain entry into universities abroad, pass requirements for jobs, and get an estimate of one's English language ability.

Each skill is tested separately with the listening, reading, and writing components tested on one day and the speaking component tested usually on another day (as compared to TOEFL). Unlike TOEFL which is completely computer based and has the student speak into a microphone to be recorded and scored later, IELTS has an examiner in real time speaking to the candidate during the speaking test.

The test can be taken in-person or online with testing centers throughout the world. The test is administered by the British Council, a cultural and educational offshoot of the British Consulate.

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Looking to work, study, or live overseas? Trusted by more than 3 million people every year, IELTS is an English language test that can help you to achieve your goals.

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https://www.ets.org/toefl.html

TOEFL is an English proficiency test that can be used to gain entry into colleges abroad, pass job requirements, and measure one's own English proficiency.

The test is administered by ETS and can be done in centers or online. Speaking, listening, reading, and writing are all measured, but some skills are measured together. For example, you may be required to read a passage and then write an essay based on that passage.

The TOEFL tests can become progressively harder so that if a student gets a number of questions correct in a row, the test will provide harder questions later on.

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The TOEFL tests prepare students for university study, immigration and more. Select the TOEFL test you'd like to learn more about or register.

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Top 4 Reasons to Use Performance Assessments

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Top 4 Reasons to Use Performance Assessments

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Top 4 Reasons to Use Performance Assessments

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1. It helps tie learning outcomes to specific goals and objectives.

2. Diagnostic assessments provide substantial data for creating an effective curriculum that improves student learning outcomes.

3. It makes the teaching and learning process more efficient by zeroing in on content that needs to be taught.

4. It creates a rewarding and amicable learning environment for the teacher and the students.

5. Diagnostic assessment allows the teacher to map out a meaningful and efficient instruction plan for the course duration.

6. It creates a baseline for future assessment.

7. Diagnostic assessment allows the teacher to individualize instruction.

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An introduction to formative and summative assessment

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An introduction to formative and summative assessment

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1. End-point assessment: Summative assessments are administered at the end of a unit, course, or school year to evaluate the overall learning of students.

2. Evaluates learning outcomes: Summative assessment is used to evaluate students' learning outcomes and their understanding of the subject matter that has been taught.

3. Formal assessment: Summative assessment is a formal assessment that follows a structured format, such as a final exam, project, or essay.

4. Graded assessment: Summative assessments are often graded and used to assign a final grade or mark to a student.

5. High-stakes assessment: Summative assessment is often high-stakes assessment, meaning that there are significant consequences for students, such as advancing to the next grade level, being admitted to a college or university, or obtaining a certification or license.

6. Teacher-centered assessment: Summative assessment is typically administered by teachers or educational institutions, and the results are used to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.

7. Provides feedback: Summative assessment provides feedback to teachers, students, and parents about the overall learning outcomes and the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching methods used.

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https://www.nwea.org/blog/2021/what-is-formative-assessment/

“Formative assessment is a planned, ongoing process used by all students and teachers during learning and teaching to elicit and use evidence of student learning to improve student understanding of intended disciplinary learning outcomes and support students to become self-directed learners.”

Some key ideas from the article:
*Formative assessment is low stakes, meaning the goal of the assessment is to measure the student's performance or understanding in order to further student progress, not to assign a score.
*The assessment shouldn't be about the teacher assessing the student (only), but helping the teacher and students figure out what is being learned and what needs further instruction.
*The data collected from the assessment should help teachers make small, meaningful changes to instruction in order to achieve the goals of the program.
*The goal of the formative assessment is to get students to become self-directed learners not always relying on the teacher to provide the information.

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Human-centered formative assessment drives long-term, holistic success for students. Because there is still confusion around this type of assessment, let's explore what it is and why it should be a part of our responsive teaching and learning cycles.

"Formative assessment" defined

As an organization, NWEA subscribes to the revised definition from CCSSO: "Formative assessment is a planned, ongoing process used by all students and teachers during learning and teaching to elicit and use evidence of student learning to improve student understanding of intended disciplinary learning outcomes and support students to become self-directed learners."

Let's take a closer look at the key phrases in that definition:

"Planned, ongoing process." Formative assessment is a continuous, low- or no-stakes, responsive process comprised of practices, methods, and tools that are selected to support all students in reaching challenging learning goals. Teachers and students collaborate to use this kind of assessment in responsive ways that positively impact learners and learning. They partner to know and respond to strengths, interests, and needs.

"All students and teachers during learning and teaching." Formative assessment is a collaborative learning process happening "with" students, not "to" students.

"Elicit and use evidence of student learning." Formative assessment processes capture levels of knowledge and skill along the learning journey so teachers and students can make small, immediate, impactful decisions to support well-being, learning-goal achievement, and self-efficacy. Using formative assessment evidence is appropriate for making decisions during the practice phases of learning; formative assessment scores are not appropriate for calculating grades or for making placement decisions.

"Support students to become self-directed learners." This type of assessment includes students as active agents in the learning journey, which fuels learning and agency in learning environments and beyond. Engaging students in goal setting is a great way to do this.

What does formative assessment look like?

Little is required to start formative assessment processes because they can begin with a variety of methods and tools. Instead of specific programs, supplies, or resources, effective processes involve partnering with students to incorporate the following five practices into cycles of responsive teaching and learning.

Clarifying learning goals and success criteria within a broader progression of learning. Students should have context for what they're learning: why they're learning it, how it connects to previous lessons and their own interests, and what success looks like. Having goal clarity, purpose, and a path promotes student motivation and agency.

Eliciting and analyzing evidence of student thinking. Whether it's capturing ideas on a whiteboard, responding to an online survey, or giving a thumbs-up or down in response to a check for understanding, an effective process centers on knowing learning goals, then gathering, interpreting, and responding to learning-goal evidence.

Engaging in self-assessment and peer feedback. This type of assessment is more than providing feedback from teacher to student. As I explained in "The importance of student self-assessment," having students reflect on their progress helps them become active participants in their learning. The process should also involve students collaborating with each other, asking questions, making observations, celebrating successes, and suggesting improvements in ways that support them in attaining challenging learning goals.

Using actionable feedback. Once learning evidence is collected, teachers work with students to ensure that they have both the time and processes to apply feedback in ways that move learning forward.

Responding by adjusting learning strategies or next instructional steps. This practice is the "why" of formative assessment. To make the process effective, we must collaborate with students to use evidence and insights to propel learners toward shared and personal short- and long-term goals.

Why formative assessment is so important

As my colleague Chase Nordengren noted, "[f]ormative assessment is [critical] for educators looking to unlock in-depth information on student learning. [...] Using strategies that expose misconceptions, support higher-level thinking within a subject, and engage students in academic discourse, formative assessment provides the real-time feedback necessary to dynamically adjust instruction to meet learner needs as they emerge and change."

In short, formative assessment helps us evaluate whether our plans and responsive "moves" are working, while there's still time to do something about it. It celebrates that learning is an ongoing process, complete with stretches of success and periods of struggle, and it helps us remember that learning is not linear but, instead, an endeavor that rewards effort, persistence, and dedication. Best of all, it helps us collaborate with students as co-partners in the entire learning experience. Together we are a learning team, one that makes anything possible.

Ready for more?

There is no shortage of information and resources available on formative assessment. For easy-to -implement, research-based strategies, check out our eBook, Making it work: How formative assessment can supercharge your practice, and our article "27 easy formative assessment strategies for gathering evidence of student learning." Our professional learning team also offers five workshops that can engage you and your colleagues in deep dives designed and delivered by expert educators.

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Reliable assessment data drives positive long-term outcomes for kids. Formative assessment is a critical part of a balanced system.

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https://www.nwea.org/blog/2021/what-is-formative-assessment/

Five practices to include:

Clarifying learning goals and success criteria within a broader progression of learning.

Eliciting and analyzing evidence of student thinking.

Engaging in self-assessment and peer feedback.

Using actionable feedback.

Responding by adjusting learning strategies or next instructional steps.

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Human-centered formative assessment drives long-term, holistic success for students. Because there is still confusion around this type of assessment, let's explore what it is and why it should be a part of our responsive teaching and learning cycles.

"Formative assessment" defined

As an organization, NWEA subscribes to the revised definition from CCSSO: "Formative assessment is a planned, ongoing process used by all students and teachers during learning and teaching to elicit and use evidence of student learning to improve student understanding of intended disciplinary learning outcomes and support students to become self-directed learners."

Let's take a closer look at the key phrases in that definition:

"Planned, ongoing process." Formative assessment is a continuous, low- or no-stakes, responsive process comprised of practices, methods, and tools that are selected to support all students in reaching challenging learning goals. Teachers and students collaborate to use this kind of assessment in responsive ways that positively impact learners and learning. They partner to know and respond to strengths, interests, and needs.

"All students and teachers during learning and teaching." Formative assessment is a collaborative learning process happening "with" students, not "to" students.

"Elicit and use evidence of student learning." Formative assessment processes capture levels of knowledge and skill along the learning journey so teachers and students can make small, immediate, impactful decisions to support well-being, learning-goal achievement, and self-efficacy. Using formative assessment evidence is appropriate for making decisions during the practice phases of learning; formative assessment scores are not appropriate for calculating grades or for making placement decisions.

"Support students to become self-directed learners." This type of assessment includes students as active agents in the learning journey, which fuels learning and agency in learning environments and beyond. Engaging students in goal setting is a great way to do this.

What does formative assessment look like?

Little is required to start formative assessment processes because they can begin with a variety of methods and tools. Instead of specific programs, supplies, or resources, effective processes involve partnering with students to incorporate the following five practices into cycles of responsive teaching and learning.

Clarifying learning goals and success criteria within a broader progression of learning. Students should have context for what they're learning: why they're learning it, how it connects to previous lessons and their own interests, and what success looks like. Having goal clarity, purpose, and a path promotes student motivation and agency.

Eliciting and analyzing evidence of student thinking. Whether it's capturing ideas on a whiteboard, responding to an online survey, or giving a thumbs-up or down in response to a check for understanding, an effective process centers on knowing learning goals, then gathering, interpreting, and responding to learning-goal evidence.

Engaging in self-assessment and peer feedback. This type of assessment is more than providing feedback from teacher to student. As I explained in "The importance of student self-assessment," having students reflect on their progress helps them become active participants in their learning. The process should also involve students collaborating with each other, asking questions, making observations, celebrating successes, and suggesting improvements in ways that support them in attaining challenging learning goals.

Using actionable feedback. Once learning evidence is collected, teachers work with students to ensure that they have both the time and processes to apply feedback in ways that move learning forward.

Responding by adjusting learning strategies or next instructional steps. This practice is the "why" of formative assessment. To make the process effective, we must collaborate with students to use evidence and insights to propel learners toward shared and personal short- and long-term goals.

Why formative assessment is so important

As my colleague Chase Nordengren noted, "[f]ormative assessment is [critical] for educators looking to unlock in-depth information on student learning. [...] Using strategies that expose misconceptions, support higher-level thinking within a subject, and engage students in academic discourse, formative assessment provides the real-time feedback necessary to dynamically adjust instruction to meet learner needs as they emerge and change."

In short, formative assessment helps us evaluate whether our plans and responsive "moves" are working, while there's still time to do something about it. It celebrates that learning is an ongoing process, complete with stretches of success and periods of struggle, and it helps us remember that learning is not linear but, instead, an endeavor that rewards effort, persistence, and dedication. Best of all, it helps us collaborate with students as co-partners in the entire learning experience. Together we are a learning team, one that makes anything possible.

Ready for more?

There is no shortage of information and resources available on formative assessment. For easy-to -implement, research-based strategies, check out our eBook, Making it work: How formative assessment can supercharge your practice, and our article "27 easy formative assessment strategies for gathering evidence of student learning." Our professional learning team also offers five workshops that can engage you and your colleagues in deep dives designed and delivered by expert educators.

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Reliable assessment data drives positive long-term outcomes for kids. Formative assessment is a critical part of a balanced system.

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The Five Major Features of Summative Assessments

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Spread the loveCreating a classroom assessment that best quantifies your students' learning can be tricky business. Because of their broad scope but specific content focus, summative assessments can be a powerful tool to quantify student learning. However, in order for a summative assessment to be most effective, five aspects must be in play: authenticity, reliability, volume, validity, and variety.

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1. Diagnostic Assessment. (n.d.). https://www.queensu.ca/teachingandlearning/modules/assessments/10_s2_02_diagnostic_assessment.html#:~:text=Diagnostic%20assessments%20are%20sets%20of,be%20studied%20in%20the%20course.

2. Blog, F. (2021, October 28). Diagnostic Assessment in Education: Purpose, Strategies, Examples. Formplus. https://www.formpl.us/blog/diagnostic-assessment

3. Google images

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https://englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants

A somewhat new comer to the linguistic assessment area, Duolinguo is an application that is free to download and can help students to learn a variety of different languages.

Duolinguo can also provide a language proficiency test that can be used to gain entry into some, mainly US, universities and can be used as proof of language proficiency for some jobs and companies.

The Duolinguo language test is done from your home and requires multiple devices to verify that the student is actually the one taking the language test. Due to its convenience, Duolinguo became quite popular during the COVID lockdown when people could not travel to test centers for language proficiency exams.

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Test your English online in under 1 hour. Get results in 2 days. Accepted by top universities. No test centers, no appointments. Take the test at home anytime.

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1. Top Hat. (2019, September 16). Performance Assessment Definition and Meaning | Top Hat. https://tophat.com/glossary/p/performance-assessment/

2. Indeed Editorial Team. (2023). What Is a Performance Assessment? (Definition and Tips Included). Indeed Career Guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/performance-assessment#:~:text=A%20performance%20assessment%20involves%20applying,the%20effectiveness%20of%20lesson%20plans.

3. Kelly, M. (2019). Authentic Ways to Develop Performance-Based Activities. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/ideas-for-performance-based-activities-7686

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Good Formative Assessments and How to Use Formative Assessment Results

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Good Formative Assessments and How to Use Formative Assessment Results

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https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/teachers-essential-guide-to-formative-assessment

A good formative assessment should:
1. Be derived from a backward planning process (measuring what needs to be achieved by the end of the lesson)
2. Be actionable (students can clearly demonstrate understanding)
3. Student-centered

How to respond to a formative assessment:
1. 80% or more mastery: Move on to the next unit
2. 50-80% mastery: Differentiated learning
3. Less than 50% mastery: Reteach the whole class

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Teachers’ Essential Guide to Formative Assessment | Common Sense Education

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How can I use formative assessment to plan instruction and help students drive their own learning?

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7 Examples of Quick Formative Assessments

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7 Examples of Quick Formative Assessments

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-smart-fast-ways-do-formative-assessment

1. Entry and Exit Slips (asking questions about the previous material, responses can be whole paragraphs to one word to emojis)
2. Low Stake Quizzes and Polls (quizzes that assign small point values so the focus is on what they know rather than what they score)
3. Dipsticks (easy, quick assessments such as drawing a picture of new knowledge)
4. Interview Assessments (either teacher-to-student or student-to-student interviews for deeper checking of the material)
5. Art/Drama (get kids to draw or act out information)
6. Misconceptions and Errors (focus on a mistake or error and get students to correct)
7. Self-assessment (students self-assess or can use things like hand signals to indicate understanding)

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Formative assessment-discovering what students know while they're still in the process of learning it-can be tricky. Designing just the right assessment can feel high stakes-for teachers, not students-because we're using it to figure out what comes next. Are we ready to move on? Do our students need a different path into the concepts? Or, more likely, which students are ready to move on and which need a different path?

When it comes to figuring out what our students really know, we have to look at more than one kind of information. A single data point-no matter how well designed the quiz, presentation, or problem behind it-isn't enough information to help us plan the next step in our instruction.

Add to that the fact that different learning tasks are best measured in different ways, and we can see why we need a variety of formative assessment tools we can deploy quickly, seamlessly, and in a low-stakes way-all while not creating an unmanageable workload. That's why it's important to keep it simple: Formative assessments generally just need to be checked, not graded, as the point is to get a basic read on the progress of individuals, or the class as a whole.

7 Approaches to Formative Assessment

1. Entry and exit slips: Those marginal minutes at the beginning and end of class can provide some great opportunities to find out what kids remember. Start the class off with a quick question about the previous day's work while students are getting settled-you can ask differentiated questions written out on chart paper or projected on the board, for example.

A quick way to see the big picture if you use paper exit tickets is to sort the papers into three piles: Students got the point; they sort of got it; and they didn't get it. The size of the stacks is your clue about what to do next.

No matter the tool, the key to keeping students engaged in the process of just-walked-in or almost-out-the-door formative assessment is the questions. Ask students to write for one minute on the most meaningful thing they learned. You can try prompts like:

What are three things you learned, two things you're still curious about, and one thing you don't understand?

How would you have done things differently today, if you had the choice?

What I found interesting about this work was...

Right now I'm feeling...

Today was hard because...

Or skip the words completely and have students draw or circle emojis to represent their assessment of their understanding.

2. Low-stakes quizzes and polls: If you want to find out whether your students really know as much as you think they know, polls and quizzes created with Socrative or Quizlet or in-class games and tools like Quizalize, Kahoot, FlipQuiz, Gimkit, Plickers, and Flippity can help you get a better sense of how much they really understand. (Grading quizzes but assigning low point values is a great way to make sure students really try: The quizzes matter, but an individual low score can't kill a student's grade.) Kids in many classes are always logged in to these tools, so formative assessments can be done very quickly. Teachers can see each kid's response, and determine both individually and in aggregate how students are doing.

Because you can design the questions yourself, you determine the level of complexity. Ask questions at the bottom of Bloom's taxonomy and you'll get insight into what facts, vocabulary terms, or processes kids remember. Ask more complicated questions ("What advice do you think Katniss Everdeen would offer Scout Finch if the two of them were talking at the end of chapter 3?"), and you'll get more sophisticated insights.

3. Dipsticks: So-called alternative formative assessments are meant to be as easy and quick as checking the oil in your car, so they're sometimes referred to as dipsticks. These can be things like asking students to:

write a letter explaining a key idea to a friend,

draw a sketch to visually represent new knowledge, or

do a think, pair, share exercise with a partner.

Your own observations of students at work in class can provide valuable data as well, but they can be tricky to keep track of. Taking quick notes on a tablet or smartphone, or using a copy of your roster, is one approach. A focused observation form is more formal and can help you narrow your note-taking focus as you watch students work.

4. Interview assessments: If you want to dig a little deeper into students' understanding of content, try discussion-based assessment methods. Casual chats with students in the classroom can help them feel at ease even as you get a sense of what they know, and you may find that five-minute interview assessments work really well. Five minutes per student would take quite a bit of time, but you don't have to talk to every student about every project or lesson.

You can also shift some of this work to students using a peer-feedback process called TAG feedback (Tell your peer something they did well, Ask a thoughtful question, Give a positive suggestion). When you have students share the feedback they have for a peer, you gain insight into both students' learning.

For more introverted students-or for more private assessments-use Flipgrid, Explain Everything, or Seesaw to have students record their answers to prompts and demonstrate what they can do.

5. Methods that incorporate art: Consider using visual art or photography or videography as an assessment tool. Whether students draw, create a collage, or sculpt, you may find that the assessment helps them synthesize their learning. Or think beyond the visual and have kids act out their understanding of the content. They can create a dance to model cell mitosis or act out stories like Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" to explore the subtext.

6. Misconceptions and errors: Sometimes it's helpful to see if students understand why something is incorrect or why a concept is hard. Ask students to explain the " muddiest point" in the lesson-the place where things got confusing or particularly difficult or where they still lack clarity. Or do a misconception check: Present students with a common misunderstanding and ask them to apply previous knowledge to correct the mistake, or ask them to decide if a statement contains any mistakes at all, and then discuss their answers.

You can use sticky notes to get a quick insight into what areas your kids think they need to work on. Ask them to pick their own trouble spot from three or four areas where you think the class as a whole needs work, and write those areas in separate columns on a whiteboard. Have you students answer on a sticky note and then put the note in the correct column-you can see the results at a glance.

Several self-assessments let the teacher see what every kid thinks very quickly. For example, you can use colored stacking cups that allow kids to flag that they're all set (green cup), working through some confusion (yellow), or really confused and in need of help (red).

Similar strategies involve using participation cards for discussions (each student has three cards-"I agree," "I disagree," and "I don't know how to respond") and thumbs-up responses (instead of raising a hand, students hold a fist at their belly and put their thumb up when they're ready to contribute). Students can instead use six hand gestures to silently signal that they agree, disagree, have something to add, and more. All of these strategies give teachers an unobtrusive way to see what students are thinking.

No matter which tools you select, make time to do your own reflection to ensure that you're only assessing the content and not getting lost in the assessment fog. If a tool is too complicated, is not reliable or accessible, or takes up a disproportionate amount of time, it's OK to put it aside and try something different.

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7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment

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Within these methods you'll find close to 40 tools and tricks for finding out what your students know while they're still learning.

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Top 20 Language Proficiency Tests for 11 Languages

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Top 20 Language Proficiency Tests for 11 Languages

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https://www.languagenext.com/blog/language-proficiency-test/

Tests for:

1. French

2. Spanish

3. German

4. Chinese

5. Korean

6. Japanese

7. Russian

8. Arabic

9. Portguese

10. Italian

11. Dutch

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https://cdn.ncte.org/nctefiles/resources/positions/formative-assessment_single.pdf

Highlights include:
*Definition
*Characteristics
*Tools and Strategies
*What to Do and Not to Do for Formative Assessment

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All Posts

When gauging student learning, two approaches likely come to mind: a formative or summative assessment.

Fortunately, feeling pressure to choose one or the other isn't necessary. These two types of learning assessment actually serve different and necessary purposes.

Definitions: What's the difference between formative and summative assessment?

Formative assessment occurs regularly throughout a unit, chapter, or term to help track not only how student learning is improving, but how your teaching can, too.

According to a WestEd article, teachers love using various formative assessments because they help meet students' individual learning needs and foster an environment for ongoing feedback.

Take one-minute papers, for example. Giving your students a solo writing task about today's lesson can help you see how well students understand new content.

Catching these struggles or learning gaps immediately is better than finding out during a summative assessment.

Such an assessment could include:

In-lesson polls

Partner quizzes

Self-evaluations

Ed-tech games

One-minute papers

Visuals (e.g., diagrams, charts or maps) to demonstrate learning

Exit tickets

So, what is a summative assessment?
Credit: Alberto G.
It occurs at the end of a unit, chapter, or term and is most commonly associated with final projects, standardized tests, or district benchmarks.

Typically heavily weighted and graded, it evaluates what a student has learned and how much they understand.

Examples of summative assessment include:

End-of-unit or -chapter tests

Final projects or portfolios

Achievement tests

Standardized tests

Teachers and administrators use the final result to assess student progress, and to evaluate schools and districts. For teachers, this could mean changing how you teach a certain unit or chapter. For administrators, this data could help clarify which programs (if any) require tweaking or removal.

Formative vs summative assessment

While we just defined the two, there are five key differences between formative and summative assessments requiring a more in-depth explanation.

During vs after

Teachers use formative assessment at many points during a unit or chapter to help guide student learning.

Summative assessment comes in after completing a content area to gauge student understanding.

Improving vs evaluating

If anyone knows how much the learning process is a constant work in progress, it's you! This is why formative assessment is so helpful - it won't always guarantee students understand concepts, but it will improve how they learn.

Summative assessment, on the other hand, simply evaluates what they've learned. In her book, Balanced Assessment: From Formative to Summative, renowned educator Kay Burke writes, "The only feedback comes in the form of a letter grade, percentage grade, pass/fail grade, or label such as 'exceeds standards' or 'needs improvement.'"

Little vs large

Let's say chapter one in the math textbook has three subchapters (i.e., 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3). A teacher conducting formative assessments will assign mini tasks or assignments throughout each individual content area.

Whereas, if you'd like an idea of how your class understood the complete chapter, you'd give them a test covering a large content area including all three parts.

Monitoring vs grading

Formative assessment is extremely effective as a means to monitor individual students' learning styles. It helps catch problems early, giving you more time to address and adapt to different problem areas.

Summative assessments are used to evaluate and grade students' overall understanding of what you've taught. Think report card comments: did students achieve the learning goal(s) you set for them or not?

Process vs product

"It's not about the destination; it's about the journey"? This age-old saying sums up formative and summative assessments fairly accurately.

The former focuses on the process of student learning. You'll use it to identify areas of strength and weakness among your students - and to make necessary changes to accommodate their learning needs.

The latter emphasizes the product of student learning. To discover the product's "value", you can ask yourself questions, such as: At the end of an instructional unit, did the student's grade exceed the class standard, or pass according to a district's benchmark?

In other words, formative methods are an assessment for learning whereas summative ones are an assessment of learning.

Now that you've got a more thorough understanding of these evaluations, let's dive into the love-hate relationship teachers like yourself may have with summative assessments.

Perceived disadvantages of summative assessment

The pros are plenty. However, before getting to that list, let's outline some of its perceived cons. Summative assessment may:

1) Offer minimal room for creativity

Rigid and strict assignments or tests can lead to a regurgitation of information. Some students may be able to rewrite facts from one page to another, but others need to understand the "why" before giving an answer.

2) Not accurately reflect learning

"Teaching to the test" refers to educators who dedicate more time teaching lessons that will be emphasized on district-specific tests.

A survey conducted by Harvard's Carnegie-Knight Task Force on the Future of Journalism asked teachers whether or not "preparing students to pass mandated standardized tests" affects their teaching.

A significant 60% said it either "dictates most of" or "substantially affects" their teaching. While this can result in higher scores, curriculum distortion can prevent students from learning other foundational subject areas.

3) Ignore (and miss) timely learning needs

Because summative assessment occurs at the end of units or terms, teachers can fail to identify and remedy students' knowledge gaps or misconceptions as they arise.

Unfortunately, by this point, there's often little or no time to rectify a student's mark, which can affect them in subsequent units or grades.

4) Result in a lack of motivation

The University of London's Evidence for Policy and Practice conducted a 19-study systematic review of the impact summative assessment and tests have on students' motivation for learning.

Contrary to popular belief, researchers found a correlation between students who scored poorly on national curriculum tests and experienced lower self-esteem, and an unwillingness to put more effort into future test prep. Beforehand, interestingly, "there was no correlation between self-esteem and achievement."

5) Be inauthentic

Summative assessment has received criticism for its perceived inaccuracy in providing a full and balanced measure of student learning.

Consider this, for example: Your student, who's a hands-on, auditory learner, has a math test today. It comes in a traditional paper format as well as a computer program format, which reads the questions aloud for students.

Chances are the student will opt for the latter test format. What's more, this student's test results will likely be higher and more accurate.

The reality is that curricula - let alone standardized tests - typically don't allow for this kind of accommodation. This is the exact reason educators and advocates such as Chuck Hitchcock, Anne Meyer, David Rose, and Richard Jackson believe:

6) Be biased

Depending on a school district's demographic, summative assessment - including standardized tests - can present biases if a group of students is unfairly graded based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or social class.

In his presentation at Kansas State University, emeritus professor in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Dr. W. James Popham, explained summative assessment bias:

Importance and benefits of summative assessment

Overall, these are valid points raised against summative assessment. However, it does offer fantastic benefits for teachers and students alike!

Summative assessment can:

1) Motivate students to study and pay closer attention

Although we mentioned lack of motivation above, this isn't true for every student. In fact, you've probably encountered numerous students for whom summative assessments are an incredible source of motivation to put more effort into their studies.

In May 2017, the College Board released a statement about whether coaching truly boosts test scores:

2) Allow students to apply what they've learned

It's one thing to memorize multiplication tables (which is a good skill), but another to apply those skills in math word problems or real-world examples.

Summative assessments - excluding, for example, multiple choice tests - help you see which students can retain and apply what they've learned.

3) Help identify gaps in student learning

Before moving on to a new unit, it's vital to make sure students are keeping up. Naturally, some will be ahead while others will lag behind. In either case, giving them a summative assessment will provide you with a general overview of where your class stands as a whole.

Let's say your class just wrote a test on multiplication and division. If all students scored high on multiplication but one quarter of students scored low on division, you'll know to focus more on teaching division to those students moving forward.

4) Help identify possible teaching gaps
Credit: woodleywonderworks
In addition to identifying student learning gaps, summative assessment can help target where your teaching style or lesson plans may have missed the mark.

Have you ever been grading tests before, to your horror, realizing almost none of your students hit the benchmark you hoped for? When this happens, the low grades are not necessarily related to study time.

For example, you may need to consider:

Incorporating more visual components

Including/excluding word problems

Innovative summative assessments (we list some below!)

5) Give teachers valuable insights
Credit: Kevin Jarrett
Summative assessments can highlight what worked and what didn't throughout the school year. Once you pinpoint how, where and what lessons need tweaking, making informed adjustments for next year becomes easier.

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes... and, for teachers, new students year after year. So although old students may miss out on changes you've made to your lessons, new ones get to reap the benefits.

This not only improves your skills as an educator, but will ensure a more enriching educational experience for generations of students to come.

6) Contribute positively to learning outcomes

Certain summative assessments also provide valuable data at district, national, and global levels. Depending on average test scores, this can determine whether or not certain schools receive funding, programs stay or go, curriculum changes occur, and more. Burke writes:

The seven aims of summative assessment

Dr. Nancy P. Gallavan, a professor of teacher education at the University of Central Arkansas, believes teachers can use performance-based summative assessments at any grade level.

However, in an article for Corwin, she suggests crafting yours with seven aims in mind:

1. Accompanied with appropriate time and task management

2. Achievable as in-class activities and out-of-class assignments

3. Active involvement in planning, preparation, and performance

4. Applicable to academic standards and expectations

5. Appropriate to your students' learning styles, needs, and interests

6. Attractive to your students on an individual and group level

7. Authentic to curricular content and context

Keeping these goals in mind, here's a list of innovative ways to conduct summative assessments in your classroom!

Summative assessment examples: 9 ways to make test time fun

If you want to switch things up this summative assessment season, keep reading. While you can't change what's on standardized tests, you can create activities to ensure your students are exhibiting and applying their understanding and skills to end-of-chapter or -unit assessments. In a refreshing way.

Why not give them the opportunity to express their understanding in ways that apply to different learning styles?
Note: As a general guideline, students should incorporate recognition and recall, logic and reasoning, as well as skills and application that cover major concepts and practices (including content areas you emphasized in your lessons).
1) One, two, three... action!

Write a script and create a short play, movie, or song about a concept or strategy of your choosing.

This video from Science Rap Academy is a great - and advanced - example of students who created a song about how blue-eyed children can come from two brown-eyed parents:

2) TXT MSG

Using a tool such as iPhone Fake Text Generator, have students craft a mock text message conversation conveying a complex concept from the unit, or each chapter of that unit.

Students could create a back-and-forth conversation between two historical figures about a world event, or two friends helping each other with complex math concepts.

3) Podcast

Have your students create a five to 10-minute podcast episode about core concepts from each unit. This is an exciting option because it can become an ongoing project.

Individually or in groups, specific students can be in charge of each end-of-chapter or -unit podcast. If your students have a cumulative test towards the end of the year or term, the podcast can even function as a study tool they created together.
Credit :Brad Flickinger
You can use online tools such as Record MP3 Online or Vocaroo to get your class started!

4) Infographic

Creating a detailed infographic for a final project is an effective way for students to reinforce what they've learned. They can cover definitions, key facts, statistics, research, how-to info, graphics, etc.

You can even put up the most impressive infographics in your classroom. Over time, you'll have an arsenal of in-depth, visually-appealing infographics students can use when studying for chapter or unit tests.

5) Compare and contrast
Credit: Lucidchart
Venn diagrams are an old - yet effective - tool perfect for visualizing just about anything! Whether you teach history or social studies, English or math, or something in between, Venn diagrams can help certain learners visualize the relationship between different things.

For example, they can compare book characters, locations around the world, scientific concepts, and more just like the examples below:

6) Living museum

This creative summative assessment is similar to one, two, three... action! Individuals will plan and prepare an exhibit (concept) in the Living Museum (classroom). Let's say the unit your class just completed covered five core concepts.

Five students will set up around the classroom while the teacher walks from exhibit to exhibit. Upon reaching the first student, the teacher will push an imaginary button, bringing the exhibit "to life." The student will do a two to three-minute presentation; afterwards, the teacher will move on to the next one.

7) Ed-Tech games

Now more than ever, students are growing up saturated with smartphones, tablets, and video games. That's why educators should show students how to use technology in the classroom effectively and productively.

More and more educators are bringing digital tools into the learning process. Pew Research Center surveyed 2,462 teachers and reported that digital technologies have helped in teaching their middle and high school students.

Some of the findings were quite eye-opening:

80% report using the internet at least weekly to help them create lesson plans

84% report using the internet at least weekly to find content that will engage students

69% say the internet has a "major impact on their ability to share ideas with other teachers

80% report getting email alerts or updates at least weekly that allow them to follow developments in their field

92% say the internet has a "major impact" on their ability to access content, resources, and materials for their teaching

67% say the internet has a "major impact" on their ability to interact with parents and 57% say it has had such an impact on enabling their interaction with students

Take Prodigy Math Game, for example. Over 50 million students, teachers and parents are using the curriculum-aligned math game for 1st to 8th Grade. And with a free teacher account, you can track individual or classroom progress and set your own Assessments.

8) Shark Tank/Dragon's Den

Yes, just like the reality TV show! You can show an episode or two to your class or get them to watch the show at home. Next, have students pitch a product or invention that can help change the world outside of school for the better.

This innovative summative assessment is one that'll definitely require some more thought and creativity. But it's important that, as educators, we help students realize they can have a huge positive impact on the world in which they live.

9) Free choice

If a student chooses to come up with their own summative assessment, you'll need to vet it first. It'll likely take some collaboration to arrive at something sufficient.

However, giving students the freedom to explore content areas that interest them most could surprise you. Sometimes, it's during those projects they form a newfound passion and are wildly successful in completing the task.

We're sure there are countless other innovative summative assessment ideas out there, but we hope this list gets your creative juices flowing.

With the exclusion of standardized state and national tests, one of the greatest misconceptions about summative assessments is that they're all about paper and pencil. Our hope in creating this list was to help you see how fun and engaging summative assessments can truly be.

Summative assessment strategies for keeping tests clear and fair
Credit: woodleywonderworks
In addition to using the summative assessment examples above to accommodate your students' learning styles, these tips and strategies should also help:

Use a rubric - Rubrics help set a standard for how your class should perform on a test or assignment. They outline test length, how in-depth it will be, and what you require of them to achieve the highest possible grades.

Design clear, effective questions - When designing tests, do your best to use language, phrases, and examples similar to those used during lessons. This'll help keep your tests aligned with the material you've covered.

Try blind grading - Most teachers prefer knowing whose tests they're grading. But if you want to provide wholly unbiased grades and feedback, try blind grading. You can request your students write their names on the bottom of the last test page or the back.

Assess comprehensiveness - Make sure the broad, overarching connections you're hoping students can make are reasonable and fluid. For example, if the test covers measurement, geometry and spatial sense, you should avoid including questions about patterning and algebra.

Create a final test after, not before, teaching the lessons - Don't put the horse before the carriage. Plans can change and student learning can demand different emphases from year to year. If you have a test outline, perfect! But expect to embrace and make some changes from time to time.

Make it real-world relevant - How many times have you heard students ask, "When am I going to use this in real life?" Far too often students assume math, for example, is irrelevant to their lives and write it off as a subject they don't need. When crafting test questions, use culturally-relevant word problems to illustrate a subject's true relevance.

Enter the Balanced Assessment Model
Credit: Lucélia Ribeiro CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Throughout your teaching career, you'll spend a lot of time with formative and summative assessments. While some teachers emphasize one over the other, it's vital to recognize the extent to which they're interconnected.

In the book Classroom Assessment for Student Learning, Richard Stiggins, one of the first educators to advocate for the concept of assessment for learning, proposes something called "a balanced assessment system that takes advantage of assessment of learning and assessment for learning."

If you use both effectively, they inform one another and "assessment becomes more than just an index of school success. It also serves as the cause of that success."

In fact, Stiggins argues teachers should view these two types of assessment as "in sync."

Conclusion: Going beyond the test

Implementing these innovative summative assessment examples should engage your students in new and exciting ways.

What's more, they'll have the opportunity to express and apply what they've learned in creative ways that solidify student learning.

So, what do you think - are you ready to try out these summative assessment ideas? Prodigy is a game-based learning platform teachers use to keep their students engaged.

Sign up for a free teacher account and set an Assessment today!

Such an assessment could include:
Credit: Alberto G.

Repeated practice tests reinforce the low self-image of the lower-achieving students... When test scores are a source or pride and the community, pressure is brought to bear on the school for high scores.

Similarly, parents bring pressure on their children when the result has consequences for attendance at high social status schools. For many students, this increases their anxiety, even though they recognize their parents as being supportive.

Curriculum matters and 'fixing' the one-size-fits-all, inflexible curriculum will occupy both special and general educators well into the future... Students with diverse learning needs are not 'the problem'; barriers in the curriculum itself are the root of the difficulty.

This doesn't necessarily mean that if minority students are outperformed on a summative test by majority students that the test is biased against that minority. It may instead indicate that the minority students have not been provided with the appropriate instruction...

An example of content bias against girls would be one in which students are asked to compare the weights of several objects, including a football. Since girls are less likely to have handled a football, they might find the item more difficult than boys, even though they have mastered the concept measured by the item.

Summative assessment can:

Data shows studying for the SAT for 20 hours on free Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy is associated with an average score gain of 115 points, nearly double the average score gain compared to students who don't use Khan Academy. Out of nearly 250,000 test-takers studied, more than 16,000 gained 200 points or more between the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT...

In addition to the 115-point average score increase associated with 20 hours of practice, shorter practice periods also correlate with meaningful score gains. For example, 6 to 8 hours of practice on Official SAT Practice is associated with an average 90-point increase.

Credit: woodleywonderworks Credit: Kevin Jarrett

Summative assessments also provide the public and policymakers with a sense of the results of their investment in education and give educators a forum for proving whether instruction works - or does not work.

Credit :Brad Flickinger Credit: Lucidchart

Credit: woodleywonderworks

They can even be the exact same thing - only the purpose and the timing of the assessment determine its label. Formative assessments provide the training wheels that allow students to practice and gain confidence while riding their bikes around the enclosed school parking lot.

Once the training wheels come off, the students face their summative assessment as they ride off into the sunset on only two wheels, prepared to navigate the twists and turns of the road to arrive safely at their final destination.

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9 Summative Assessment Examples to Try This School Year

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All Posts When gauging student learning, two approaches likely come to mind: a formative or summative assessment. Fortunately, feeling pressure to choose one or the other isn't necessary. These two types of learning assessment actually serve different and necessary purposes.

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The What, the Why, the When, and the How of Formative Assessment

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The What, the Why, the When, and the How of Formative Assessment

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RXYTpgvB5I

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Formative Assessments: Why, When & Top 5 Examples

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Examples of Quick Formative Assessments for the Classroom

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Examples of Quick Formative Assessments for the Classroom

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma1orRWKbWE

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Pros of Summative Assessment

1. Provides a measure of student achievement

One of the primary benefits of summative assessment is that it provides a measure of student achievement. It allows educators to determine whether students have achieved the learning objectives and outcomes set out for a particular course or unit. This information can be used to make informed decisions about student progress, placement, and future educational opportunities.

2. Helps identify areas of improvement

Summative assessment can also help identify areas of improvement for both students and educators. By analyzing student performance, educators can identify areas where students may be struggling and provide targeted support and interventions. This information can also be used to improve teaching practices, curriculum design, and assessment strategies.

3. Motivates students to learn

Summative assessment can be a powerful motivator for students to learn. The knowledge that their performance will be evaluated and that it will impact their grades or scores can incentivize students to put in extra effort and engage more deeply with the course material.

4. Provides a basis for accountability

Summative assessment can also provide a basis for accountability. It allows educators to demonstrate to stakeholders, such as parents, administrators, and policymakers, that students are achieving the intended learning outcomes. This information can be used to support decisions around resource allocation, policy development, and educational reform.

Cons of Summative Assessment

1. Limited feedback for students

One of the drawbacks of summative assessment is that it provides limited feedback for students. Since summative assessment is typically done at the end of a unit or course, there may not be an opportunity for students to receive feedback and make improvements during the learning process. This can limit their ability to learn and grow from their mistakes.

2. Encourages a focus on grades rather than learning

Summative assessment can also encourage a focus on grades rather than learning. Students may prioritize achieving a high score or grade over actually learning and understanding the course material. This can lead to a shallow understanding of the content and limit their ability to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.

3. Can be stressful for students

Summative assessment can also be stressful for students. The knowledge that their performance will be evaluated and impact their grades or scores can create a high-pressure environment that may not be conducive to learning. This can lead to anxiety, which can negatively impact student performance.

4. May not accurately reflect student learning

Finally, the summative assessment may not accurately reflect student learning. Since it is done at the end of a unit or course, it may not capture the full range of a student’s abilities and knowledge. Additionally, it may not take into account other factors that may impact student performance, such as test anxiety, cultural biases, or other external factors.

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1. Beard, E. (2021, July 20). What is formative assessment? From the NWEA website. Retrieved from https://www.nwea.org/blog/2021/what-is-formative-assessment/

2. K. Jamie. (2020, June 25). Teachers' Essential Guide to Formative Assessment. From the
Common Sense Education website. Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/teachers-essential-guide-to-formative-assessment

3. NCTE Executive Committee. (2013, October 21). Formative Assessment That Truly Informs Instruction. From the NCTE Position Statement. Retrieved from https://cdn.ncte.org/nctefiles/resources/positions/formative-assessment_single.pdf

4. Teachings in Education. (2016, November 15). Formative Assessments: Why, When & Top 5 Examples. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RXYTpgvB5I

5. Teachings in Education. (2022, July 7). Formative Assessment Examples. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma1orRWKbWE

6. Thomas, L. (2019, April 26). 7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment. From the Edutopia website. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-smart-fast-ways-do-formative-assessment

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I9AaewEJRA

*Don't use it for the score
*Use it to identify gaps in learning
*Motivate yourself to continue learning, even when semi-fluent
*Pushes you to progress in all areas
*Gives you a structure for learning

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Why You Should Take a Language Proficiency Test

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNhILN6ajd0

What is assessed?
*Spelling and Grammar
*Punctuation
*Sentence Structure
*Correct Use of English
*Reading Ability

How to improve:
*Spelling (make lists, read more)
*Punctuation (understand the rules)

Other parts of a language test:
*Insert the word in the missing blank
*Reading comprehension

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ENGLISH Proficiency Test Questions, Answers & Explanations! (How to PASS English Proficiency Tests!)

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1.       CareerVidz. (2020, December 6). ENGLISH Proficiency Test Questions, Answers & Explanations! (How to PASS English Proficiency Tests!). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNhILN6ajd0

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6.       Lampariello, L. (2020, January 24). Why You Should Take a Language Proficiency Test. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I9AaewEJRA

7.       Tomedes. (2021, March 11). Language Proficiency Tests. From the Tomedes website. Retrieved from https://www.tomedes.com/translator-hub/language-proficiency-test

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https://thirdspacelearning.com/blog/assessment-for-learning-examples/

1. Self-Assessment: Students reflect on their own learning progress and skills, comparing their work against predetermined criteria or rubrics. They assess their strengths and areas for improvement and set goals for further learning.

2. Peer Assessment: Students provide feedback to their peers based on specific criteria or rubrics. This encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and active engagement in the learning process.

3. Classroom Discussions and Questioning: Teachers engage students in meaningful discussions and pose thought-provoking questions to assess their understanding. By listening to students' responses, teachers can gauge their comprehension and identify misconceptions.

4. Quizzes and Quick Checks: Short quizzes or "exit tickets" are administered during or at the end of a lesson to check students' understanding. These assessments provide immediate feedback to students and help teachers adjust instruction accordingly.

5. Observations: Teachers observe students' behavior, participation, and interactions during group work, presentations, or hands-on activities. This allows them to gather qualitative data on students' progress and understanding.

6. Learning Journals or Reflections: Students maintain journals or reflective logs to document their learning experiences, insights, and challenges. These provide a platform for self-reflection and allow students to track their progress over time.

7. Concept Maps or Graphic Organizers: Students create visual representations of their understanding of a concept or topic. This allows them to demonstrate connections between ideas, identify gaps in their knowledge, and refine their understanding.

8. Formative Feedback: Teachers provide timely and specific feedback on students' work, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. This feedback can be written or verbal, focusing on guiding students towards the next steps in their learning.

9. Performance Tasks or Projects: Students engage in authentic, real-world tasks or projects that require the application of knowledge and skills. These tasks provide opportunities for students to showcase their understanding and receive feedback throughout the process.

10. Digital Tools and Technologies: Various digital tools and platforms can facilitate Assessment for Learning, such as online quizzes, interactive simulations, and learning management systems that provide immediate feedback and progress tracking.

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Assessment for learning examples are the strategies and activities that teachers employ during the learning process to support student learning. In this blog, we've listed 25 assessment for learning examples that you can use and adapt in your classroom today.
Assessment for learning, also known as 'AFL' or formative assessment, is an established practice and use of assessment in teaching. It involves ongoing assessments that are used to inform and adjust instruction.

In contrast, assessment of learning or 'summative assessment' is typically administered at the end of a unit of work to evaluate the student's overall achievement against a predetermined standard.

Good understanding of the assessment process and the types of assessment, alongside effective feedback (both oral and written feedback) are key to ensuring success with both student progress and student achievement and should be ingrained within classroom practice. To help you with this, we have put together a collection of 25 assessment for learning examples for you to try out and adapt for your classroom.

What do assessment for learning examples look like in the classroom?

In order for effective assessment for learning to take place, it is important to first develop explicit learning intentions and success criteria. That's why we include a clear learning intention on the cover slide of each lesson.

These provide teachers and children with a clear framework for making judgements about whether successful learning has taken place. These can be written by the teacher and shared with the class, or even better if learning goals can be created in collaboration with the children. Once these are established, assessment for learning can take place.

Here are Third Space Learning, after pupils' tutoring sessions, they complete post-session questions. The post-session questions relate specifically to the learning intention of their session that day.

Assessment for learning can be split into three overall categories:

Teacher assessment

Self assessment

Peer assessment

Below, you can learn more about each category, when each category is best employed and examples for each. The best teachers will use a range of assessment for learning strategies across these three categories in their teaching practice.

Teacher assessment

Teacher assessment should be used during all stages of the lesson, whether it be as a diagnostic assessment to inform the teacher where the pupils are at the start, how they are coping at a certain point during the lesson or to assess understanding at the end of the lesson.

In Third Space Learning's online one to one maths tutoring, pupils complete a warm up question at the start of the lesson. Tutors use this formative assessment to understand possible misconceptions or needs and adjust their approach accordingly. This means that time is used efficiently and ensures the session is personalised to the pupils' learning needs.

The one to one nature of our programmes means that tutors are able to easily adapt their teaching throughout the session to the pupil's needs, addressing gaps and misconceptions as they come up.

It's important that teachers develop positive learning environments where pupils feel comfortable engaging in classroom assessment, answering questions and discussing their ideas in groups. This is because observation and questioning are the main methods here. For questioning to be beneficial, it needs to be strategic to enable teachers to identify and correct any misunderstandings or gaps in knowledge.

With any form of questioning within the lesson, it is important to ensure both open and closed questions are used. Closed questioning only provides children with the opportunity to recall their knowledge and understanding, whereas open questions encourage children to think and recall more information.

Examples of questioning sentence starters include:

Teachers need to use different strategies to ensure they are eliciting as much information from the learner as possible and have a full awareness of student understanding across the room. Helpful strategies include:

Using the word 'might' to encourage pupils to think more carefully and explore possible answers. For example: 'why might that have happened?'

Prompting children to give more information, e.g. 'Persuade me....', 'why do you think that....?'

Ask children to build on each others' answers, e.g. 'Mason, what do you think about the answer Chloe has given?

Assessment for learning examples: Teacher assessment

1. Whole-class questioning

Whole-class questioning is a quick way for the teacher to gather information on the level of understanding of the class a whole.

The key here is to ensure that children are given enough time to think and formulate their response.

Whole class questioning can be used at different points of a lesson. For example, effective questioning at the start to provide a quick picture of where the children are, or mid-lesson to give the chance for maths misconceptions to be addressed. Alternatively, this can be used to assess understanding at the end.

However, as with all examples in this list, it is important to not always rely on this assessment for learning example as it may not be best suited for many learners and you may only hear from the more confident learners in a class.

2. Round the room questioning

This method of assessing involves the teacher circulating round the room, questioning individual or small groups of children.

The benefit of this is that it enables the teacher to strategically target questions at specific children, quickly identifying and addressing any misconceptions as they arise. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for praise and encouragement. It is a helpful mid-lesson activity to carry out when children are working independently or in small groups.

3. Observing

Whilst questioning is an excellent way for a teacher to gather information on the level of understanding in a class, another method is to simply observe what is happening in the room at any given moment.

This is something that doesn't always happen as often as it could because teachers often feel they need to be actively asking questions and encouraging children. Observing can be an equally powerful way to do this.

The teacher observes individuals or small groups of children completing an activity or task and makes notes (mentally or written) on what they observe.

This is a useful form of assessment at any point during the lesson. For example, if the maths lesson begins with a challenge, the teacher can circulate around the room, observe what is happening, but also listen to any discussions taking place. The teacher can quickly gather information to adjust their teaching, move on or address misconceptions as needed.

4. Class quizzes and polls

Quizzes and polls are similar ways to assess pupils' knowledge and understanding. Polls collect choices or opinions, with no right or wrong answers, whilst quizzes provide the opportunity for students to give right or wrong answers. They can be carried out traditionally, using written answers, or be technology-assisted, using computers, tablets or iPads. You can use apps such as Padlet and Kahoot.

Using quizzes and polls at the start of a lesson can be useful for establishing pupils' prior/existing knowledge. At the end of the lesson, they can be used to determine what has been learnt and any gaps in understanding.

5. Colour coded lollipop sticks

Each child in the class has their name written on the lollipop stick. These can be colour coded by ability level, to help the teacher direct appropriate, targeted questions (without the children being aware of this).

You can also use online tools if you don't have any lollipop sticks to hand. This has the added benefit of proving to students that it's bias-free!

This is a useful strategy to be used at any stage of the lesson.

With this strategy, the teacher asks a question and the students think about, or write down their ideas. They then share this with a partner before coming back together as a whole class to discuss.

Teachers are able to make observations at both the pair discussion and the 'share' stage. This method of assessment is useful throughout the lesson: at the beginning, to establish prior knowledge, during the teacher input and at the end of the lesson to assess level of understanding once the concept has been taught.

7. Mini whiteboards

Mini whiteboards are a popular way for teachers to assess understanding at the beginning of the lesson and during the main teaching input. They can be particularly valuable in maths lessons.

Students write their answers and hold up for the teacher to see. The teacher is able to quickly assess the level of understanding across the whole class and can identify misconceptions and gaps, without necessarily drawing the attention of the whole class to any children who may be struggling. Misconceptions can be quickly addressed and children who need additional support can be identified.

8. ABCD cards

Children are given 4 cards (either individually or as a pair/group) with one letter (A, B, C and D) on each card. Ask all the children a question and provide them with four possible answers. Children hold up a card matching the answer they have chosen.

Similar to mini whiteboards, this is a quick and easy way for the teacher to assess the whole class.

9. Round robin

This activity involves the students working in groups. On a large piece of paper, the group writes their answer to a specific question. This is then passed on to the next group of students, who add their answer to the poster.

Once all the groups have contributed to the poster, the teacher leads a whole class discussion exploring the answers given.

This is a useful activity that can be administered at the start or at the end of a lesson.

10. Meet and greet

With meet and greet, the children move around the room until the teacher gives a signal. Pupils then stop and find a partner. The signal could be anything - a bell, a clap, or stopping the music.

Children discuss their answer to their partner before moving on when the teacher signals again. The teacher is able to observe and listen to discussions as the children move around the room. This is a great activity for younger pupils.

11. Making circles

This example is similar to meet and greet but is a good way to ensure paired discussion takes place between different pairs of children.

Split the class in half, with one half of the children forming a circle and facing outwards. The rest of the class then find a partner from the circle and stand with them. The children work together to answer the question, before the outer circle moves round one place and the discussion can take place, but with a new partner.

Pairs can be engineered to be of mixed ability by strategically placing children in the inner circle.

Self assessment

While teacher assessment is important, pupils' self-assessment is a key element of the assessment for learning process.

Pupils have the opportunity to reflect upon their prior knowledge at the start of a topic and evaluate and assess their own learning throughout the lesson. Students also benefit from having an awareness of their own progress, where they've come from and where they are going to. This can help to develop students' metacognitive skills and a growth mindset.

There are a range of strategies teachers can adopt to encourage relevant and meaningful self-assessment within their classrooms. Our pupils have the opportunity to reflect on their learning during sessions and at the end of sessions.

Assessment for learning examples: Self assessment

12. Traffic lights

Children are given a red, amber and green card which they use as a visual way of sharing their level of confidence with the teacher. At any point, they can put down a card, with red showing they don't understand and need more help, amber to show they partially understand, but may need some support and green to show they are confident and fully understand what they are doing.

This is a useful activity for pupils during the independent stages of a lesson and could support shy students who may not usually ask for help. It can also be used at the end of the lesson to encourage pupils to reflect on their learning. To encourage pupils to reflect on their progress, you could ask pupils to RAG-rate their understanding of a learning objective at the start and end of the lesson.

13. Thumbs up/down

This is similar to traffic lights and is a very quick way for children to self-assess at any stage of the lesson.

Children simply hold their thumbs up to show they are confident, holding thumbs horizontally shows they feel they partially understand and thumbs down shows they feel they need more work/support.

This is ideally carried out with eyes closed to minimise the risk of children being influenced by the children around them. It enables them to show if they are lacking confidence without worrying what others think.

14. Draw a square / highlight the learning objective

This is another similar strategy to the traffic light cards and thumbs up and down. It is used at the end of the lesson for children to quickly and visually show their level of understanding or confidence.

They either draw a box and colour it using pink, orange or green highlighter pen, or they highlight the learning objective at the top of the page. Green is used to show they are confident and feel they understanding, orange to show they feel they have some understanding and pink is used to show they

15. Draw a face

This is a similar strategy to the traffic light system, but more suited to children in Key Stage 1.

At the end of the lesson, children are asked to share how confident they are feeling about what they have learnt that lesson. If they feel they understand, they draw a smiley face, if they only partly understand, they draw a face with a straight lined mouth and if they don't feel they understand, they draw a happy face.

Pupils who complete a one-to-one online tutoring session with Third Space Learning complete post-session questions to record their progress and understanding. Pupils are asked to reflect on their learning and their enjoyment of the session. This helps develop pupils' metacognitive skills as they engage in the important skill of reflection and connect their session with their learning goals.

16. 3-2-1 countdown

This is a useful self assessment activity for children to complete at the end of a lesson or topic. They can either record their answers on paper or give them orally to the three statements below:

3 things you didn't know before

2 things that surprised you about this topic

1 thing you want to start doing with what you've learned

17. Write a summary sentence

This can be used at the start or the end of the lesson. Children are asked to write a sentence to summarise what they know, before the lesson begins or at the end of the lesson to share what they have learnt during the lesson.

18. Post its

Post-it notes can be used by pupils individually or in pairs or groups. Children can answer questions at the start of the lesson to encourage them to think about their level of understanding at that stage. You can pose questions such as:

What do I know already?

What do I want to know?

Alternatively, post-its are a great way of assessing at the end of the lesson as an exit ticket, using questions such as:

What have I learnt?

What did I find difficult/hard?

19. KWL - Know, want to know, learnt

This form of self-assessment spans the topic, partly completed at the start and partly completed at the end. Children split their page into three columns with the headings:

The first two columns are completed at the start of the lesson or topic, with the final column being completed once the topic or lesson has been completed.

20. Not yet clear

At the end of a topic or lesson, ask the children to think about anything they don't understand or aren't clear about and write them down.

These can be shared anonymously with the whole class who can work together to discuss the points and ensure all children are clear. This is beneficial for both the children who need the extra help and for the children who are confident, but still benefit from sharing their own knowledge.

This is particularly useful in maths, when children may have used different strategies to achieve the same outcome. This activity provides a good opportunity to share and discuss these different strategies.

21. Most.....thing

At the end of a lesson or topic, children write down their answer to a 'most..... thing' question. This could be to say, for example what they found:

most challenging

most interesting,

most useful

most surprising

about that lesson or topic.

22. Admit and exit tickets

Admit and exit tickets are small pieces of paper or card that students fill in at the start or end of the lesson. If you have the tech, you can also do this online using tools such as Jamboard.

Admit tickets are completed by children at the beginning of the lessons. Students might respond to questions about homework, the lesson taught the day before, or their knowledge beginning a new topic.

Exit tickets are completed at the end of the lesson or before they leave the classroom. It could be a record of what they feel they have learnt during that lesson or a question based on their learning from that lesson.

Peer assessment

For peer assessment and peer feedback to be successful, it is essential that all parties are clear on the learning outcome.

This form of assessment relies on interaction between children, so it is important that all pupils feel comfortable, not only providing their assessment of another child's work, but also having their own work assessed.

The teacher can support this through clear modelling of the process, such as role playing with a piece of fictional work.

Assessment for learning examples: Peer assessment

23. Two stars and a wish

This is a simple way to encourage peer assessment and to provide children with a structure. Children look at the work of another child and write down two stars - two things they felt were good with that piece of work and one wish - one thing they felt could be improved.

24. Peer checking of work

Students read each other's written work and look for key points, such as spelling mistakes, use of adjectives/ adverbs for description or the use of conjunctions to extend sentences. In maths, they may look at accuracy in pupils' use of formal methods or diagrams.

Children should be encouraged to feedback on specific points, again focusing on the positives, in addition to areas to improve. Modelling is key to avoiding hurtful language or comments.

25. Peer assessment card

Children are provided with a peer assessment card with a list of targets for them to assess. For example, the focus could be on punctuation and checking for capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks, apostrophes and speech marks.

For each focus on the card, children RAG rate it (red, amber or green) using coloured pens or pencils, to show how close they feel the person they are assessing is to each target. This self-assessment tool simplifies the feedback process so may be better suited to younger learners.

Assessment for learning can be incorporated into any stage of the lesson. Some strategies can be planned in advance and included within a lesson plan, while other strategies can be used on a more ad hoc basis, as and when appropriate.

What is common with all of these strategies is the opportunity they provide for children to play an active role in their learning. And key to the success of all of these assessment for learning examples is how teachers use the data they gather to adjust their teaching and address misconceptions to close gaps in pupils' learning.

What are some AFL strategies?

Do you have students who need extra support in maths?
Every week Third Space Learning's maths specialist tutors support thousands of students across hundreds of schools with weekly online 1-to-1 lessons and maths interventions designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 we've helped over 150,000 primary and secondary students become more confident, able mathematicians. Find out more about our GCSE Maths tuition or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school's needs and how we can help.

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25 Assessment For Learning Examples To Use With Your Students Today

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In this blog we share useful examples on assessment for learning, including strategies and activities that you can use in your classroom.

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https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/how-to-use-assessment-for-learning-in-schools/#:~:text=The%20many%20benefits%20of%20using%20effective%20assessment%20for,Improved%20classroom%20culture%20and%20teaching%20and%20learning%20environments.

1. Inform Instruction: Assessment for Learning provides valuable insights into students' understanding, strengths, and areas for improvement. Teachers can use this information to tailor their instruction and address specific learning needs. It helps them make informed decisions about instructional strategies, pacing, and content delivery.

2. Personalized Learning: Assessment for Learning allows for a personalized approach to education. By understanding individual students' progress and learning styles, teachers can provide targeted interventions and differentiated instruction. This helps ensure that each student receives the support they need to succeed.

3. Feedback and Growth: Assessment for Learning focuses on providing constructive feedback to students. This feedback is designed to guide their learning and foster a growth mindset. Students learn to see mistakes and challenges as opportunities for improvement and develop the skills to self-assess and set goals.

4. Student Engagement: Assessment for Learning actively involves students in the learning process. It encourages them to take ownership of their learning, reflect on their progress, and actively seek feedback. This engagement promotes intrinsic motivation and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

5. Mastery of Concepts: By continuously assessing students' understanding and providing timely feedback, Assessment for Learning helps ensure that students grasp essential concepts before moving on to new topics. It helps identify any gaps or misconceptions that can be addressed, allowing for a more solid foundation of knowledge.

6. Targeted Support: Assessment for Learning enables teachers to identify struggling students and provide targeted support. By promptly addressing learning gaps, teachers can prevent further challenges and help students catch up with their peers. This individualized attention can lead to improved academic outcomes.

7. Monitoring Progress: Through ongoing assessment, educators can track students' progress over time. They can identify patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement at both individual and class levels. This information helps inform instructional decisions and allows for the adjustment of teaching strategies as needed.

8. Evidence of Learning: Assessment for Learning provides a comprehensive picture of students' learning achievements. It allows teachers to gather evidence of learning beyond traditional summative assessments. This evidence can be used for reporting, feedback to parents, and as a basis for further instruction and academic planning.

9. Collaboration and Reflection: Assessment for Learning promotes collaboration among teachers and students. Teachers can engage in professional discussions and share best practices to improve assessment strategies. Students can collaborate, provide peer feedback, and engage in self-reflection, fostering a supportive and interactive learning community.

10. Continuous Improvement: Assessment for Learning supports a culture of continuous improvement in education. It encourages teachers to reflect on their instructional practices, refine their teaching strategies, and adapt their approaches based on ongoing assessment data. This leads to enhanced teaching and learning outcomes over time.

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When used effectively, assessment for learning, or AFL, can be a highly impactful teaching tool, acting as a bridge between where a student currently is in their learning and achievement and where they want to get to.

In this article, we will address the question ' what is assessment for learning?', list the benefits of AFL, explain the role of the teacher within the assessment process, and outline how you can embed AFL within your teaching practice.

Want an Assessment for Learning Training Course? We are looking to develop an Assessment for Learning course and need your help! For over a decade, High Speed Training has delivered CPD courses to teachers, teaching assistants and education professionals all across the UK. Please use this AFL course registration form and let us know if you are interested in a course to help you and your team improve your abilities in using Assessment for Learning in the classroom.

What is Assessment for Learning?

AFL is a cyclical approach to teaching and learning used by both teachers and students to help learners fulfil their potential. The information created through AFL notifies both learners and teachers where students are in their learning. This then informs the teaching practice so that educators know how to amend their approach accordingly - to support students in getting where they need to be. Through this cycle, students are actively engaged in their learning, and they also learn the strategies required to maximise their own progress.

The Teachers' Standards stipulate that all teachers in England 'must make use of formative and summative assessment to secure pupils' progress.' Almost every teaching and learning task or activity presents an assessment opportunity. AFL can therefore be used on a regular basis to guide the learning process - to assess, to inform teaching, and to provide impactful feedback.

When implementing AFL, teachers need to consider where the learner is going in the lesson, course, or unit of work. Educators should aim to present intended outcomes and success criteria in a universal way, so that they are clear and transparent to all. They should be broken down into small steps to ensure they are as accessible as possible.

Teachers also need to consider where the learner is now, and how far they may be from reaching the intended outcomes. Educators can uncover this through snapshot assessment - which can be used to provide both students and teachers with a shared understanding of what they can already do and where there may be gaps in their learning.

Finally, teachers must think about how the learner can achieve their aims, and what steps they need to take to get there. Through this collection of evidence, educators can be responsive and reactive, adapting their high-quality teaching to best suit learners' needs.

This is the cycle of AFL. It ultimately helps us to understand if our teaching is leading to learning.

NFER

The Benefits of AFL

The many benefits of using effective assessment for learning include:

Improved relationships between teachers and students.

Improved attainment and achievement.

Improved confidence, resilience, and self-esteem amongst learners.

Improved classroom culture and teaching and learning environments.

Improved productivity and sense of motivation.

Improved metacognitive talk in the classroom.

What are the Different Types of Assessment for Learning?

When considering AFL, we need to make the distinction between formative and summative assessment.

Summative assessment is the assessment of learning. Teachers use summative assessment when they are assessing how far a child has come and what they have achieved. Examples include end of topic tests, GSCEs, and A Levels.

Formative assessment, or AFL, shapes learning. The most effective form of formative assessment takes place live, minute-by-minute, day-by-day. It is assessment that takes place while students are still engaged in the learning. Formative assessment allows students to identify and address any misconceptions before their summative assessments.

There are some forms of assessment which can be both formative and summative. If students completed a test paper in class to assess their knowledge at the end of a unit, but then mark it individually, or as a class or a group to receive immediate feedback that addresses misconceptions, then this would encompass both forms of assessment.

Educationalist and professor, Dr. Dylan Williams

What Williams is referring to here is the immediacy of formative assessment. Formative assessment informs learners how they can progress in their learning, and what steps they need to take to reach their destination. Anything more onerous than a direct, handwritten response may not impact the learning as effectively as if it were happening in the moment.

Why is the Role of the Teacher Important in AFL?

A teacher's role is to plan and manage the assessment. One aspect of their role is to make accurate and productive use of assessment. They then use their findings to inform next steps, both their own and the pupils'. This reactionary approach to teaching and learning keeps students at the heart of the process. Their findings provide teachers with the freedom to explore new strategies and concepts which will maximise students' learning.

In order for AFL to be successful, teachers must first create the right social, emotional, and classroom environments. Students need to feel safe, valued, and respected before they will feel empowered enough to engage in meaningful assessment opportunities. Teachers can do this by being positive, approachable, smiling, welcoming their students, adhering to the school's behaviour and teaching and learning policies, having high expectations, and understanding and empathising with their students.

Similarly, the way in which teachers communicate with students helps to lay a strong foundation for effective AFL. For example, if students are told that they are wrong or incorrect constantly, then their self-efficacy will be affected. Language like this, when used continually, will only cause students to disengage. Instead, teachers can address misconceptions in learning as opportunities for students to thrive and excel. This approach builds resilience in students as they believe they're not there yet, but they instead feel confident and informed enough to recognise and take their next steps.

To boost self-esteem and levels of motivation in the classroom, teachers can ask students to focus on their improvement rather than level of attainment.

How to Use Assessment for Learning Strategies in the Classroom

Let's look at three ways that you can use assessment for learning strategies in the classroom.

1 - Round the Room Questioning

Teachers can circulate around the room asking individual or group questions. Doing so helps them to immediately address any misconceptions or gaps in students' learning. Feedback provided should directly inform students what they need to do next to get to where they need to be. The general consensus may then inform the direction of the lesson or the unit of work. As well as welcoming any misconceptions which may arise, teachers can use the opportunity to praise students and offer hints, tips, and advice. Teachers can differentiate as they are circulating by asking different questions to different pupils.

2 - Whole-Class Questioning

Whole-class questioning is an excellent way for teachers to determine if all learners have understood the learning intentions. The best whole-class questions have both a correct and an incorrect answer, and thinking time should be given before students are expected to show their answer. Teachers can then easily scan the room to assess student understanding. If teachers receive a sea of correct answers, they know that the students are ready to progress in their learning or to deepen their understanding. If there are numerous misconceptions, then teachers may need to draw upon an element of high-quality teaching to help reframe the learning, such as chunking, scaffolding, or peer learning.

There are many ways that students can record their responses to whole-class questioning, including on mini whiteboards, post its, traffic light or ABCD cards, emoji cards, and thumbs up or down. Students can also physically move to a zone in the room to indicate their response. In online spaces, this can be done via online polls, shared documents, scribble boards, and via emojis.

3 - Peer and Self-Assessment

Peer learning and self-assessment can only be successful if everyone has a universal understanding of the learning outcome.

Self-assessment tools include sheets or grids where students can signpost where they believe they are in their learning; 'I can' statements which can be ticked and dated, and KWL grids which detail what the student knows, what they would like to know, and what they have learnt.

Peer learning and assessment relies on close interactions between two or more students, so it is even more successful if the social and emotional setting is right. Pupils take responsibility for their own learning and are given the tools to help them evaluate their success. It has been found to be a low-cost teaching and learning tool, which can be particularly beneficial to learners with SEND. The Education Endowment Foundation states that teachers must 'carefully structure tasks so that sessions focus on existing knowledge.'

An example of peer learning would be students completing a test paper together based on acquired knowledge. Completing and marking the paper together can stimulate high-level discussion and deep metacognitive thought, which can be engaging and motivational for students.

Dr. Dylan Williams uses the analogy of a pilot to summarise the importance of assessment for learning. Pilots plan a course but then take readings as they go. They then change course as conditions dictate. Assessment for learning helps us to steer our learners back on track, with the ultimate goal of helping them to be the best they can be, and to achieve the best possible outcomes. Where implementing a new assessment for learning strategy, remember to do so because it works for you and your students. In doing so, you'll be keeping the students and their needs at the heart of AFL in your classroom.
Further Resources:

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How to Use Assessment for Learning in Schools

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When used effectively, assessment for learning, or AFL, can be a highly impactful teaching tool, acting as a bridge between where a student currently is in their learning and achievement and where they want to get to.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNPFwCbA_mE

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1. Hannah Hawthorne (High Speed Training). (02/28/22). How to Use Assessment for Learning in Schools. Retrieved from https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/how-to-use-assessment-for-learning-in-schools/#:~:text=The%20many%20benefits%20of%20using%20effective%20assessment%20for,Improved%20classroom%20culture%20and%20teaching%20and%20learning%20environments.

2. Adam Steele (Cambridge University Press). (2019, July 2). What is Assessment for Learning and What Are the Benefits? Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/gb/education/blog/2019/07/02/what-assessment-learning-and-what-are-benefits/

3. Emma Johnson (Third Space Learning). (04/13/23). Assessment for Learning Examples. Retrieved from https://thirdspacelearning.com/blog/assessment-for-learning-examples/

4. JASON SKEET (Macmillan English). (08/20/20). Advancing Learning: What Is Assessment for Learning and Why Is It Important? Retrieved from https://www.macmillanenglish.com/us/blog-resources/articles/article/advancing-learning-what-is-assessment-for-learning-and-why-is-it-important

5. Chris Harrison (The Guardian). (2013, August 29). Assessment for Learning: Why, What and How? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/aug/29/assessment-for-learing-effective-classroom