Formative assessment is a range of formal and informal assessment procedures conducted by teachers during the learning process in order to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment. It is a continuous, low- or no-stakes, responsive process comprised of practices, methods, and tools for gathering evidence of student learning. The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning.
Formative assessments are generally low stakes, meaning they have low or no point value. They are integrated into the teaching and learning process and occur throughout a class or course. Examples of formative assessments include asking students to draw a concept map in class to represent their understanding of a topic, submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture, or turn in a research proposal for early feedback.
The general goal of formative assessment is to collect detailed information that can be used to improve instruction and student learning while it’s happening. It is valuable for day-to-day teaching when used to adapt instructional methods to meet students needs and for monitoring student progress toward learning goals. Further, it helps students monitor their own progress as they get feedback from the teacher and/or peers, allowing the opportunity to revise and refine their thinking.
