Ten recommendations for teachers on effectively using formative assessment in the classroom¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The chapter closes with "ten recommendations for teachers about how to effectively use formative assessment in the classroom." They cover employing assessments built on a cognitive-developmental research foundation, engaging students in cognitively demanding tasks, informing students of learning goals, administering assessments frequently and informally, giving feedback as "constructive comments, not grades," supporting self- and peer assessment, using evidence from formal and informal FAs for diagnosis, preplanning probing questions and alternative instructional paths, leveraging prior knowledge, and collaborating regularly with other teachers.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Teachers need professional development support to become comfortable and skilled using formative assessment

Constraints¶

• The recommendations target classroom teachers implementing formative assessment, not automated systems

Target Learners¶

• Classroom teachers across K-12 settings

Target Learning Goals¶

• Instructional adjustment and student learning support through formative assessment practices

Claims¶

• In a controlled evaluation with 268 ninth-grade students, embedding elaborated feedback in the ACED system did not impair assessment quality and produced significantly greater learning than a control group [+W]
• Regular classroom formative assessment can raise student achievement by 0.4–0.7 standard deviations, per studies the chapter cites [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Use open-ended reflection questions as self-assessment in place of end-of-unit tests
• Formative Feedback

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Shute, V. J., & Kim, Y. J. (2013). Formative and stealth assessment. In J.M. Spector et al. (eds.), Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_25