Simple Formative Assessment Techniques for Teachers

Analyst at the A. A. Pinsky Center for General and Supplementary Education, visiting lecturer at the National Research University Higher School of Economics and author of the podcast "Change for the Teacher", has significant experience in the field of education. His work is aimed at developing educational initiatives and improving the quality of teaching. The "Change for a Teacher" podcast offers listeners current topics and new approaches in the educational process, making it a valuable resource for educators and anyone interested in modern trends in teaching.

In this article, you will become familiar with the main aspects of the topic, as well as receive useful recommendations and tips. We will cover key points that will help you better understand the material and apply it in practice. Read on to learn more and expand your knowledge.

how "quick" tools can help with formative assessment;
about the "3-2-1", "One-Minute Question", "Three-Minute Pause", and "Question Parking" techniques;
what to consider for these tools to work.

Introducing formative assessment into the educational process may seem like a daunting task, but there are many techniques and methods that do not require significant preparation. Let's look at several effective methods that can be easily integrated into the educational process. These strategies will help improve student understanding and encourage active student engagement in learning activities. Formative assessment not only assesses students' knowledge but also provides feedback, significantly improving the quality of learning.

What are these techniques and how are they useful?

The techniques and methods discussed here focus on reflection—a process in which students evaluate their knowledge, analyze their feelings during learning, and identify areas for improvement. This allows them not only to recognize their own achievements but also to determine what skills and knowledge they need to develop further for successful learning. Reflection helps deepen understanding of the material and increase students' motivation to learn.

For teachers and educators, these resources significantly improve the learning process. They provide access to relevant educational materials, which contributes to the deepening of knowledge. In addition, tools for planning and organizing the learning process allow for more effective time and resource management. The use of technology in teaching helps tailor materials to the individual needs of students, which increases engagement and motivation. Resources also offer opportunities for professional development, allowing educators to share experiences and discover new approaches to teaching.

Assess understanding of what has been learned "here and now";
See emerging gaps in real time;
Quickly adjust the program.

In this article, we will look at four effective techniques that will help you achieve your goals. Each technique has its own characteristics and advantages that can be useful in different situations. We will analyze each of them in detail so that you can choose the most suitable one for yourself.

This technique is used in the middle of the lesson to allow students to temporarily pause their learning, reflect on the material learned, ask questions, or connect what they have just learned with their own experiences. This promotes better understanding and knowledge retention.

During pauses, encourage participants to reflect using the following formulations:

"I changed my attitude toward..."
"I was surprised that..."
"It was a revelation to me that..."

This technique is used at the end of the lesson. Students are asked to write down their thoughts and impressions about the material covered. This not only helps consolidate the knowledge gained but also develops reflective skills. This approach promotes a deeper understanding of the topic and helps identify areas requiring additional attention. Through this practice, students can better recognize what they have learned and identify what they need to learn further.

three facts they learned in class;
two facts they found most interesting;
one question they had or conclusion they reached.

The wording and questions can vary depending on your goals and the topic you are studying. It is important to adapt them to specific tasks to achieve the best results.

Asking questions like these allows you to effectively assess what students have learned in the lesson. This also helps to identify key points that they may not have remembered, which makes it possible to focus on these aspects in further training.

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Alternating topics studied contributes to a deeper assimilation of the material. This teaching method is based on the concept that switching between different topics or subjects helps activate memory and improves long-term retention. When students are exposed to a variety of aspects of the material, they develop more flexible thinking skills and better connect new information with existing knowledge. This approach avoids monotony in learning and maintains students' attention, which also positively impacts their motivation. Using topic rotation can significantly improve the effectiveness of the learning process, improving both comprehension and retention of information.

This method is designed to conclude a lesson. Ask students to answer a one-minute question on the material they have just covered. This will help reinforce the knowledge and assess their level of understanding of the topic. This approach encourages students to actively participate in the learning process and allows the teacher to receive feedback on their understanding of the material.

What connection did you notice between the lesson topic today and yesterday?
What did you remember best from the lesson?
What questions about the lesson topic did you not receive an answer to today?
Do you agree or disagree with this or that statement and why (for example, with the statement: "It is not necessary to study percentage calculation")?

Answers to these questions can be provided anonymously, which will help to objectively assess the situation in the class. It is also possible to request signatures on the answers, which will make it possible to adjust the work later, for example, by combining students who have learned the material better with those who are experiencing difficulties. This approach promotes more effective learning and an overall increase in the level of understanding of the topic among students.

To implement this technique, it is necessary to allocate a small space where students can leave their questions, comments, and requests for help. This space can be represented by a piece of Whatman paper with colorful sticky notes, or a small box for paper notes. Furthermore, such a space can be created online using interactive whiteboards, making the process more modern and accessible to all participants. This approach promotes active student engagement and improves interaction in the educational process.

What to Consider When Using These Techniques and Methods

There are several key principles to keep in mind.

Carefully consider the wording of your questions and what you are asking of your students. Imagine what the answers might be, and think about how to use this information – after all, it is not needed for its own sake, but for planning next steps. Mindfulness is very important here. It is better not to ask questions like, "Did you like the lesson?" – this information is unlikely to be useful, and it is difficult to evaluate its veracity.
When using such techniques with children, do not expect quick results. They may not give meaningful, detailed answers at first. Experience shows that at first they will have many questions and misunderstandings – what should be written on this line or on that one. This is normal; after a while, the task will take them no more than five minutes.
Prepare your students for the task in advance so that everyone understands what will be required of them at the end of the lesson. That is, warn them at the beginning of the lesson that at the end you will ask them to answer such-and-such questions.

Simple Formative Assessment Techniques for Teachers

Contents:

What are these techniques and how are they useful?

What to Consider When Using These Techniques and Methods