Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

CTE Newsletter - Jan/Feb 2004 (Vol 16, No 3)

Formative Assessment Toolbox

Mid-semester is a good time for instructors to ask, "How are we doing?" Make formative assessments now to learn how well students learned what you have taught. Once you have the results of a formative assessment, you have the power to make course modifications and enhancements that support high-quality learning and benefit the current students in the class.

Doing formative assessment can be simple. Here are some formative assessment methods you may want to try this semester:

Extra Credit Questions

Use an extra credit question on an exam to ask students what should be done differently in the course. Students earn points by offering a sincere answer to the question.

Free Write

Give students an in-class free-writing assignment in which they answer one short question such as, "What aspects of this course do you like best?" "What things could I do differently to better facilitate your learning?" "List the pluses and wishes that you have for this course."

Peer Observation

Invite a colleague into your course to observe your teaching and provide constructive feedback. Consider a faculty member who is not an expert in your subject to determine whether the instruction level is appropriate for novices. You may also request peer observation from the CTE, as this service is now available on a limited first come, first serve basis.

Open Class Discussion

In an open class discussion format, ask students to provide constructive suggestions for the class. You can either address issues as students raise them or simply state that comments will be taken into account as you develop lessons for the remainder of the semester.

Have We Accomplished Our Objective?

Ask students to reflect on whether the course objectives have been met. This demands, of course, that the students be aware of the objectives the instructor has in mind. This method not only provides feedback to the instructor about whether the stated goals have been achieved, but also helps the class review the material that has been presented.

Targeted Interviews

Conduct in-depth interviews with a handful of selected students to judge the extent of student understanding of the course material. Particularly helpful with scientific or technical material, try asking the student to perform a task or solve a problem using a concept presented in class.

Checklist of Course
Lesson Strategies

Distribute the lesson descriptions for the lessons you have already presented to the class. Ask students to indicate which lessons were effective and which were not, and provide the reasons why. Use the information to modify the course for next semester.

The use of any of the preceding high-quality formative assessments tools can help you make course adjustments and can have a powerful effect on student learning. Before midterm, consider trying at least one method and put in place any changes to support the best possible learning experience for your students.