Question

The purpose of Formative Assessment is NOT to

• A. Know what the student have learnt
• B. Inform improvement in students, learning
• C. Make comparison between students
• D. Ascertain the fulfillment of learning outcomes

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Make comparison between students

Understanding Formative Assessment

• Formative Assessment, often referred to as 'Assessment for Learning', is a continuous, ongoing process aimed at monitoring student learning during instruction.
• Its primary purpose is to provide immediate feedback to both students and teachers, enabling adjustments to teaching and learning strategies.

Key Characteristics and Purposes of Formative Assessment:

• Guiding Instruction: It helps teachers understand what students have learned and what concepts still need reinforcement or re-teaching.
• Identifying Learning Gaps: By revealing specific areas where students struggle, it allows for targeted interventions and support.
• Promoting Student Engagement: It encourages students to take ownership of their learning by providing timely feedback on their progress and understanding.
• Enhancing Learning: The core objective is to improve student learning outcomes by providing actionable feedback rather than simply assigning grades.
• Individualized Focus: Formative assessment focuses on the individual student's progress and understanding, tailoring instruction to their specific needs.

Why Comparing Students is NOT its Purpose:

• The main distinction is that formative assessment is diagnostic and developmental, not evaluative or comparative.
• Its goal is to foster individual growth and mastery, not to rank or categorize students against each other.
• Comparing students is typically the role of Summative Assessment ('Assessment of Learning'), which occurs at the end of a unit or course to evaluate overall achievement.
• Using formative assessment for comparison can create an unhealthy competitive environment, reduce student motivation, and undermine its true purpose of supporting learning.

Examples of Formative Assessment Tools:

• Exit Tickets/Slips: Quick questions at the end of a lesson to gauge understanding.
• Low-Stakes Quizzes: Short, ungraded quizzes to check comprehension.
• Concept Maps: Visual representations to show connections between ideas.
• Peer and Self-Assessment: Students evaluating their own or peers' work against criteria.
• Thumbs Up/Down: A quick check for whole-class understanding.
• Observation: Teachers observing students during activities to assess engagement and understanding.

Key Thinkers:

• The concept of formative assessment was notably popularized by researchers Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam in their 1998 research review, 'Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment'.