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"What strategy can double student learning gains? According to 250 empirical studies, the answer is formative assessment, defined by Bill Younglove as "the frequent, interactive checking of student progress and understanding in order to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately." A great short article to make one aware of the nature and value of formative assessment. Unlike summative assessment, which evaluates student learning according to a benchmark, formative assessment monitors student understanding so that kids are always aware of their academic strengths and learning gaps. Meanwhile, teachers can improve the effectiveness of their instruction, re-teaching if necessary. "When the cook tastes the soup," writes Robert E. Stake, "that's formative; when the guests taste the soup, that's summative." Formative assessment can be administered as an exam. But if the assessment is not a traditional quiz, it falls within the category of alternative assessment."

"Formative assessment is a planned process in which teachers or students use assessment-based evidence to adjust what they're currently doing. "In other words, if teachers or students are not leveraging results/data (from Socrative, Kahoot!, Plickers, etc.) to then differentiate instruction or learning, the app inspired dog and pony show does not qualify as a formative assessment. "Formative assessment is a process…not an event, questions on a piece of paper, or even an app. What makes an assessment formative depends on the context in which it is used." Based on a blog/book co-authored by Ross Cooper and Erin Murphy. You can sign up for more chapters free on the site. The articles represent a measured discussion of how apps and "cool tools" can be used successfully, without hype.

"What is qualitative formative assessment? Some call it anecdotal or informal assessment. However, such designations imply passivity -- as if certain things were captured accidentally. I believe the word "formative" should always be included with the word assessment because all feedback mechanisms should help shape and improve the person (or situation) being assessed. Wedging the word "qualitative" into my terminology differentiates it from the analytic or survey-based measures that some associate with the term formative assessment." Richards discusses using mobile tools for on the spot assessment in a variety of ways.

"Formative assessment: you've heard about it, you've read the research, and you've probably tried it out in your classroom. "Whether you're a formative assessment newbie or a veteran, these techniques can help spice up how you check for understanding in the classroom. They range from the classics, like exit slips, to ideas you may have never thought to try. "This post was inspired by Todd Finley's big, printable list, "53 Ways To Check For Understanding"." Interesting ideas for formative assessment that also involve the students in their own assessment.

Linked from the WebQuest page--by N. Pickett & B. Dodge. It has a short article on the why and how of rubric assessment, and also provides links to rubric-makers, a rubric template, and other online resources. "The rubric is one authentic assessment tool which is designed to simulate real life activity where students are engaged in solving real-life problems. It is a formative type of assessment because it becomes an ongoing part of the whole teaching and learning process. Students themselves are involved in the assessment process through both peer and self-assessment. As students become familiar with rubrics, they can assist in the rubric design process. This involvement empowers the students and as a result, their learning becomes more focused and self-directed."

"A super quick introduction into using the excellent Google Forms. You can quickly create surveys, questionnaires and even comprehension questions. You can then share the link or embed your questions. The data is automatically created into graphs and forms when the participants answer the quesitons. A really useful tool for any teacher or students that I have made massive use of. If you are looking to quickly collect together some data and then see all the results presented to you automatically, then this is great. Students can create surveys for other students in the class, teachers can collect feedback and even use Google Forms for formative assessment. if you are looking for more detailed videos on Google Forms then watch these other videos.

"Using Google Forms, teachers can create custom checklists that allow them to quickly record observations for all students on one form. With a place to record the date and objective being observed, the form is reusable. Google Forms also conveniently organizes all observations in one place. Teachers can collect data over as many days, and for as many objectives as they wish. Keep in mind that it's not necessary to record an observation for every student every time." Blog by Nick LaFave helps teachers use technology to become more efficient and effective at real-time assessment.

"Now that we are using the Internet in the classroom to support instruction, it is important the area of assessment be addressed. One usable method for teachers is to provide a rubric for student use and for both formative and summative assessment purposes. Another is to provide some type of graphic organizer. Below you will find a collection of assessment rubrics and graphic organizers that may be helpful to you as you design your own."

"A real-time student response system that allows for formative assessment with quick feedback. It's free, easy to use, and works on any internet-enabled device." Teachers can create assignments using four question types: MCQ; Short Answer (text responses); Show Your Work (images, text, or draw); or enter. longer questions by uploading Word,G-Docs, or PDF files. "The Live Results feature makes it easy to provide helpful feedback in real-time. Teachers can view all responses as they are being created. I find this type of assessment particularly helpful when using Show Your Work questions, as I can watch a student work their way through the problem. Teachers can also use the Live Results feature to quickly provide students with feedback through comments or by grading the assignment with a simple slider. Teachers can export results as a .csv file." Sounds incredibly usefull for helping students in real time. T/h N LaFave

"Series Five Essential Practices for the Teaching of ELLs - Elementary : Using Technology to Collect Classroom Data" - Video page includes discussion questions and teacher comments. Lesson objective is to collect and analyze formative assessment data.

This is a huge list of options for formative assessments with explanations of how to use them and why.

Give students a quickie assessment from other students. This could be adapted from paper to an actual Twitter account. Students have to count down to 140 characters, so editing skills are important. Students are thinking about what they've learned and trying to make it succinct. In this model, students share assessments in class as well. Teachers save time, as they don't have to pick out the essential meaning -- the students have to do it for them.

In depth discussion of formative assessment, including definitions, links to resources for various types of FA, and a short video to deepen your understanding of the process. From L. Ferlazzo.

Very good article on what different types of formative assessment are and why and how to use them. Part of the Scholastic Teaching Resources website, which contains many good tips and tools.

Very handy guide to tools for formative assessment -- get some variety in your testing.

Teacher laureate of the Teaching Channel explains how the Common Core emerged from the state governors' meeting to create common ideas about what should be taught and learned in schools. Explains the types of assessment that are encouraged, e.g., formative assessment, and how the Common Core is not completely the same as a uniform curriculum. A good introduction to the Core whether you are a U.S. teacher, or a teacher in another country interested in developing your own national standards.

Gives examples of very young learners using blogs as digital portfolios. Good discussion of formative and summative assessment as well.

This two-step exam process sounds like a great way to do online-exams: "The two-stage exam is a relatively simple way to introduce collaborative learning and formative assessment into an exam. Their use is rapidly growing in the physics department at the University of British Columbia, as both students and faculty find them rewarding. In a two-stage exam students first complete and turn in the exam individually, and then, working in small groups, answer the exam questions again. During the second stage, the room is filled with spirited and effective debate with nearly every student participating. This provides students with immediate targeted feedback supplied by discussions with their peers. Furthermore, we see indications that the use of this exam format not only ensures consistency across interactive course components, but it also positively impacts how students approach the other collaborative course components. This is accomplished without losing the summative assessment of individual performance that is the expectation of exams for most instructors. In this paper we describe how to implement two-stage exams and provide arguments why they should be part of physics courses that use interactive engagement and social/collaborative learning methods." The paper is from The Physics Teacher, AAPT.

"FormLimiter is a script that you can install in the Google Spreadsheet in which you are collecting responses from a Google Form. The script allows you to limit the number of responses to a form, limit the number of characters in a response, and set a time at which the form will automatically stop accepting responses. " This solves the problem of setting a cut-off time for quizzes. Includes a step-by-step illustrated tutorial.

This article by Larry Ferlazzo suggests a number of ways to engage students in formative assessments, with responses from teachers about what they have tried with their students.