FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTSTRATEGIES

CONTENTSFormative assessment strategies for remote teaching and learning . 3Formative assessment . 3Using the formative assessment strategies . 3Digital tools to support the implementation of formative assessment strategies . 3Understanding feedback . 5Formative assessment strategies . 7ABCD cards . 8Entry and exit slips . 9Gallery walk . 10Learning intentions and success criteria. 11Learning logs . 13Mini whiteboards . 14Observation . 15Peer feedback . 17Polya Questioning . 18Portfolios . 19Quizzes and polls . 20Rubrics. 21Strategic Questioning . 22Student Self-Assessment . 24What’s the question?. 26Other resources and tools to support assessment . 27Copyright . 282

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIESFOR REMOTE TEACHING AND LEARNINGThe material on this webpage is adapted from the State of New South Wales Department ofEducation, 2020.FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTFormative assessment is any assessment that is used to improve teaching and learning.Assessment is a three-step process by which evidence is collected, interpreted and used. Bestpractice formative assessment uses a rigorous approach in which each step of the assessmentprocess is carefully thought through. This helps to identify the actual learning level of each studentbased on evidence of what the student knows and can do, and to understand what each student isready to learn next.Key questions: Where is the student currently at in their learning? Where is the student learning going? What does the student need to do to get there? How will the teacher and student know that they have learned it?USING THE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIESBelow are formative assessment strategies that are suitable for remote learning to supportclassroom teachers across Foundation to Year 10. These formative assessment strategies can bemodified to suit different learning stages and curriculum areas and can be adapted for all schooltypes.Teachers may want to focus on introducing two to four of the strategies to support monitoringstudent progress and inform future teaching. Authentication and validation may be morechallenging during remote learning so a range of assessment modes (e.g. phone calls, email,WebEx chats, video conferences, Google slides, Microsoft forms) and strategies (see list below)may be employed to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their skills, knowledge andunderstanding.DIGITAL TOOLS TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FORMATIVEASSESSMENT STRATEGIESThe Department’s has a collaboration and learning delivery platforms to enable assessment duringremote and flexible learning, these include:Office 365 Forms PowerPoint OneNote Word Excel3

Google G Suite Google Classroom Drive Documents Forms Meet Hangouts Sits Sheets SlidesWebEx Chat function Poll function Video conferencing Share screen Shared documents and linksFor more information on these tools, please visit the Department’s Online tools for collaborationand learning.4

UNDERSTANDING FEEDBACKWhile feedback is a formative assessment strategy in and of itself, it is also an element of all otherformative assessment strategies. For this reason, information is provided on feedback first, withother formative strategies listed below feedback in alphabetical order.Teachers use a variety of methods to provide feedback to improve achievement in learningDeveloping effective feedbackFeedback causes thinking and provides guidance on how to improve. Effective feedback isdesigned to determine a learner's level of understanding and skill development in order to plan thenext steps towards achieving the learning intentions or goals. Feedback in the form of comments,rather than grades, focuses on the task and includes what the student needs to do to improve. Thishelps students to move forward to the next stage of their learning.Considerations How can I build in opportunities for the students to receive feedback about their progresstowards the learning intention or learning goal? What opportunities can I provide for students to evaluate their own progress and act onfeedback?ExamplesFeedback can be provided in a variety of ways and can provide opportunities for students to haveownership of their learning, for example: Provide feedback in the form of comments suggesting how to improve, rather than providingsolutions Have explicit reference to a rubric or criteria sheet or checklist so the student can see what theyachieved and how to improve. A matching game – teacher writes comments that correlate to a section of the student’s workand the student must match the comment with their work (e.g. ‘this paragraph should be first asit introduces the topic’ and the student needs to find the paragraph) Detective work – instead of marking an assessment right or wrong, make a comment and let thestudent do the work (e.g. there are five incorrect answers can you find them?)Teaching ideasOffline/limited technology teaching ideasWritten, audio or shared photos or videos to provide feedback can be still be used, but may needto be sent via email or shared verbally when conferencing over the phone.Online teaching ideasWritten feedback: This can be sent to students via email or using a digital tool. For example,teachers can use the ‘comments’ and ‘track changes’ functions on Microsoft Word to providewritten feedback on a student’s piece of work.Comments can be made in Google Documents, Google Forms, and Google Slides or MicrosoftForms.Sharing photos and videos of work: Students can share photos or videos of their work withteachers or peers and ask for feedback via email or digital tool.Audio feedback: Teachers and students can use the ‘voice recorder’ on their device. The file canthen embedded into a document, sent via email or shared on a digital platforms. Teachers and5

students might also consider directly recording audio in PowerPoint (Insert-- Audio-- RecordAudio).Support resourcesFeedback in Remote Learning, Kalianna School Bendigo – Department of Education and TrainingVictoria (DET VIC)A video of Kalianna School in Bendigo sharing how they use feedback during remote learningHigh Impact Teaching Strategies – DET VICGuidance on using the High Impact Teaching Strategies, including feedbackFeedback – DET VICDET guidance on effective feedbackStars and Stairs Template Form by Jan ChappuisA Stars and Stairs template teachers can use to provide feedback to primary students. The starsindicate what the student is doing well and the stair indicates steps the student needs to improve.Checklist Guide – Digital Technologies HubA guide on how to develop and implement checklists to support assessment.6

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIESABCD cardsStudents answer multiple choice questions by choosing A, B, C or DEntry and exit slipsStudents respond to questions or prompts at the beginning or end of learningGallery walkStudents respond to prompts and questions on images and displays to engage in the feedbackand reflection processLearning intentions and success criteriaTeachers and students use explicit learning goals and criteria to assess against expected learningLearning logsStudents record observations and reflect on their learningMini whiteboardsA simple device for students to show working out, write responses and/or ask questionsObservationTeachers observe and record evidence of student learning against specific learning intention,success criteria and/or learning goalPeer feedbackStudents use criteria or a rubric to review peer’s workPolya questioningStudents demonstrate their understanding through a questioning method incorporating a four-stepproblem-solving techniquePortfoliosStudents collate work, such as, files, images, voice recordings, reflections, to demonstrate theirlearning progress over timeQuizzes and pollsStudents attempt questions that test knowledge about a topic and provide instant feedbackRubricsTeachers and students use criteria along a continuum of proficiency to communicate and evaluatestudent learningStrategic questioning and statementsA deliberate way for the teacher to find out what students know, understand and are able to doStudent self-assessmentStudent self-monitoring, self-assessment and self-evaluation, which can help students takeownership of their learningWhat’s the question?Students formulate questions based on key terms and content.7

ABCD CARDSABCD cards can be established as a way for students to give quick, silent, individual responses toa multiple-choice question posed during a learning session. The question(s) can be posedspontaneously, or they can be planned as part of a session, such as a mid-lesson check onstudent comprehension. Responses can be collated and used as evidence.Teaching ideasOffline/limited technology options Students answer ABCD on a paper copy of the questions. Students respond to questions using ABCD during a check-ins/phone call or via email.Online options In the simplest form, the teacher or student poses a question and students respond bydisplaying A, B, C or D via one of the online tools. Microsoft 365 – plugins can be installed that add live polling to both Microsoft PowerPoint andGoogle Slides presentations. G Suite for Education – teachers can use a form to collect data, use a spreadsheet to collatethe data, and then make a live chart that can be inserted into a presentation. The chart updatesas students respond to the question. WebEx – students can respond to question via the chat or poll function in WebEx or by holdingup their ABCD card or post-it notes during a video conference.Support resourcesMicrosoft Office Forms – ABCD Questions – Template - Department of Education New SouthWales (DoE NSW)An ABCD question template in Microsoft Forms that can be modifiedGuide to using ABCD cards (based on Prather 2011)A checklist for using ABCD cards for formative assessment8

ENTRY AND EXIT SLIPSStudents respond to a question(s) or prompt(s) at the beginning and/or conclusion of learning.Entry slips provide opportunity for students to activate prior knowledge at the beginning of learning.Exit slips help students reflect on what they have learned, review their performance and expresswhat or how they are thinking about the new information. Entry and exit slips or tickets assistteachers to analyse the impact of individual or whole cohort learning.Teaching ideasOffline/limited technology options Students can use a printed paper ticket such as the Microsoft Word exit ticket template, whichthe teacher collects and then collates results. Students can submit the slip as an attachment to an email or respond verbally via phone call orpre-recording.Online options Create entry and exit slips using Google or Microsoft Forms and share with students throughemail or via Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams. These platforms allow teachers to accessthe data collected easily and generate useful analytics. Students can complete the slips using the chat function or polling options in video conferencingplatform such as WebEx or using a digital tool option. A written, verbal or even emoji as a rating can be applied to a learning activity or task.Support resourcesMicrosoft Word Exit Ticket Template - Department of Education New South WalesAn exit ticket template in Microsoft Word that can be modified.How and when to use an exit slips by Niels VanspauwenA comprehensive explanation of how and when to use exit slips. Includes an informative video andexamples of exit ticket prompts.Digital exit tickets by Cristina ConciatoriSummary of four reliable electronic digital exit tickets for teachers.Assessment in the Music Room by Victoria BolerFive formative assessment strategies provided for Music, including exit tickets, suitable for earlyyears and primary schooling.Exit Slips by Reading RocketsExample exit slips questions and prompts for reading and viewing with written, oral or picture/emojioptions9