BlackboardFormative assessments measure what students are learning.
- They measure students’ progress towards the course objectives as the course is happening.
- They allow students to refine and articulate their understanding of course objectives prior to summative assessments.
- They can focus on weekly goals, course objectives, or a combination thereof.
- Formative assessments benefit students and teachers alike.
Formative assessment results make both the students and instructors aware of their grasp of the course material. As a student, your results can inform you that you are on the path to success in the course. On the other hand, it could inform you that you need to take correct action in order to succeed. As an instructor, results provide checkpoints for the effectiveness of your own instruction. If many students fail to achieve satisfactory results on the first weeks’ formative assessments, you might reconsider your approach.
Important: Each Course Objective will ultimately be assessed by a summative assessment. In this sense, formative assessments are practice for the summative assessments