1 ES621: Formative Assessment Strategies Zoe Archer 219063 Eastern College Australia ES621 – Secondary Specialisation 2 – Assessment and Reporting Jacqueline Stok March 20, 2021 2 Three Formative Assessment Strategies Formative Assessment Strategy 1: Give one, Get one, Trade! * * Adapted from 20 Formative Assessment Strategies That Work, (Maxlow & Sanzo, 2017, p. 97-103). Learning Goals for Chosen Unit: - To understand the effect of literary devices in a range of expository texts. - Be able to implement the full range of literary devices in your own expository text to persuade your audience. Instructions: Students are each given a notecard. On one side of the card they are to provide an example of a chosen literary device (e.g. metaphor, hyperbole, synecdoche etc.). Next they write the answer and a hint on the back. The teacher then plays music to signal for the students to start walking around the classroom with their card. When the music stops, they must find the closest person to them and pair up. One person will go first to read their example out and the other has to name the device. If they cannot name it, the first person offers them the hint. If they still cannot name the literary device, the first person gives them the answer and then offers a brief explanation of how their example demonstrated their device. Then the second person reads their card and they go through the same process again. At the end, they trade cards, so they end up with the other person’s example. The music starts again, and the cycle begins all over. However, this time when they stop and find a pair, they will now be testing their new partner on their first partner’s card – and so on and so forth as time permits/at teacher’s discretion. At the end the teacher can collect everyone’s card to review student progress. 3 Formative Assessment Strategy 2: And Scene! * *Adapted from 20 Formative Assessment Strategies That Work, (Maxlow & Sanzo, 2017, p. 45-53). Learning Goals for Chosen Unit: - To understand, analyse, and critically interpret the major themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. - Respond to a prompt using evidence from the novel to develop a cohesive, articulate, and thought-provoking argument. - To make meaningful connections between the issues explored in To Kill a Mockingbird and one’s own life. Instructions: The teacher divides students into groups of 3 or 4. According to the number of groups, the teacher will then choose a relative number of “scenes” (or pivotal plot points) from the text. Each group is given a scene (e.g. “Jem and Scout reading to Mrs Dubose”) and has 10-15 minutes to come up with a skit that represents that part of the plot. All students in the group must have an active role in presenting the scene. Once the time is up, each group takes a turn at acting out their scene whilst the other groups watch and must try and guess what part of the book it is. When the performance is over the group announces “…and scene!”. Then, the groups in the audience, as well as the teacher, provide cool and warm feedback. The groups cycle through until every group has performed their scene. 4 Formative Assessment Strategy 3: 3x Summarisation* *Adapted from 20 Formative Assessment Examples to Try, (Guido, 2018). Learning Goals for Chosen Unit: Same as above (see learning goals for assessment Strategy 2). Instructions: Students are instructed to write 3 responses to a prompt pertaining to the text – one 75-100 words in length, another 30-50 words in length, and another 10-15 words in length. In getting students to write at varying lengths, they will be required to focus on different details and refine their response at each level. Prompts will be provided at random to ensure fairness across students and to test for breadth of understanding. The teacher collects all the students’ pieces at the end and then offers some brief, but directive feedback to the student regarding where they are aligned with the learning goals and what they can change to achieve better alignment with the learning goals. 5 Justification of Strategies The above activities offer three different examples of the way formative assessment might be applied in the English classroom. In order to truly understand their function as formative assessments, it is important to first consider what formative assessment is, and what formative assessment is for. Tomlinson (2014), describes formative assessment as “…an ongoing exchange between a teacher and his or her students designed to help students grow as vigorously as possible and to help teachers contribute to that growth as fully as possible” p. 11). This is a helpful framework as it not only outlines one way of conceptualising formative assessment (“an ongoing exchange”) but it also highlights the purpose of it – to help students grow and to help teachers contribute to this growth. Formative assessment does this by providing direct insight into student understanding. This then informs both parties (teacher and student) of “near-term adjustments” they may need to make so that the progression of learning can continue steadily towards the learning goals (2014, p. 11). Put succinctly, formative assessment “moves students forward” (Hanscamp et al., 2019, p. 110). With this in mind, it will be beneficial to take a look at the way these three assessment strategies demonstrate this in practice. All three strategies offer the teacher an indication as to the students’ content knowledge. In strategy 1, students not only have to name and describe their own device, but also guess a peer’s example. This will highlight whether or not inconsistencies exist in their knowledge. For example, a student might know their own device and its application inside out but may not even be able to name the device that their partner describes. Similarly, the teacher, in monitoring the whole class as they participate in the activity, will likely be able to pick up on patterns that occur within the students’ understanding. Tomlinson (2014, p. 14) notes that once certain patterns in student learning have been identified, instruction can be planned and implemented accordingly, thereby moving students along the learning continuum. For example, if there is a decided 6 commonality amongst the examples that each student chooses then the teacher will naturally readdress certain literary devices to expand the dimensions of the students’ knowledge, moving them closer to the learning goals. In Strategy 2 knowledge of the plot is assessed by allocating scenes at random. The level of detail the group is able to provide when performing the scene will indicate their knowledge of the text. Similarly, the audience’s ability to guess the scene correctly will also provide evidence of understanding or lack thereof. In this instance, knowing the plot is one of the first steps on the learning continuum. Thus, it is vital that students have this foundation laid before they can move forward toward the ultimate aims of the unit (i.e. critical interpretation). If the task reveals that a basic understanding has not yet been attained by everybody, the teacher can then account for this in subsequent lessons. In strategy 3, the teacher is again provided with an opportunity to evaluate progress against the learning goals (in particular the second goal), and the data supplied will again help them to make decisions about what to plan for next. For example, if many students struggle to respond to the prompts at all, then more work will need to be done to ready them for summative assessment. Or, if there are select students who can easily write a paragraph response but have trouble condensing their ideas, the teacher may then decide to focus in on writing thesis statements and topic sentences with a particular group. The key with all these tasks is that they supply evidence of the students’ progress. This evidence is then analysed by the teacher and used to make further choices about what needs to be taught. As Tomlinson (2014) puts it, “Formative assessment is…the bridge or causeway between today’s lesson and tomorrow’s” (p.11). Every time data regarding student progress is collected and used by the teacher to modify their instruction, students are moved forward in their learning (Linn & Miller, 2005, p. 36). 7 However, whilst “moving students forward” might be the purpose of formative assessment, this cannot take place unless feedback is a central part of the assessment. This ought to consist of both peer-feedback and teacher feedback. As Leahy et al. (2005) notes, formative assessment should activate students as instructional resources for one another. Peer-feedback is a highly beneficial practice to encourage in the classroom as it reinforces content for both the giver and the receiver, and peers can often convey an idea to other students more effectively that the teacher can. Assessment strategies 1 and 2 provide examples of the way that peer-feedback can be seamlessly woven into a formative assessment task. In strategy 1, if the student’s partner cannot name the literary device, then they are to go ahead and explain the answer to their partner. One student provides feedback to another in a way that helps them both to learn. Strategy 2, in calling for the knowledge of the whole group to be utilised, allows for students to address each other’s knowledge gaps. For example, one student may not be entirely familiar with the allocated scene, but the other students can help to catch them up to speed. Additionally, different students will likely contribute different details, thereby creating a fuller picture of the scene. In this way, students learn to see each other as “valuable learning resource[s],” (Baker et al., 2017, p. 137). Finally, formative assessment should always involve the teacher’s provision of feedback as well. As Hanscamp et al. (2019) suggests, students will benefit little from formative assessment unless feedback is supplied. Additionally, the feedback given should be “timely, personalised, specific and progress-minded” (p. 111). This is evident in Strategy 2 wherein the teacher gives personalised feedback immediately after each performance indicating what the group did well, and where they might still need some improvement. Strategy 3 is another example. Provided with a work sample from each student, the teacher then offers some directive remarks to guide the student as they work toward the learning goals of the unit. 8 In conclusion, these three activities provide examples demonstrating both the nature and purpose of formative assessment. Each strategy provides the teacher with telling information about the progression of their class which in turn informs ensuing pedagogical decisions; this functions as the primary vehicle by which student learning is moved forward. Additionally, through the incorporation of both peer and teacher-student feedback, students are better equipped to take responsibility for their own learning and strive for success. 9 References Baker, T., Evers, G., & Brock, R. (2017). Targeted teaching: Strategies for secondary teaching. Sage Publications Inc. Guido, M. (2018). 20 formative assessment examples to try. Prodigy. https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/formative-assessment-examples/ Hanscamp, M., Clarke, D., Mustin, A., & Parker, C. (2019). Transformation by design: Crafting formational learning. Christian Education National. Leahy, S., Lyon, C., Thompson, M., & Wiliam, D. (2005). Classroom assessment: Minute by minute, day by day. Educational Leadership, 63(3), 19-24. Linn, R., & Miller, M. (2005). Measurement and assessment in teaching. Pearson. Maxlow, K. W., & Sanzo, K. (2018). 20 formative assessment strategies that work: a guide across content and grade levels. Routledge. Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The bridge between today’s lesson and tomorrow’s. Educational Leadership, 71(6), 10-14.
