Formative assessment examples and ideas

In Socratic seminars, students work in self-facilitated groups to understand a text.

This activity is perfect for formative assessment as it helps students thinks more deeply and critically about the content. Students must consider and articulate their understanding of the topic in a structured discussion, which also helps develop their communication skills.

Tips for running a Socratic Seminar

1. Choose the text: It's best to run Socratic seminars with content that is open to interpretation, rather than a text with a simple, straightforward interpretation. This will ensure meaningful dialogue.

2. Prepare guiding questions: Prepare a few questions that are aligned with the learning objectives. You want to guide your students into a meaningful discussion that sparks critical thinking to help you get a gauge of how they have understood and interpreted the content.

3. Set out the expectations: Make it clear that the aim of the activity is to be respectful and constructive group member. Students should be encouraged to build on each others' ideas and always use evidence, rather than their opinions, to support their ideas.

This activity provides mutual benefit to both teacher and student.

Students get to discuss and refine their thinking by collaborating with a partner, helping support their communication skills and build confidence sharing their ideas.

Teachers can quickly gauge student comprehension and then provide feedback on the fly, making it a great addition to your formative assessment toolbox.

How it works

1. Share the prompt: Share a question related to the topic with your students
2. Give 2 minutes for individual thinking: Students should first consider their response to the question and have an idea for how they would answer it
3. Give 5-10 minutes for discussion: Students should then turn to their partner and discuss their thoughts. This gives students an opportunity to consider different viewpoints and find areas of alignment.
4. Have students share with the class: This last step enables students to hear diverse viewpoints from across the classroom while giving you insight into how the students have comprehended the content.

Your students are probably already familiar with the classic game often used as an icebreaker.

To give this game a formative assessment twist, have students write down two true things about the topic, and one fake statement.

Students can work in pairs or larger groups to have their peers try and work out the lie.

💡 Bonus: This game is especially useful for catching up students who have missed a past lesson. Have one student volunteer to list the 3 statements and get the absent student to try their best to figure out the lie. It's a fun way to fill them in on missed content, while giving the rest of the class the opportunity to reflect on their previous learning.

Asking students to write about what they've learned and prompt them to think about the content in new ways is a great way to encourage self-assessment while giving you regular feedback on where the learning needs to go next.

Simply ask a reflection question, such as:

• What questions do you still have about the topic we covered today? How do you plan to find the answers?
• Describe a challenge you faced during today's lesson and how you overcame it or plan to overcome it.
• What is one new concept you learned today, and how does it relate to what you already know?
• How has today's lesson changed or reinforced your understanding of this topic?

You can review their responses as part of your formative assessment practice. The journal answers should give teachers an idea of where the learning gaps are in order to personalise your instruction, tailoring future activities to what you know your students need.

💡 Bonus: You can use Ziplet as a free daily journal tool. Create your account today.

Exit tickets are a fast and easy way to conduct formative assessment.

3-2-1 exit tickets are ideal here: at the end of each lesson, ask students to list:

• 3 things they learned
• 2 things they found confusing
• 1 question they still have

As a teacher, you'll get immediate feedback on their understanding at the end of each lesson.

Incorporating exit tickets as part of your teaching routine will also help students think ahead throughout the lesson. If they know they are going to be asked to provide evidence of what they've learned, as well as what is confusing them, they will get into a habit of self-assessment throughout each lesson.

At the start of every lesson, begin with a bellringer question related to the topic.

Bellringers are great not only as a method of ongoing formative assessment, but they also help settle students into the lesson and set the tone for the day.

You'll get immediate feedback on your students' prior knowledge before jumping into the content, giving you quick insight into how you may need to tailor your instruction to address any misconceptions.

Bellringers are also great for sparking curiosity and linking a new topic to prior content, leading to a more cohesive learning experience.

Quizzes provide quick insight into student understanding. They're the perfect way for teachers to identify areas of confusion, using the insights to guide future lesson planning.

Regularly quizzing your students will keep them engaged and motivated, and the constant reinforcement of learning will help with long term retention.

Simple true/false, short answer, and multiple-choice quizzes offer a quick way for you to check in with how students are progressing.

You may use the classic Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down technique to quickly poll students on who is following along and who is confused.

The problem with this method is that you're relying on students to be vulnerable in front of their peers, which is not always an easy ask.

Instead, use a digital student check-in tool to do a virtual Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down. Ask a question such as How well did you understand today's lesson? and have students rate their understanding on a scale of 1-7, or with an emoji set.

You'll be much more likely to get honest answers so you actually know who's struggling and who's thriving.

💡 Bonus: Ziplet's free check-in tool is the perfect way to capture an honest picture of who's struggling. Create your account today.