Formative assessments encompass a broad range of low-stakes activities aimed at improving student learning outcomes. In contrast to summative assessments, which are intended to measure products of student learning, formative assessments are oriented towards the learning process itself (Black & Wiliam, 1998). They can provide students with opportunities to evaluate their developing understanding of key concepts, practice new skills, and prepare for summative assessments (McLaughlin & Yan, 2017; Ogange et al., 2018). They can also provide instructors with valuable data on student progress (Bell & Cowie, 2001; McLaughlin & Yan, 2017). The results of formative assessments can indicate where individual students are struggling or excelling, allowing instructors to provide targeted feedback and tailor their instructional delivery accordingly.
When you are designing your online course, consider the following strategies for maximizing the utility of formative assessments.
Explore formatting options to find the best fit(s) for your course. Effective formative assessments can take a range of forms. They can be comprised of multiple-choice or short-answer questions, discussion or reflection prompts, and smaller-scale versions of assignments or activities for students to attempt prior to completing the larger-scale versions (Dixson & Worrell, 2016; McLaughlin & Yan, 2017). When planning your course, ask yourself what types of formative assessments will be most helpful for students wanting to meet learning objectives and succeed on summative assessments.
Identify optimal placements within your course structure. To achieve the desired outcomes, you will want to carefully consider the placement of formative assessments within your course. Formative assessments are most useful to students when they are presented after the corresponding learning content (e.g., assigned readings and lectures) and far enough in advance of related summative assessments to allow you to gain insight into student progress and provide targeted feedback and support (Dixson & Worrell, 2016; Panadero et al., 2018). To this end, you may want to provide guiding language for students on the recommended timing for approaching content, formative assessments, and summative assessments. Strategically timed reminders can support optimal patterns of student engagement with course materials.
Provide timely, supportive feedback on student performance. Online courses afford multiple options for feedback. For some types of assessments, feedback can be automated such that students can review answers, explanations, or other information immediately after submission (McLaughlin & Yan, 2017). Prompt access to feedback enabled by online assessment formats has been shown to enhance student motivation and commitment (Chung et al., 2006). For assessments that require feedback to be generated as the course progresses (e.g., short essays), consider options for timely communication with students. In some cases, you might be able to share insights and recommendations at the whole-class (rather than the individual) level. When individualized feedback is necessary or beneficial, you might consider using standardized criteria to structure written comments. Delivery format aside, timely feedback that indicates how students can boost their performance on subsequent assessments will yield the greatest value (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Panadero et al., 2018).
Design with diversity in mind. Consider how your formative assessments might be customized to serve learners with different levels of background knowledge and experience. For example, you might create sets of practice problems spanning a range of difficulty levels (Costa et al., 2010). Easier items could serve to level the playing field for more novice students, while simultaneously functioning as a beneficial review for students with greater expertise.
References
Bell, B., & Cowie, B. (2001). The characteristics of formative assessment in science education. Science Education, 85(5), 536–553.
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Granada Learning.
Chung, G., Shel, T., & Kaiser, W. (2006). An exploratory study of a novel online formative assessment and instructional tool to promote students’ circuit problem solving. The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 5(6), 1–27.
Costa, D. S. J., Mullan, B. A., Kothe, E. J., & Butow, P. (2010). A web-based formative assessment tool for masters students: A pilot study. Computers & Education, 54(4), 1248–1253.
Dixson, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and summative assessment in the classroom. Theory Into Practice, 55(2), 153–159.
McLaughlin, T., & Yan, Z. (2017). Diverse delivery methods and strong psychological benefits: A review of online formative assessment. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(6), 562–574.
Ogange, B. O., Agak, J. O., Okelo, K. O., & Kiprotich, P. (2018). Student perceptions of the effectiveness of formative assessment in an online learning environment. Open Praxis, 10(1), 29–39.
Panadero, E., Broadbent, J., Boud, D., & Lodge, J. M. (2018). Using formative assessment to influence self- and co-regulated learning: The role of evaluative judgement. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 34(1), 535–557.