Formative Assessment

The backward design template seemed to convey much more value when I was actually trying to plan out a unit as opposed to just reading about how to plan a unit. When I had first read Chapter 1 of Wiggins and McTighe, I did recognized that this could be a useful tool to a future, up-and-coming instructor like me. I did not, however, see it as something that could drastically transform how a student would learn a concept. I think that it could be especially helpful when trying to cover the topic of formative design due to laying out the learning activities in stage 3. Proper execution of stage 3 enables you to see when you’re assessments are occurring in relation to the rest of the learning activities. Stage 2 also really comes in handy when you are trying to decide on what types of formative assessment should be used. Since have already identified what constitutes as evidence that the student has understood the topic, now you just have to pick what type/types best correlate.

I feel like this exercise made me more aware of the challenge of formative assessment more so than the concept itself.  I was surprised how difficult it was to layout a lesson plan that included a true formative assessment. It also made me more aware of the lack of this in my own undergraduate career. I tried to think back to prior courses to get examples and I had very few options to pick from.  This exercise also got me trying to work out how I would be able to have formative assessment followed by feedback without taking up too much time or disrupting the flow of the lesson.

I would begin explaining formative design by using the practicality of its use. I’m confident that most of my colleges would have to agree that assessments are an opportunity for a student to show how well they have learned what the instructor has taught them. Assessing students only at the end of the unit only shows one point in that students “learning timeline”. Once this has been determined, a grade is assigned, and there is usually no time spent on that topic again. That student will receive feedback in the form of a grade, comments, or even an answer key. The problem is that this student may never get an opportunity to use this assessment or feedback for that concept again. However, if this student’s understanding is assessed at multiple points along the unit, the student has an opportunity to utilize that assessment and feedback to correct errors, identify areas where they are lacking, or confirm that they have a full understanding of the concept.

I would also express that formative assessment can help the instructor become for effective as well. Formative assessment gives the instructor an opportunity to survey they students understanding before that unit is over. This gives the instructor a better understanding of how the remaining time should be allotted. If an assessment preformed mid-way through a lecture shows that the majority of the class is really grasping the concept, the instructor could dive deeper into the concept than he originally thought possible. If the assessment showed that the class was having a hard time understanding the information presented, it would then make the instructor aware of the problem long before exams, midterms, or finals. The instructor could then be proactive instead of waiting for the scantrons to reveal the problem after the fact.

Formative assessment reminds me of the following saying, “If it ‘aint broke, don’t fix it”. Well, I guarantee that in every class there is someone who needs a little fixing but the problem is, we don’t know they’re broken.