Using technology to enhance learning

After I read this article, I learned what the formative assessment is and what strategies for formative assessment are. I like this article because it is well-organized. It has four parts t... See More

After I read this article, I learned what the formative assessment is and what strategies for formative assessment are. I like this article because it is well-organized. It has four parts to solve four questions. From the first part, I learned the difference between formative assessment and summative assessment. The summative assessment is used at the end of the semester to grade students. However, Lee and Abell (2007) say, “formative assessment is used to gain information that improves instruction and advances student learning,” which contrasts to summative assessment. From the second part, I learned that formative assessment is important for science. Teachers could get feedback from the assessment to adjust their lesson plans to match individual student needs. From the third and fourth parts, I learned that using open-ended questions is easier to assess students’ understandings about science. Students should explain their reasons so teachers can discern students’ misunderstandings. In addition, formative assessment can provide information about students’ prior knowledge and learning difficulties which can help teachers improve their instructions. There are some suggestions for improving formative assessment in elementary science classrooms. I think that they are all useful for me. For example, teachers should design varieties of formative assessments that involve different types of student performances.

Formative Assessment Are Effective

There are two types of assessment described in this article -- formative and summative. This article describes each but focuses on the need for formative assessment. Reading the article we... See More

There are two types of assessment described in this article -- formative and summative. This article describes each but focuses on the need for formative assessment. Reading the article we learn the benefits of formative assessment to students, what techniques in formative assessment are effective, and how teachers can implement them in their classrooms.