Formative Assessment research

"one of the most important aspects of supporting student learning is the feedback that students received on their work. A not uncommon fault, particularly within a semester system is that students only find out how well, or how badly, they have done when their assessed work is rerutned with a comment and a mark at the end of the semester. By that time it is too late to take any remedial action...."

"There is no easy answer to this problem, but some suggested solutions may include the following. Students might submit a part of the final assessed work midway through the term, or they submit their planning work. Alternatively, a short piece of assessed work can be set for early in the semester with a return date before the final assesed work is completed. In some subjects online assessments can be used which can be marketd electronically to provide rapid feedback to students on their progress. Such assessments may be done in the students' own time and feedback is provided automatically. Peers and self-assessment can also be useful for providing feedback on learning if these are well structured and the assessment criteria are well understood - for example by discussing these with students." (Fry et al, 2009:120)

"assesment for learning places more emphasis on the formative" (135)
need for all methods to be relevant to ILOs

"formative assessment is defined as that which enables students to see how well they are progressing and gives them feedback. It perfeclty possible for summative assessment to have a formative component." (137)

So formative assessment is reliant upon good feedback.
which should (Yorke 2004) (the forth point is particularly applicable to formative)

• facilitate the development of self assessment (reflection) in learning
• promote peer and tutor dialogue around learning
• help clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, expected standards)
• provide opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance
• delivers high quality information to students about their learning
• encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem
• provide information to teachers that may be used to help shape the teaching

formative and summative assessment also occur in the evaluation of teaching, as well as students. (198)

Self and peer assessment are increasingly seen as useful forms of formative assessment. They might also have some use within a VLE, given that making written work accessible to others (including in an early, pre-submission form) becomes feasible.

might have to balance this against plagarism risks.

Online environments might also be a good way to develop a portfolio of work (this could move across modules or indeed across whole courses).

Formative assessment might give the opportunity to use more innovative methods of assessment without the risk of it seeming unfair, or unpredictable to students.

Formative assessment need not be massive tasks, but can be quite brief - quizes, multiple choice, self-reflection.