For many, assessments represent a necessary evil within schools and districts. As important as it is for students to demonstrate subject mastery, many assessments don’t consider different types of learning styles. According to American University's School of Education, limited assessment styles “fai[l] to account for variables such as language deficiencies, learning disabilities, difficult home lives...varying knowledge of US cultural conventions,” or other important strengths and weaknesses.

High-stakes assessments can pressure educators into “teaching to the test” rather than to the complexities of the material. Summative assessments struggle to give schools the immediate data they need to effectively gauge student comprehension between different subject departments. Furthermore, they don’t always adjust to the realities of the modern classroom spaces. In-person, hybrid or distance learning environments require more nuance than one big summative assessment can provide.

When integrated into daily teaching and learning practices, formative assessments become a powerful tool that provide a clear picture of the whole student. Let’s look at how to make formative evaluations work for any space through real-time data and formative learning. Such daily checks empower both teachers and students to become lifelong learners regardless of what form the classroom takes.

• Start and end classes with Quick Checks for instant feedback. Whether delivered to a group or through asynchronous assignments, an initial, 1-5-question check on the central topic can assess prior knowledge. And as class is concluding, build in an additional check to test close-reading skills and see what students learned!
• Administer common assessments. Share common assessments with any teacher in your school trust. Sync all your class rosters from Google Classroom with a single sign-on. View student responses by standards, demographic, or any other SIS data for a comprehensive understanding of student performance.
• Use digital whiteboards with students. Have students brainstorm on a digital whiteboard to activate background knowledge on a topic. Different types of learners can participate and show what they know from whatever location. In real time, you can track student thinking and organize student ideas before beginning the main lesson.
• Increase faculty collaboration. Build and share resources with colleagues and group members across PLCs. People can access course materials if they’re inside a traditional classroom, learning from home, or flexing somewhere in between. Add co-teachers to a class, and divide grading, give feedback, and monitor academic growth across many learning spaces.
• Scaffold assessments for any learning styles. Turn PDFs, Word Docs, Google Docs, images, slides, photographs, and more into assessments. Then watch them post automatically to Google Classroom. Let students respond in whatever manner they prefer learning.

By following these tips, ensure that your school or trust focuses on critical thinking and constant collaboration for different learning styles.

Formative makes it easy to assess in any space. Click here, and test out the platform for yourself!

For more information, we've prepared the following resources for you to use!

• Assessment is for Learning: Formative Assessment and Positive Learning Interactions
• 56 Different Examples of Formative Assessment
• Formative and Summative Assessments
• Formative Assessment Techniques: 3 Strategies
• Formative Versus Summative Evaluation
• Group Work in the Classroom: Types of Small Groups
• 7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment
• 7 Ways to Do Formative Assessments in Your Virtual Classroom