Assessment designed to enhance teaching and learning is called “formative assessment.” During formative assessment, teachers and students seek information about the state of student learning and then use the acquired information to adapt teaching and learning to meet student needs. “Classroom formative assessment” (CFA) requires that teachers explicitly engage in formative assessment during classroom learning activities. At a basic level, CFA occurs naturally and is a common part of most instructional settings. Nevertheless, the systematic practice of CFA is rare in secondary and post-secondary science education. Here we provide suggestions for those interested in formative assessment for use in teaching introductory physics. A simple model of classroom formative assessment is presented. Included are examples of formative assessment activities and suggestions for implementation.

Topics
Educational aids, Educational assessment, Teaching
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The examples of assessing-to-learn items presented here are based on materials contained in the Minds-On-Physics curriculum published by Kendall/Hunt.
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2004
American Association of Physics Teachers
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