FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT GUIDE
Formative assessment is a process typically used during instruction with the aim of improving student learning outcomes (Clark, 2010; Black and William 2009) and, unlike summative assessment, which evaluates outcomes and skills at the end of the course (Dolin, et al., 2018), formative feedback qualitatively inform the instructors’ teaching and learning strategies moving forward in the unit.
Formative feedback should enable students to answer three questions: where they are going, where they are now, and how can they close the gap in their learning (Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick, 2006). It’s important to remember that not all students are alike, and one formative feedback strategy may not always be appropriate for all students.
WHAT MAKES EFFECTIVE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT?
It is given with enough time to action the feedback. Ensure you plan in time for formative feedback.
It takes a strengths and areas for improvement approach; the feedback needs to be constructively, clearly outlining not just what needs to be completed, but also why it is needs to be completed. Consider what aspect of the outcome it will improve, and how it will improve it – align this to the assessment criteria of the programme.
Biggs and Tang (2009) suggest that students achieve deeper learning when the curriculum is 'constructively aligned'. In other words, when the learning outcomes, teaching methods, and assessment are in synchronisation, students tend to learn more effectively (Mathieson, 2009).
Formative feedback isn’t about you, it’s about your students. Aim to be as objective as possible, the course objectives and University assessment criteria are key to your feedback.
Motivate and Empower! Formative feedback should give students something aspirational to achieve and treat them as participants of dialogic exchange in the feedback process.
Multiple means of engagement are considered. For example, are there opportunities to engage in self and/or peer-assessment? Are there opportunities to discuss the feedback? Can the feedback be given as audio with provided transcript, instead of written?
It isn’t burdensome. Consider the most important areas the student needs to focus on, and don’t note down absolutely everything that is wrong.
What are some of the issues students find in formative feedback?
Feedback is often considered unhelpful when it:
Does not outline how the student can improve. Is too generic, vague and/or lacks specific depth or detail. Not constructively aligned to the assessment criteria. Focused solely on the negative or positive aspects. Is given with limited time to action.
Doesn’t give accountability to the students, or it feels optional to engage in it. Is unclear of what to do with the feedback – perhaps the actions need to be explained in a tutorial.
How can I make my formative feedback more inclusive?
Use clear and accessible language, avoiding technical terms where possible and where necessary, ensuring that these are well defined. Keep it concise. If written, consider bullet points.
Look to present written feedback in a dyslexia friendly format. This includes a sansserif font and will be on a coloured background. (See BDA style guide).
To make formative feedback more inclusive for students with dyslexia, the British Dyslexia Association (BDA, 2024) emphasises the importance of implementing reasonable adjustments without compromising academic standards. Feedback should acknowledge the potential differences in the written work of students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) and provide supportive, constructive comments. Ultimately, disabled students must meet the same evidence requirements as their peers, with adjustments focusing on how they demonstrate their knowledge (SENDA, 2001).
The BDA offer a step-by-step marker’s guide here for supporting students with dyslexia, and outline what good practice is for markers.
Some students with ADHD, may struggle with receiving negative feedback (rejection sensitivity, Bedrossian, 2021). Aim to deliver feedback that is compassionate and positive, acknowledging strengths and why you are making the constructive comments.
When delivering formative feedback in person, ensure questions are precise and direct with appropriate waiting time for students to respond (Tay and Kee, 2019). This can be particularly useful for students with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), generalised processing condition or students who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL).
What does UCA policy say about formative feedback?
The UCA Assessment Feedback Policy emphasises the importance of formative assessment in the learning process. It distinguishes between formative and summative assessments, noting that while all feedback is formative, formative assessments are purely for progress tracking and do not count towards final marks, whereas summative assessments do.
Key principles include:
Feedback must be provided for all assessments. It should be qualitative, clear, constructive, timely, and linked to specific learning objectives.
Formative feedback can be diverse in form and source, including peer reviews and industry visitors.
How can I get AfL Feedback on my Session?
Initial Feedback Strategies:
KWL Chart (Know, Want to Know, Learned):
Purpose: To assess prior knowledge and set learning goals for individual students. These can be reviewed in tutorials and at as a benchmark for what has been learned.
How to Use: At the beginning of a unit, ask students to fill out a chart with columns for what they already know about the topic, what they want to know, and what they have learned at the end of the unit.
Entry Tickets:
Purpose: To gauge students' starting points in any session. This allows you to differentiate the instruction and/or design of your session.
How to Use: Have students answer a question or complete a short task related to the new unit/session objective as they enter the classroom.
Diagnostic Assessment:
Purpose: To identify students' strengths and weaknesses.
How to Use: Use short quizzes or informal discussions to understand students’ baseline knowledge and skills. For this to be effective, you must effectively plan your questions before the session to consider how you will adapt your teaching accordingly.
Ongoing Feedback Strategies:
Think-Pair-Share:1.
Purpose: To promote student reflection and peer feedback.
How to Use: Pose a question, let students think individually, discuss with a partner, and then share with the class. This is a particularly useful task for students who need additional processing time before answering a question.
Snowball Activity: 2
Purpose: To encourage collaborative learning and feedback.
How to Use: Students write down an idea or answer, crumple it into a ball, throw it around the room, and then read and add to someone else’s idea.
Exit Tickets: 3.
Purpose: To assess what students have learned at the end of the session.
How to Use: Ask students to write down one thing they learned, a question they still have, or a summary of the lesson as they leave. You can use this to inform the planning of your next session.
Padlet, Miro and other online learning tools: 4
Purpose: To quickly check understanding during a lesson.
How to Use: Students write their answers to a question and contribute this on an online platform. This gives you a quick temperature gauge of the understanding within your session.
Self-Assessment Checklists: 5.
Purpose: To help students reflect on their own learning.
How to Use: Provide students with a checklist of learning goals and ask them to self-assess their progress regularly in tutorials. These could be co-designed as a must, should and could to support differentiation.
Peer Feedback Sessions: 6
Purpose: To allow students to give and receive feedback from peers.
How to Use: Pair students to review each other's work using a structured feedback form. This should be informed by the objective and generic grading criteria.
Learning Journals: 7.
Purpose: To track students’ thoughts, progress, and reflections.
How to Use: Have students maintain a journal where they record their learning experiences and reflections on the sessions they engage within.
Gallery Walks/Critique: 8.
Purpose: To provide visual and interactive feedback.
How to Use: Display students' works around the room and let them walk around to observe and leave feedback for each piece. This could be completed on a post-it-note under the work. For example, students could write one thing they think has worked effectively, one aspect to improve and one question they would like answered about the work.
Assessment for Learning Strategies
Strategy How
Assessment
Briefing Session
Creating a Studio Portfolio/Journal
Writing an Essay Plan
Dedicated, face-to-face session with students to brief them on the summative assessment and criteria.
Students compile their studio works into a portfolio/journal, receiving ongoing feedback during studio practice sessions.
Students draft an outline for an extended piece of writing during a workshop or tutorial, receiving immediate verbal feedback from teacher or peers.
Peer Review Sessions Students review each other's work during seminars, guided by discussion prompts, checklists and assessment criteria.
Practice Presentations
Group Critique Sessions
Individual Tutorials
Seminar Activities
Submission of Drafts
Interactive Quizzes
Use of Exemplars
Collaborative Projects
Interactive Demonstrations
Drop-in Surgeries
Students give short presentations in a seminar with instant feedback from peers and/or teaching staff via proformas or tick sheets.
Students present their work-in-progress during studio practice, receiving collective feedback from peers and lecturers.
One-on-one sessions with lecturers to discuss progress, receive feedback, and set goals for improvement.
Engaging in hands-on activities during seminars, such as collaborative projects or live demonstrations, with immediate feedback.
Students submit drafts of their creative work for preliminary feedback before final submission.
Students take short quizzes with immediate feedback during a class or online session.
Students analyse anonymised work from previous cohorts, discussing quality and improvements in groups. This should be done with the UCA generic assessment criteria.
Students work on group projects during studio time, independent work and/or seminars, receiving feedback throughout the process.
Live demonstrations by technicians, lecturers or guest artists, followed by Q&A and discussion sessions.
Conduct in-person or online drop-in sessions where students can discuss any issues related to summative assignments.
Why
Communicates expectations directly; reduces ambiguity; directly improves students' assessment literacy; provides a safe space for asking questions.
Encourages continuous reflection and improvement; reduces final submission workload; promotes consistent engagement with the creative process.
Promotes clearer, structured thinking; reduces time spent on written feedback; improves planning skills; encourages peer learning and proactive refining of ideas.
Encourages peer learning; reduces educator’s marking workload; promotes reflective learning; improves editing skills.
Develops presentation skills; reduces the need for extensive written evaluations; fosters a supportive learning environment; builds confidence.
Enhances critical thinking and self-assessment skills; fosters a collaborative studio environment; provides diverse perspectives on creative work.
Provides personalized feedback; addresses individual concerns; fosters a supportive mentoring relationship; enhances student confidence.
Promotes active learning; encourages collaboration; provides practical understanding of theoretical concepts; reduces reliance on written feedback.
Allows for early identification of areas needing improvement; reduces final submission stress; promotes iterative development of work.
Reinforces learning; provides instant clarification; reduces time spent on individual written feedback; engages students actively in learning.
Provides realistic benchmarks; reduces ambiguity in expectations; encourages self-assessment; minimizes individual feedback workload.
Develops teamwork skills; fosters a collaborative learning environment; encourages sharing of diverse ideas and approaches; reduces individual workload.
Provides practical insights; enhances understanding of techniques and concepts; engages students actively; allows for immediate clarification.
Addresses individual concerns efficiently; reduces the need for extensive written clarifications; fosters an open, supportive learning environment.
Resources:
Advance HE. (2012) A marked improvement: Transforming assessment in higher education. At: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets.creode.advancehedocumentmanager/documents/hea/private/resources/a_marked_improvement_156803704 4.pdf (Accessed 6 August 2024).
BDA (2024) Academic Standards. British Dyslexia Association. Available at: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/terms/assessment-considerate-marking-and-feedbackpolicy-for-disabled-students (Accessed 6 August 2024).
Bedrossian, L. (2021) 'Understand and address complexities of rejection sensitive dysphoria in students with ADHD'. Disability Compliance for Higher Education, 26(10), p.4. At: https://doi.org/10.1002/dhe.31047 (Accessed 6 August 2024).
Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2009) Teaching for Quality Learning at University. 3rd edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (2009) 'Developing the theory of formative assessment'. Educational Assessment Evaluation and Accountability, 21, pp.5-31. At: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9068-5 (Accessed 6 August 2024).
Clark, I.D. (2010) 'Formative Assessment: ‘There is Nothing so Practical as a Good Theory’'. Australian Journal of Education, 54, pp.341-352.
Dolin, J., Black, P., Harlen, W., and Tiberghien, A. (2018) 'Exploring Relations Between Formative and Summative Assessment'. In: Dolin, J. and Evans, R. (eds) Transforming Assessment. Contributions from Science Education Research, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63248-3_3 (Accessed 6 August 2024).
Mathieson, S. (2015) 'Student Learning'. In: Fry, H., Ketteridge, S., and Marshall, S. (eds) Learning, Teaching and Supervising in Higher Education. 4th edn. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, pp.63-79.
Sambell, K., Brown, S., and Race, P. (2019) Helping students appreciate what’s expected of them in assessment. Heriot Watt University. At: https://lta.hw.ac.uk/wpcontent/uploads/GUIDE-NO8_AssessmentLiteracy.pdf (Accessed 6 August 2024).
Tay, H.Y. and Kee, K.N.N. (2019) 'Effective questioning and feedback for learners with autism in an inclusive classroom'. Cogent Education, 6(1), p.1634920. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2019.1634920 (Accessed 6 August 2024).