JoinUsing Formative and Alternative Assessments to Support Instruction and Measure Student Learning
Using formative assessment involves gathering data from students on their progress and comprehension so that instruction can be adjusted to meet their learning needs (Popham 2001; Greenstein 2010). This article describes how the author uses homework, “three quick questions,” trivia questions, pretests, and practice tests to formatively assess student knowledge and direct instruction. Additionally, alternative assessments and a science-project paper are means by which students demonstrate mastery of skills not easily assessed by traditional objective tests.