In using formatiave evaluation process allows me to see progress on an on-going way. This allows not only me to see the students understanding of a particular subject but also the student themselves can rest assured that they are getting the material and gives them positive assurance as they continue the material and on into more difficult issues. They see their learning as on going.
HI Geraldine - Are you in Hawaii?? Pittsburgh is freezing - Hawaii sounds like heaven! Susan
Hi there Susan,
Thank you very much for your response.
Happy Holidays.
Aloha,
Geraldine
Hi Geraldine- Your formative evaluation is right on the mark! It will assist your students in completing their final projects and give you a strong indication of how they are doing. Best wishes - Susan
A formative evaluation I can use to assess my students is to ask them to prepare a portfolio of recipes,a detailed information lecture with research and pictures of the products that will be turned in as a graded project.
Hi Timothy - Welcome to Ed 103! You have it exactly right- we are supposed to be laying foundations and then building upon them which is exactly what you are doing - Great work! Best wishes - Susan
I feel that one of the most useful ways to evaluate students is to have projects that build upon the previous project. That allows the student and instructor to evaluate the progress, as the next project can't be started untill the previous task has been mastered. This allows continuous evaluation, and allows the student to reflect on what has been learned already.
HI Jacky- Thanks for your post to the forum! Frequent assessment is really important as you mention. It can avoid having to re-teach large portions of information. Best wishes- Susan
The use of daily quizzes help me find out at what level is the student. Then I will go over the material to give the correct answer
On student papers, constructive criticism notes and suggestions for revision are key.
I also like to get students presenting some of their written work to the class and leading a group critique, maximizing student participation and hearing a range of opinions. When I can successfully get students to offer thoughtful critique of other students, everyone learns something in the process, and it helps to create an environment of cooperation and trust.
Caveat: This depends greatly on the group dynamic, and may not be a viable option for all student groups.
There are many ways to add formative evaluation in the assessment of my students in class. In our culinary classroom one of my favorites is group critique where we put out all the student's product and then each student is able to learn from every student's approach to the task. Instead of re-creating the dish multiple times to learn from their own mistakes and new skills, students can learn from all the mistakes and all the possible approaches at once.
The use of descriptive feedback that is context-specific and that responds to the particular needs of the student’s learning process is key. This type of feedback can have many looks and characteristics but should be related directly to the learning material and should be easily understood. For example, faculty can give descriptive feedback for discussion board submissions and for individual projects. Referencing information from the textbook or presenting real-life business examples to help guide students on the right path to increase learning and success are effective feedback techniques.
Effective feedback should have several characteristics:
• It should be informative and should discuss the specific strengths and weaknesses of the student’s work.
• It should have a positive tone to help motivate students. The objective is to enhance rather than damage student’s motivation and self-confidence. Effective feedback is motivational when it includes phrases such as “Good work completing the assignment on time,” “keep up the good work,” and “your work is improving.” These types of comments should be followed by specific feedback indicating the positives and negatives and how to improve.
• Effective feedback should explicitly describe what students can do to improve their learning knowledge.
• Effective feedback should be timely. The facilitator, however, should post regularly on the Discussion Board to generate critical thinking and participation.
On a daily basis you can let the student know where they stand in the course
Hi Robert - Welcome to ED 103! I really like the idea of having the students sit down at the end of class and evaluate what they have learned that day - well done! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
I use student feedback sessions at the end of every class. My class incorporates active learning, and at the end of every class the students will sit down for a meeting and assess the work they accomplished. It's a great way for the students to learn from any mistakes that were made, and it's an ideal forum to provide positive feedback.
Hi Enrique - Welcome to Ed 103! Having your students produce some short essays will also result in increased retnetion of that information - great work! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
I like to ask for short essays covering the read assignments. I believe this reinforces the learning process, also the use of non-grade daily quizzes.
Hi Ian - Welcome to ED 103! Congratulations on assessing your students while they are having fun! Best wishes - Susan
Asking students along the way in the classroom environment to see if they are comprehending the new material. Of course you have the option of traditional testing with quizzes along the way. My courses are not designed for us to create additional assessments for students. However, these assessments would be great for students just to check themselves who are attending the lectures. One thing I do is play games with students during the lecture to "quiz" them without the quiz.
It can be a simple Q&A session at the end of class using open ended questions about the material covered.
