When it comes to developing assessment strategies, teachers often ask themselves these three questions: when, why, and most importantly, how? In the past we've talked a lot about the kinds of assessment strategies and activities that not only enhance learning, but help your learners lead their own way. In addition, we speak at great length about how to master your own assessment strategies in the best-selling book Mindful Assessment.
Now it's time to let someone else chime in, and who better than An Ethical Island's Mia MacMeekin with this useful infographic called I Need Assessment Ideas! And ideas she's got, for every stage of assessment from beginning to end. From the infographic:
- Pre-assessment: Pre-assessment helps to differentiate instruction. It also helps the learning process by identifying misconceptions and pinpointing a starting point for learning.
- During: Assessments conducted during the learning process are usually done to gauge where a learner is. These are helpful to pinpoint if learners are progressing or have a misconception that needs to be cleared up before the learner can grow.
- Post-assessment: The post-assessment is used to determine if the learner met the learning outcomes or objectives. It is either formative or summative.
As we explain in Mindful Assessment, the best assessment strategies for learners are formative in nature. That's because the purpose of formative assessment is to constantly improve learning and achievement, rather than simply provide a finite grade or percentage. In a nutshell, formative assessment answers 3 questions:
- Where am I going?
- Where am I now?
- How will I get there from here?
The activities that Mia suggests in her infographic below have tremendously useful formative assessment applications. Moreover, they can be adapted to use with these three exploratory questions above for providing your learners with assessment activities they're sure to benefit from. Enjoy the infographic, and remember to check out Mia's blog.
