5 Ways to Utilize Formative Assessment in the Virtual Classroom

It is widely known that using formative assessment in the classroom is an indispensable component of teaching. Checking for understanding, especially using quick pulse checks throughout learning, helps teachers understand if their students are grasping key concepts. A lot of this type of assessment is done on the fly, tapping into teachers’ abilities to observe and interpret their students’ actions and responses in real time.

Prior to this unpredictable school year, many educators could use a quick pen-and-paper pop quiz midway through their lessons to see which students were mastering the material or glance at their learners’ faces during a lesson to see if anyone was distressed or uninterested. This year, many schools have had to adjust to our new environment and utilize socially distanced learning in a virtual setting to abide with COVID-19 safety precautions, so traditional pulse checks are no longer as easy.

Formative assessment has certainly changed over the years, and it can be a unique challenge in a virtual classroom. Before you panic, this does not mean that teachers need to reinvent the wheel and start from scratch! Many tools that were already being used in brick-and-mortar classrooms can be modified to work in an online environment. Here are five familiar formative assessment concepts that have made their way into the virtual teacher’s toolbox:

1. Virtual Bell Ringer

Bell ringers are not anything new, and while they are usually used during in-person learning, they can easily be adapted to be a virtual tool. At the start of class, teachers can pose a general question about students’ feelings on the previous day’s learning. Students can then choose to chat in a simple emoji “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” response, or they can even go as far as writing out an answer in the chat window. This is a quick-and-easy way for teachers to gauge overall understanding and decide where to steer the day’s learning.

2. Post-it Parking Lot

Just as you can start the day with a check for understanding, you can also end the day with one! A popular exit ticket strategy that many educators use is referred to as the “Post-It Parking Lot,” where students answer a posed question on a sticky note and leave it in a designated area on their way out. In the virtual setting, teachers can look to the platform lino for a virtual sticky note board or can simply use a group Google Doc where students can enter their answers. With the Google Doc method, teachers can also decide if they want students to be able to respond to each other’s “Post-it notes.” For older students, this is a great way to facilitate discussions and collaborative thinking.

3. Journal Jotting

Not all students process information at the same speed, and many do not like to raise their hand to address their understanding publicly. Reflections that can be completed after class as a journal entry are great for those who need additional time to digest their learning in a private setting, they can also give you a tool to gauge student knowledge. Students can keep a running Google Doc journal to respond to individual prompts or engage with a digital version of a K-W-L (know-want to know-learn) chart regarding that day’s lesson. Because Google Docs are collaborative, teachers can leave feedback for their students to refer back to throughout the unit.

4. Mock Tweets

This concept does not necessarily mean that each student needs to have a Twitter account. Rather, this method involves challenging students to mock up a “tweet” giving a quick summary of what they learned in class that day, staying within the character limits of real tweets (currently 280 characters). This is a great way for students to get creative, and it draws on what many students are already familiar with—social media. Once students have their “tweet” drafted, they can chat it into the discussion for their classmates to read.

5. Game-Based Group Sessions with Study Island

One of Study Island’s most popular features, Group Sessions, is perfect for on-the-fly formative assessment. With the ability to create Group Sessions in five minutes or less, they allow educators to set up competitive and fun checkpoints, challenges, and races—all of which check for understanding using standards-based topics—in the class’ Study Island account. Best of all, students can use their own devices to participate, meaning that no matter where students are, everyone will receive an equitable experience. Once the session is over, the results are instantly stored in a report in which teachers can dig deeper and plan for future instruction.

If you’re a Study Island customer and want to learn more about the Group Sessions feature, check out this blog post that takes a closer look at the feature, or see how other educators are using Group Sessions in their classroom. Not a Study Island customer yet? Try Study Island for free!