FORMATIVE

EVALUATION
Mohamed Salah ABIDI

*Regional Summer School*

2008- 2009
Why raising this issue?
• Activity1: Brainstorming
Answer the following questions
• - How do you know that your learners are making
progress in their language learning?
- How do you know that your lesson is going well?
- What do you do if you realize that your lesson is
not going well?
- On what basis do you make changes in your lessons
in order to meet the needs of your learners?
 EXPECTATIONS &
POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
• the difference between formative
and summative evaluation
• the benefits of formative evaluation
• tools and strategies to apply
formative evaluation
• applying formative evaluation in the
Tunisian classroom
Developing definition of
concepts
• Activity2:
Read in your group the mixed up
notes and develop definitions of
formative/ summative assessment.
(See Word doc1.)
Discuss the following
caption
Robert Stakes:
• "When the cook tastes the
soup, that’s formative; when
the guests taste the soup,
that’s summative."
 BENEFITS OF FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
• Activity3:
Discuss the difference between
Assessment of learning
and
Assessment for learning
 PRINCIPLES &
BENEFITS
• Activity4:
Read the principles set out by the
Assessment Reform Group in the UK.
Focus on one principle and explain it
with reference to real assessment
sequence you conducted in your
classroom.(Word doc.2)
The Assessment Reform
Group Principles
• be part of effective planning of teaching and learning
• focus on how students learn
• be recognised as central to classroom practice
• be regarded as a key professional skill for teachers
• be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has
an emotional impact
• take account of the importance of learner motivation
• enable learners to receive constructive guidance about how
to improve
• develop learners’ capacity for self-assessment so that they
can become reflective and self-managing
• recognise the full range of achievements of all learners
 WHO BENEFITS FROM
FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT?1
• Benefits of Formative Assessments for Teachers
• Teachers are able to determine what standards students
already know and to what degree.
• Teachers can decide what minor modifications or major
changes in instruction they need to makes so that all
students can succeed in upcoming instruction and on
subsequent assessments.
• Teachers can create appropriate lessons and activities for
groups of learners or individual students.
• Teachers can inform students about their current progress
in order to help them set goals for improvement.
 WHO BENEFITS FROM
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT?2
• Benefits of Formative Assessments for
Students
• Students are more motivated to learn.
• Students take responsibility for their own
learning.
• Students become users of assessment.
• Students learn valuable lifelong skills such
as self-evaluation, self-assessment, and
goal setting.
 Formative/Summative-
compared1
• Activity5:
With reference to the Word doc.3,
individually complete the chart(Word
doc.4) check in the group and discuss
with the rest of the group.
 ANALYSIS OF
PROCESSES
Activity6:
Participants in their groups complete
the chart, analyse the process and
discuss the intentions of the teacher
and the benefits for the
learner.(Word doc.5)
 OBSERVATION
• Activity7:
How can you find answers to the following
questions?
-How hard-working is a student?- Can the student
stay on task even when it proves to be difficult? –
Does the student make connection between his
learning and what he needs in his own life? – What
strategies does he use in learning? – What is his
attitude to learning English?
 TOOLS FOR FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
• Homework assignments
• Quick class tests
• Observation of students behaviour in class.
• Questionnaires
• Evaluation checklists and grids
• Self and Peer-assessment of learning
• Take-home tests
• Interviews and conferences
• Project work
• Students portfolios
Analysis of the practice of
formative assessment in
the Tunisian context
• Three groups are formed to analyse
the tools of formative assessment
used in the 1st,2nd, and 3rd Year
Secondary.(Word doc.6)
 Conducting a survey
• Participants are invited to complete
the survey (Word doc.7) and analyse
its results so as to develop the skill
of conducting a survey in class and
use the results to foster learning and
improve teaching.