Formative assessment workflows
Formative assessment provides significant opportunities for student development and learning, and can provide a means for more tailored, student-led learning free from the restrictions of summative work.
Rationale
To encourage effective participation, the rationale for using formative assessment should be explicit to everyone involved, particularly students. Some typical rationales may include:
- Tasks that develop skills or knowledge needed in a subsequent summative assessment, likely with feedback that can then be fed forward.
- Iterative development of work that will ultimately be used in the summative assessment.
- Assessment for Learning (AfL) which is focused on broader competency development.
These various uses of formative assessment resonate with the University of Bristol’s assessment strategy, expressed in Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching guidance on assessment designed for all learners and integrated approaches to assessment.
Technologies
Many of the tools available for summative assessment can be adapted for use in a formative context. The list below details only the most commonly used tools. If you are interested in using other tools supported by the Digital Education Office that are not listed here, please contact us for a consultation.
The setup of these tools for formative assessment may differ from how you use them for summative assessment. Please check through the guidance below to ensure you are using the recommended settings.
Guidance on tools and features that can be used for formative assessment for administrative and teaching staff:
- Blackboard Assignments
- Turnitin Submissions (LTI)
- Blackboard Tests
- Blackboard Knowledge Checks
- Blackboard Journals
- Blackboard Discussions
- FeedbackFruits
Support
If you are considering implementing formative assessment and would welcome support, feel free to contact us. The Digital Education Office is happy to advise on how to make the most of the assessment technologies available through the University.