Personalized Learning Honeycomb: Assessments as Evidence of Learning

Learning Activity

Assessments of learning -- summative assessments -- typically occur at the end of the learning cycle. There really should be no doubt as to the outcomes if educators have used formative assessment results throughout students’ learning journeys to inform learning and make needed learning course adjustments. In fact, if performance on a summative assessment is a surprise, the first possibility to consider should be whether the assessment is appropriate and accurately reflects what the learner knows. What the learner has learned should be well tracked and not a surprise in the final phase of the learning cycle.

Assessments for learning -- formative assessments -- occur, formally and informally, throughout the learning cycle. The results of formative assessments let educators and learners know what progress has been made, what next steps are appropriate and whether and when it’s time for a summative assessment.

Assessments as learning are those assessments that double as learning experiences and evidence of learning--usually classroom activities of some sort. These assessments often are formative but can also be summative.

In this activity, you will review some of the online formative assessment tools you use and look at some new tools. Online formative assessment tools are powerful because it gives you a quick glimpse of where your students are at.

Resources

1. Read 'Fantastic, Formative Assessment Tools'.
2. Choose one online formative assessment tool from the article you will use to assess where your students are at in a particular area.
3. Share a link to evidence showing your students using a formative assessment tool (video, pictures, screenshot)
4. Write a 2-3 sentence reflection explaining how this tool helped you assess student learning.