Formative Assessment: some guidelines and Exemplars
This site is evolving and we would welcome some additional exemplars: barrie@niacedc.org.uk

Formative assessment is about recognising and recording progress and achievement during a programme. It provides feedback to learners/participants and tutors/leaders alike about ‘distance travelled’ and ‘value added’. ‘Value added’ can be measured at appropriate times during a course.

Good practice includes:

• Recording what participants are achieving from the outset.
• Encouraging learners to self assess.
• Measuring the learning in a session or series of sessions as appropriate.
• Providing learners with clear feedback so that they can improve performance.
• Reviewing individual and group progress and achievement.
• Reviewing the programme itself.

Examples of formative assessment approaches

Example 1: At the start of the session

How much do you know about the topic? If you tick 6 this would mean you know a great deal about the subject

1	2	3	4	5	6

At the end of the session: How much do you now think that you know about the topic?

1	2	3	4	5	6

Example 2: For each session:

What I learned today
What I am better at
What I need to do to improve

Example 3: At the mid-point in a programme.

Progress review – complete this at the mid point of the course e.g. Week 6 of 12 sessions. Each learner to tick to show progress and date when they think they have achieved objectives

	Good progress	Some progress	No progress yet	Date when you feel you have achieved each objective
Objective 1
Objective 2
Objective 3

• Using appropriate assessment tools for specific learners and contexts, including: learner files, portfolios and e-portfolios, journals, photos, artwork, notes, poems, videos, audiotapes, displays, exhibitions, performances, blogs, text messages, witness testimonies, quizzes.

Celebrating successes throughout courses/programmes.