Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is the practice of collecting data about participant learning during a session (rather than after it) in ways that allow the workshop leader to adjust content, pace, or explanation in real time. Formative assessment is distinct from summative assessment, which evaluates learners after the fact; its purpose is continuous improvement of the teaching, not evaluation of the learners. Muddiest Point is a core formative-assessment technique, as is Minute Paper. The term and its pedagogical framing come from Michael Scriven's work and from Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam's research establishing formative assessment as one of the most effective learning interventions.