Formative Evaluation

Formative Evaluation: A workshop by Inspector & Teacher Trainer Mohamed Salah Abidi (CREFOC,Sidi Bouzid. July 2009)

CREFOC, Sidi Bouzid:

Day 1 of the workshop began with the inspector initiating a brainstorming session that invited the participants to answer a few important questions (see sideshow). This session provided a clear framework for the workshop and led to the realization that it is important for teachers to start thinking about why formative assessment should be part and parcel of their teaching practices.

Later on, the participants sat in groups and started discussing the differences both in terms of terminology and application of the notion of summative and formative assessment with reference to the first handout (see handouts below). The discussion was rounded up by commenting on a quote by Robert Stake “When the cook tastes the soup, that's formative; when the guests taste the soup, that's summative.” Then, the participants thought about the difference between assessment for learning and assessment of learning.

After reading and thinking about some of the principles outlined by the Assessment Reform Group (document 2), the participants were also encouraged to analyze the process of formative assessment and to discuss the teachers' intentions and the benefits for the learners by completing a chart.(document 5 ).

On day 2, the inspector and the participants took some time thinking about the benefits of formative assessment for teachers and learners. Teachers were invited to think about what tools are needed to effectively implement a formative evaluation. Some of the tools that were discussed included conducting surveys. The groups were asked to think about the practice of formative assessment in the Tunisian context. The participants discussed the various formative assessment activities present on the textbooks in use for secondary school students.

By the end of the workshop, there was an overall agreement among teachers that formative assessment was not completely absent from their daily teaching practices but that it was rather done unconsciously and often in a unproductive way. They concluded that it has to be an indispensable component of their teaching.

.

To download this PowerPoint presentation, check our "Download Area" on the sidebar.
(Name:Formative Evaluation.ppt Size:79 KB)

To download the above handouts, check our "Download Area" on the sidebar.
(Name:Appendix.doc Size:76 KB)