What is the role of formative assessment in the classroom?

Formative assessment plays a critical role in monitoring student learning throughout the instructional process. This type of assessment is designed to provide ongoing feedback that can help both teachers and students identify areas of strength and areas that may require additional attention. By using formative assessments, educators can gauge the understanding and skill levels of their students in real time. This allows teachers to adjust their teaching strategies accordingly and to provide targeted support where it's needed most.

Formative assessments can take many forms, such as quizzes, discussions, observations, and exit tickets, and they are typically conducted regularly throughout a unit or course. The emphasis is on improving learning outcomes rather than merely measuring what students know at a single point in time. In this way, formative assessments contribute to a supportive learning environment that encourages growth and development.

In contrast, processes like finalizing grades, assigning homework, or ranking students do not align with the primary purpose of formative assessment, which is to inform and enhance the learning process rather than to evaluate performance in a comparative or final manner.