Formative Assessment - The holistic method of evaluation

With the recent initiatives in the area of education reforms Formative Assessments has become the buzzword among teachers and students alike. Under CBSE’s guidelines for a Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation policy for students it has become necessary that teachers build in formative assessments into their evaluation methods. The term Formative Assessments refers to an approach to evaluation in which assessment is built into the teaching-learning process wherein evaluation is suitably used to tailor instruction or teaching. This allows teachers to adapt to the needs of different students. Thus, in simple terms it is not evaluation at the end of learning (Summative Assessment) but rather evaluation during the process of learning. Formative Assessment thus is assessment that is carried out throughout the year by the teacher, either formally or informally. Yet another point of difference between formative and summative assessments lies in its purpose. The purpose of formative assessments ideally should not end in the allocation of grades, unlike the purpose of summative assessments; the goal of formative assessments is to ‘improve’ a student’s performance. The key to a good formative assessment system is constant feedback about a student’s progress along with modification of teacher’s instructions in line with students’ learning needs. CBSE in its guidelines for implementation of CCE has listed down a variety of formative assessment tools that teachers may use for evaluating the students in the various subjects both inside and outside the classrooms. Some of these are – class work, homework, oral questions, quizzes, projects, assignments/tests. As per the CCE guidelines there will be four formative assessments in a year- two in each term. A total of 40% weightage has been accorded to formative assessments under the new CCE guidelines by CBSE. There is a flip side to the manner in which the term ‘formative assessments’ is sometimes interpreted in the schools. Some teachers interpret it as having to conduct weekly tests. This is not a correct interpretation. Formative assessments are meant to aid in the diagnostic or remedial function of assessment rather than evaluating what a child knows. Through effective use of formative assessments it should become possible for teachers and students to modify or re-set their goals in specific subjects. Specifically, a well designed formative assessment system can help the teachers and the students in the following ways: • It guides the teacher to where the problem liesrn• It helps students to identify their own conceptual problem areasrn• It provide students with timely feedback and scope for intervention for improving in the weak areasrn• It allows teachers to tailor their instructions to adapt to the needs of different studentsrn• It enables teachers to give specific inputs and feedback to the students and parents. A lot of businesses have mushroomed overnight that claim to offer formative assessment solutions for students and schools. It is important that as students you exercise caution and discretion in using the same. Companies that have a proven track-record in the education sector and have successfully delivered quality learning solutions to students can be rightfully trusted to deliver a comprehensive assessment solution.