Database of Formative Assessments

An informal check for understanding normally done near the end of a class period or lesson.  Students summarize a big idea from the lesson on one side of the card.  Students write a question they still have, or one they would expect to see on a test, about the topic discussed during the lesson on the other side of the card.

The teachers passes out an index card to each student.  Each student explains/summarizes a big idea that they understand from the lesson on side 1 of the index card.  

On side 2 of the index card the students identify something about the topic/lesson that they do not yet fully understand.  If the students believe they understand the topic fully, they can write a question that they expect to find on a test at the end of the unit.

Teachers could look at the cards and provide direct feedback to the students.  There may be information missing from the student's summary or even a mistake to clarify.  The questions written by the student can be used to identify areas that require re-teaching and further discussion.

Students could trade their cards with their peers and act as the teacher to check each other's summary for missing information or mistakes.  The question on the back could be used to quiz each other about the lesson that was just delivered.

If students set goals and track their learning they could use these cards as proof of readiness for a summative assessment.

If the index cards are returned to the students, or the students get to keep them, they can be used as a powerful reflection tool at the end of the unit.  

The students could pull out these cards prior to the summative assessment of the unit to review their summaries of each topic covered.  

The questions on the back can be used as a self-assessment to determine if the student has filled in her/his gaps in understanding the content.

You could substitute a series of forum posts in Moodle, or a discussion question in Google Classroom, rather than using index cards.

Using technology may prevent loss of index cards, and allow for each student to see the other students' work if the teacher desires.