By Aynsley Maves, Brock University
When considering assessment in higher education, it is likely that many envision large gymnasiums, wherein students sit to write final exams. These types of assessments are commonly used in higher education for the purposes of determining what an individual has learned throughout their time in a course and can be referred to as summative assessments (Klenowski, 2009). Although this type of assessment is arguably the most frequently employed method of assessment in higher education (Yorke, 2003), it should not be the only method of assessment that is used. This blog post will introduce readers to another method of assessment which can be referred to as formative assessment. Formative assessment will be defined, its importance explained, the inadequacies will be acknowledged, and suggestions will be made to address the inadequacies presented. Ultimately, I will argue that to augment and enhance student success, higher education institutions must support the use of formative assessment.
Defining Formative Assessment
When conducting a formative assessment, information must be collected to determine students’ progress in the learning process (Wiliam, 2011). This information can be collected through observation, dialogue (Klenwoski, 2009), or through the examination of a product. It is used to uncover if and where there is a gap between a student’s learning and their learning goals (Heritage, 2016). The assessor will then provide feedback to the learner to assist them in determining how to reach their learning goals (Heritage, 2016; Wiliam, 2011). When the assessor is the learner themselves, they must reflect on their learning goals and success criteria to determine what they must do to grow their learning and then be willing to take that risk in their learning to achieve success (Wiliam, 2011).
To ensure that this method of assessment is formative, the feedback must be applied by both the student and the educator (Heritage, 2016; Klenwoski, 2009; Wiliam, 2011): the student must apply the feedback they receive to adjust the learning strategies that they are using and the educator must modify their instruction to meet the determined needs of the student (Gijbels & Dochy, 2006; Wiliam, 2011).
Importance of Formative Assessment
As formative assessment shapes both teaching and learning, it is of the utmost importance to include in education (Wiliam, 2011; Yorke, 2003). In fact, the importance of this method of assessment is recognized in countries around the world, including those in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific (Klenwoski, 2009).
To be more specific, formative assessment shapes teaching and learning by aiding educators in developing a better understanding and catering instruction to match students’ Zones of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Yorke, 2003). A ZPD is the area between a student’s current level of ability and the level that they can attain with additional support from a peer or educator (Shabani, 2010; Yorke, 2003).
Formative assessment also “motivate[s] students to study, [as it] makes them aware of what they have learned and where they need to study more” (Weurlander et al., 2012, p.747), which confirms that formative assessment has “unprecedented power to increase student engagement and to improve learning outcomes” (Wiliam, 2011, p. 13).
Current Inadequacies of Formative Assessment in Higher Education
Although it is evident that formative assessment is integral to both teaching and learning, the use of formative assessment in higher education is often inadequate. Educators argue that this is because it is challenging to conduct formative assessments while balancing their time between the demands of teaching and research (Henderson et al., 2019; Yorke, 2003). In addition, when educators do conduct formative assessments, it has been found that students often fail to apply the feedback provided (Henderson et al., 2019).
In my experience as a student at a mid-sized university in southern Ontario, Canada, I have found that few educators dedicate the time to conduct formative assessment. In fact, I have completed a few courses that have not provided a single grade or piece of feedback prior to the end of the course; my peers at other universities and in other faculties have had similar experiences. We may complete a diverse range of tasks (such as papers and examinations) to be assessed however, feedback and the opportunity to improve is seldom provided.
Students in Australia have found similar inadequacies (Henderson et al., 2019). In their experience, feedback is often not provided in a timely manner, is unclear, and fails to be constructive (Henderson et al., 2019). Thus, although schools in Canada and Australia may recognize the importance of formative feedback (Kelwoski, 2009) and promote the diversification of assessment (Brock University, 2020), it is not mandated that any assessment is formative.
Suggestions to Resolve Inadequacies
To resolve these inadequacies and to increase the use of formative assessment in higher education, change must come from the level of the institution. First, policy should be updated to mandate the use of formative assessments, as opposed to solely emphasizing the diversification of assessments. Moreover, professional development courses should be offered to educators to aid them in developing their abilities to conduct formative assessment (Heritage, 2016). Furthermore, students should be taught how to apply the feedback that they are provided. In addition, institutions should reduce class sizes to provide educators with more time to dedicate to conducting formative assessments. With more time to dedicate to these assessments, feedback should be constructive, detailed, and timely. As well, instruction should be catered more closely to students’ needs. If higher education institutions take these steps to support the use of formative assessment, the success of their students should be augmented and enhanced.
References
Brock University. (2020, September 26). Faculty handbook section 3: Academic regulations. Brock University: The Office of the University Secretariat. https://brocku.ca/university-secretariat/faculty-handbook/section-3/#10.1_Duties_of_the_Instructor
Gijbels, D., & Dochy, F. (2006). Students’ assessment preferences and approaches to learning: Can formative assessment make a difference? Educational Studies, 32(4), 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055690600850354
Henderson, M., Ryan, T., & Phillips, M. (2019). The challenges of feedback in higher education. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(8), 1237–1252. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1599815
Heritage, M. (2016). Formative assessment: What do teachers need to know and do? Phi Delta Kappan, 89(2), 140–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172170708900210
Klenowski, V. (2009). Assessment for learning revisited: An Asia-Pacific perspective. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Assessment for Learning Revisited: An Asia-Pacific Perspective, 16(3), 263–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/09695940903319646
Shabani, K., Khatib, M., & Ebadi, S. (2010). Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development: Instructional implications and teachers’ professional development. English Language Teaching, 3(4), 237-248.
Weurlander, M., Söderberg, M., Scheja, M., Hult, H., & Wernerson, A. (2012). Exploring formative assessment as a tool for learning: students’ experiences of different methods of formative assessment. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 37(6), 747–760. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2011.572153
Wiliam, D. (2011). What is assessment for learning? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 37(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2011.03.001
Yorke, M. (2003). Formative assessment in higher education: Moves towards theory and the enhancement of pedagogic practice. Higher Education, 45(4), 477–501. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023967026413
5P52 Higher Education 
It is a great topic and I agree with you that staged feedbacks are beneficial for students to enhance their learning efficiency. However, based on my own experience (yes, I did took a test in a gymnasium in my undergraduate and it is definitely not a great experience), it is relatively difficult for large-sized universities to adopt formative assessment, especially for undergraduate courses with a large class size. Even though one of your solutions targeting this problem is to reduce class size, it is quite challengeable. Because it would mean to either increase the number of instructors or lessen the number of student enrollments for these large universities, while neither of them can be easily achieved without increasing the financial burden. Therefore, I wonder if there are more universal solutions that can be applied to all kinds of universities or specifically targeted solutions to large-sized universities.
Hi Lisha,
I wonder if small group seminar/labs/tutorials are the answer.
I understand that large class sizes may be a necessity in higher education, however I also know that some programs have worked hard to support their students by mandating small group sessions (such as seminars/labs/tutorials) to compliment the large class. These sessions are often run by teaching assistants (so they should not be as costly to higher education institutions) and should allow learning and assessment to be tailored to meet students’ needs.
In future research, I intend to examine the policies at a variety of universities to determine how many mandate smaller group sessions.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post and comment. 🙂
Hi Aynsley, thank you for pointing out a new way out! I’m sure it will be an effective method for maintaining a smaller class size!
Hi Aynsley! You made some great suggestions regarding formative assessment. I think it is a great idea to provide development opportunities for both students and educators. As Lisha mentioned though, there could be a lot of challenges to reducing class sizes. Can you think of ways that higher education institutions can successfully implement the reduction of class sizes and overcome these challenges? Is there other ways to implement formative assessment without reducing class sizes?
I found an interesting report written by Maria Carmen ȚÎru about a study of a university class implementing formative assessment! It could help expand and support your implementation suggestions. The link is below.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333605307_STUDENTS'_INVOLVEMENT_IN_FORMATIVE_ASSESSMENT_AT_UNIVERSITY_LEVEL
Hello Katlyn,
I believe I have answered many of your questions, if you look above at the reply I just posted to Lisha. 🙂
As one additional note to address your question: “Is there other ways to implement formative assessment without reducing class sizes?”, I would like to mention that students can engage in formative assessment themselves or with peers. Thus, if class sizes cannot be reduced, educators could teach students how to self and peer assess. They could then provide the students with the opportunity to engage in this type of formative assessment.
In a course that I recently completed, the professor asked my peers and I to formatively assess each other’s work before the assignment was submitted. We each found a peer, assessed their work, applied the feedback, and then submitted both our assignments and peer assessments to the professor. I think that this is one way that higher education institutions could ensure that formative assessment is always conducted, even in larger classes.
Also, thank you so much for that resource, I can’t wait to check it out!
Hi Aynsley,
Thank you for this great piece regarding formative assessment. I couldn’t agree with you more that this is a necessary aspect of higher education settings. I believe formative assessment and receiving timely feedback allows the student to apply the feedback to future assignments. It also conveys the idea that the assignment was meant to be a learning and growing opportunity- not just a “make-work” project.
Regarding your suggestions, I think smaller class sizes certainly allow instructors to be able to take the time for formative assessment and to share constructive feedback with their students in a timely manner. If smaller class sizes are not possible, providing TA’s or team teaching can also help instructors to manage this sometimes daunting task.
One question I might have is how formative assessment is managed in the on-line format? Is it more challenging or easier compared with in-person classes?
Thanks
Trish
Aynsley,
Thank you for writing a wonderful blog post on assessment. From a student perspective, the classes, in both my undergraduate and graduate, that focused on formative assessment and scaffolding are where I performed at my best. Giving students the opportunity to complete assignments in small chunks with extensive feedback at each stage allowed myself and peers to formulate a well-rounded, well-planned, and well-received final project. Now, these classes that implemented scaffolding and formative assessment had a cap of around 15 students. A lot of the research surrounding formative assessment stresses the importance of a smaller class size so that in-depth feedback can be provided and students have the opportunity for self-reflection and application of feedback. This is also one of your suggestions that post-secondary institutions should reduce class sizes but I wonder if this is tangible due to space restrictions, faculty availability, time, etc. Might I suggest reading an article by Winstone and Millard (2012). Winstone and Millard (2012) demonstrate that formative assessment can be implemented in large class sizes (imagine first or second year university courses) through active learning activities during lecture periods. Through active learning activities and the ability to engage students in objective and subjective formative assessment, a lecture can become a learning environment instead of a passive activity (Winstone & Millard, 2012).
With the solution you already provided, I think adding another solution to those classes who cannot physically be changed, or even classes that have moved to an online format and have well exceeded any physical/spatial capacities a lecture hall has, would make for an excellent [publishable] paper! This may change the way universities and colleges assess their cohorts each exam period; reduction in high stakes testing, reduction in student stress, reduction in mental health, reduction on faculty and teaching assistant workload (large scale, all at one time grading), and so on.
Great work, cannot wait to read the finished product.
Melanie
Click to access EJ991406.pdf