"New report says formative assessment is critical to improving the quality of education globally" - find the full press release here.
The report by HundrED and the Jacobs Foundation summarises the trends and benefits of formative assessment and introduces 14 solutions currently working to support teaching and learning through formative assessment.
VVOB is very proud to have been selected as one of the top 14 innovations with process-oriented child monitoring (see video below). Process-oriented child monitoring (POM), is a formative assessment system used in professional development programs for early childhood education teachers in Vietnam. Using two 5-point scales, teachers systematically observe and assess all learners' wellbeing and involvement using a simple paper-based or app-based tool. Based on this assessment, teachers identify children at risk of not learning, reflect on their own teaching practice, and on what withholds children from learning and meaningful participation. Teachers reflect individually and as a team and are supported by their school leaders and education officials.
Five critical points raised in the report are:
- Assessment culture matters in supporting the ways that formative assessment can be used effectively when an emphasis is placed on helping students learn rather than merely ranking them against each other.
- Formative assessment ensures students are aware of what they are supposed to learn and how they will be assessed. This agency in the learning process can increase student engagement, especially for students who are struggling academically.
- Teachers must be provided with the autonomy to decide how to best use the information and integrate it into their lessons.
- Formative assessment can improve teaching by supporting teachers to differentiate instruction according to learner needs.
- Digital tools are a key component of formative assessment in the creation and collection of data about students’ learning.
