Snapshot: End-of-Class Formative Assessment
As the term unfolds, staying informed of how your students are doing in your courses presents some interesting opportunities. Without adding any new assignments, quizzes, exams or extra grading, you can stay informed by using a simple formative assessment strategy called Snapshot. You need some simple tools: three different colored folders (you may also want a separate set for each of the classes you are teaching during the term) and post-it notes. You also need to provide about five minutes at the end of class to obtain anonymous information from your students.
Place the folders closest to where students exit the room. Pass out the post-its and ask student to anonymously respond to one of the following prompts:
1. Write what you learned and post it in the green folder.
2. Write what questions or ideas you considered as needing to be explored and post it in the yellow folder.
3. What stopped your learning during class? Write that on a post-it and place it in the red folder.
After class, take time to read through the students’ submissions. You will get a snapshot of what was gained, what is muddy, and what was confounding to your students. This information will allow you to shape your next class session or decide to address issues and clarify ideas via e-mail, social media, class webpage, blog, or your LMS.
Adapted from The Stoplight Method: An End-of-Lesson Assessment (2014), where this method is used in a high school English class.
Submitted by:
Rebecca Clemente
Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
North Central College
Naperville, IL
Julie Damerell
Transitional Studies
02/26/2015 |