Examples of Classroom Assessment Techniques

Below are some of the more commonly known techniques:

3-2-1 Format - 3-2-1 Format is a quick and simple student writing activity.
Focused Listing - Focused Listing is a quick and simple student writing activity.
Muddiest Point - Muddiest Point is a quick and simple technique where students identify a challenging or confusing
concept.
One Minute Paper - One minute paper is an introductory technique for a student writing activity.
Think-Pair-Share - Think-Pair-Share is a quick and easy technique that has students working in pairs to answer questions
posed by the instructor.
Concept Mapping - Concept Mapping is an intermediate technique that asks students to create ways of representing and
organizing ideas and concepts.
Jigsaw - Jigsaw is an advanced technique where students teach each other assigned topics.
Memory Matrix - Memory matrix is an intermediate technique that asks students to create a structure for organizing large
sets of information.
Quiz Show- Quiz Show is an intermediate technique that uses a game show format for review sessions.

Formative and Summative Assessment

Assessment is the process of gathering data. More specifically, assessment is the ways instructors gather data about their
teaching and their students’ learning (Hanna & Dettmer, 2004). The data provide a picture of a range of activities using
different forms of assessment such as: pre-tests, observations, and examinations. Once these data are gathered, you can
then evaluate the student’s performance. Evaluation, therefore, draws on one’s judgment to determine the overall value of
an outcome based on the assessment data. It is in the decision-making process then, where we design ways to improve the
recognized weaknesses, gaps, or deficiencies.

Types of Assessment
There are three types of assessment: diagnostic, formative, and summative. Although are three are generally referred to
simply as assessment, there are distinct differences between the three.
There are three types of assessment: diagnostic, formative, and summative.

Diagnostic Assessment

Diagnostic assessment can help you identify your students’ current knowledge of a subject, their skill sets and
capabilities, and to clarify misconceptions before teaching takes place (Just Science Now!, n.d.). Knowing students’
strengths and weaknesses can help you better plan what to teach and how to teach it.

TYPES OF DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS

 Pre-tests (on content and abilities)
 Self-assessments (identifying skills and competencies)
 Discussion board responses (on content-specific prompts)
 Interviews (brief, private, 10-minute interview of each student)

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment provides feedback and information during the instructional process, while learning is taking place,
and while learning is occurring. Formative assessment measures student progress but it can also assess your own
progress as an instructor. For example, when implementing a new activity in class, you can, through observation and/or
surveying the students, determine whether or not the activity should be used again (or modified). A primary focus of
formative assessment is to identify areas that may need improvement. These assessments typically are not graded and act
as a gauge to students’ learning progress and to determine teaching effectiveness (implementing appropriate methods
and activities).
A primary focus of formative assessment is to identify areas that may need improvement.

TYPES OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

 Observations during in-class activities; of students non-verbal feedback during lecture
 Homework exercises as review for exams and class discussions)
 Reflections journals that are reviewed periodically during the semester
 Question and answer sessions, both formal—planned and informal—spontaneous
 Conferences between the instructor and student at various points in the semester
 In-class activities where students informally present their results
 Student feedback collected by periodically answering specific question about the instruction and their self-
evaluation of performance and progress

Summative Assessment
Summative assessment takes place after the learning has been completed and provides information and feedback that
sums up the teaching and learning process. Typically, no more formal learning is taking place at this stage, other than
incidental learning which might take place through the completion of projects and assignments.
Rubrics, often developed around a set of standards or expectations, can be used for summative assessment. Rubrics can
be given to students before they begin working on a particular project so they know what is expected of them (precisely
what they have to do) for each of the criteria. Rubrics also can help you to be more objective when deriving a final,
summative grade by following the same criteria students used to complete the project.

Rubrics also can help you to be more objective when deriving a final, summative grade by following the same criteria
students used to complete the project.

High-stakes summative assessments typically are given to students at the end of a set point during or at the end of the
semester to assess what has been learned and how well it was learned. Grades are usually an outcome of summative
assessment: they indicate whether the student has an acceptable level of knowledge-gain—is the student able to
effectively progress to the next part of the class? To the next course in the curriculum? To the next level of academic
standing? See the section “Grading” for further information on grading and its affect on student achievement.

Summative assessment is more product-oriented and assesses the final product, whereas formative assessment focuses on
the process toward completing the product. Once the project is completed, no further revisions can be made. If, however,
students are allowed to make revisions, the assessment becomes formative, where students can take advantage of the
opportunity to improve.

TYPES OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

 Examinations (major, high-stakes exams)
 Final examination (a truly summative assessment)
 Term papers (drafts submitted throughout the semester would be a formative assessment)
 Projects (project phases submitted at various completion points could be formatively assessed)
 Portfolios (could also be assessed during it’s development as a formative assessment)
 Performances
 Student evaluation of the course (teaching effectiveness)
 Instructor self-evaluation

LIST OF TEACHING METHODS

1. Teacher-Centered Instruction
     Recognized as the most conventional approach, the teacher-centered methodology is based on the idea that the teacher
has the main responsibility in the learning environment. Teachers are in charge of the classroom and direct all activities.
Typically, in this approach, students are seated at individual desks that face the teacher. While group work may take
place, most classroom time is spent with the teacher explaining concepts and assigning individual work. In other words,
students passively absorb the information while the teacher actively delivers it. 

     Advantages: 
          1. It highlights the importance of the teacher’s role as facilitator. Although the teacher-centered approach has been
criticized for encouraging passive learning, no one can deny that students need the assistance of a teacher to develop their
skills.
          2. Having been built on behavioral theory, this teaching method facilitates control over changes in student behavior
through direct instruction. It might be helpful to use the core of this approach and modify it depending on the teacher’s
and students’ needs, gradually shifting the focus from the former to the latter. 

     Disadvantages:
          1. Critics cite lack of stimulation student motivation. Indeed, the teacher-centered method, used blindly, may not
allow students enough freedom of mind and creativity. 
          2. It is poor at promoting analytical thinking and problem solving skills. Not having enough opportunities for
students to make their own choices may result in lack of decision making skills and even inability to think critically. 

2. Small Group Instruction

Small Group
     Small group instruction (SGI) usually follows whole group instruction and provides students with a reduced student-
teacher ratio, typically in groups of four to six students. SGI allows teachers to work more closely with each student on a
specific learning objective, reinforce skills learned in whole group instruction, and check for student understanding. This
teaching method is based on constant activities around workstations: groups working with the teacher and groups
working independently on varied activities, such as using manipulatives or computer/online resources. 

     Speaking of digital resources, they have been showing their huge potential lately, and Happy Numbers is no exception.
The platform has been effectively used by many experienced teachers to improve their small group instructional
techniques. The Happy Numbers curriculum perfectly integrates the main principles of the approach and helps teachers
to plan their lessons accordingly. 

     Happy Numbers meets each student's individual needs, provides direct instruction, and always keeps them in their
zone of proximal development, which allows them to independently close learning gaps. Moreover, its digital framework
keeps students engaged throughout the whole course, letting them work independently and carefully monitoring their
progress.

     Advantages:
          1. Lessons are adapted to each student’s level. This allows teachers to provide targeted, differentiated instruction to
small groups of students in a natural way. It helps the instructor to more closely evaluate what each student is capable of
and construct strategic plans around the assessments. 
          2. It promotes students’ social adaptation skills. Students who find it difficult to ask questions and participate in a
large group setting may benefit from working in a small group setting, where they feel more at ease and less
overwhelmed. 

     Disadvantages:
          1. It takes more time and effort to prepare materials and organize workstations for each student group. Teachers
need to think through each type of activity that will be provided at workstations: they should be equally engaging and
effective. 
          2. Students might feel pressure to always be involved, always contributing to lessons, and always taking some kind
of role in group work. 

3. Student-Centered / Constructivist Approach

     As we consider shifting the focus from teacher to students, the rest of the approaches from this list are considered to be
student-centered or constructivist. With the development of the educational sphere and society in general, the idea of a
student-centered approach has become more popular, and there are good reasons for that. Student-centered classrooms
include students in planning, implementation, and assessments. Involving the learners in these decisions places more
responsibility and ownership on them rather than on the teacher. Also, teachers must become comfortable with changing
their leadership style from directive to consultative. Meanwhile, students may work in small groups, access centers, and
move about the classroom freely. 

     Advantages:
          1. Students play a more active role in their learning and develop a sense of responsibility. 
          2. Thanks to teachers avoiding transmission of knowledge directly, students have a chance to stimulate their
analytical thinking, by “making sense of what they are learning by relating it to prior knowledge and by discussing it
with others,” according to American educational psychologist J. Brophy. 

     Disadvantages: 
          1. There is a risk of facing some behavioral problems by giving students independence, especially when it comes to
young children. To avoid such problems, teachers must lay a groundwork by creating a model of correct behavior: having
the freedom to do what you want means being ready to take responsibility for the process and the results. 
          2. This method works best when the instructor makes the lesson interesting. Without this, students may get bored,
their minds may wander, and they may miss key information.

     The student-centered approach can be difficult for teachers to master or perfect, and it doesn´t always guarantee a
100% outcome. However, the results can be very positive if teachers still employ the approach partially, blending these
techniques with other types of lessons. 
  
4. Project-Based Learning
     A relatively new teaching method, project-based learning falls within the student-centered approach. As the name
suggests, in project-based learning students complete projects. However, these are big, meaty projects in which students
acquire knowledge, research, think critically, evaluate, analyze, make decisions, collaborate, and more. 

     Typically, projects are created in response to an open-ended question such as “How can our school be greener?” or
“How was our city planned in the past and how could it be planned in the future?” Another important part of the projects
is that they relate to real-world problems. The projects shouldn’t just apply to the classroom but have an impact, too. For
example, students might make a radio show for the whole school to hear. Or, they might write a letter to the town council
and attend a meeting to express an opinion.

     Advantages:
          1. Between projects, the teacher may provide scaffolding and smaller bite-sized projects to help build skills such as
how to research, how to solve division problems, how to write a letter, etc. Thus, students build on what they know by
asking questions, investigating, interacting with others, and reflecting on these experiences.
          2. Cooperative learning is enhanced by letting students organize their work in groups. 

   Disadvantages:
          1. It’s quite time consuming and requires good classroom management skills (from equipment availability to
organizing and controlling the usage of it). 
          2. Students without experience in group work may have difficulties adapting roles and negotiating compromise.

5. Montessori
     This type of teaching is based on a methodology that’s over 100 years old. Yet, it continues to offer a novel approach to
creating a student-centered classroom.

     Today, the Montessori method is most popular in preschools, kindergartens, and lower elementary grades. In this
method, the teacher prepares an ideal classroom environment full of activities that children may pick from to work on.
Moreover, the teacher guides the children to ensure that they choose an adequate number of lessons from all of the
subject areas.
     The Montessori method also encourages the use of “materials” or carefully curated objects designed for learning. For
example, there are trays containing different types of triangles or cards with definitions explaining the parts of a bird.
Furthermore, the Montessori method includes areas of the curriculum that teach social skills and practical life skills, such
as cooking and cleaning.

    Advantages:
        1. Strong intrinsic motivation and a strong sense of responsibility are important qualities that the Montessori method
strives to instill in students. Children often work independently and have their choice of what to work on and where to
work in the classroom.
        2. It creates a positive learning environment. The multi-age learning environment is unique and a key factor to this
educational method. Younger children have a great opportunity to develop their social, communication, leadership, and
emotional skills by working with older children. Older children also benefit from this approach.

   Disadvantages:
        1. It can be expensive. For Montessori schools, it is very hard to keep their prices low. 
        2. Some teachers and students may find it difficult to get used to the looseness of the curriculum compared to
familiar methods of teaching. It’s important to keep that in mind before deciding to incorporate some ideas of Montessori
or even implement it into teaching. 

 6. Inquiry-Based Learning

     What if learning was question-driven? This is exactly what inquiry -based learning is about: it engages students by
making real-world connections through exploration and high-level questioning.

     Advantages: 
          1. Teachers guide students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. To learn these skills, the teacher
helps students think through their processes, teaches them possible approaches, and encourages them to try various
methods. 
          2. Students are encouraged to fail as a part of the process and then improve their performance in subsequent
activities.
          3. Instead of repeating answers students have been taught, students learn to seek their own answers to questions.
So, students develop strong research skills. 

     Disadvantages: 
          1. Because students are always encouraged to speak up, participate, and not be afraid to fail, there is always a risk of
embarrassing students who may not be quick thinkers (or who suffer from learning disabilities and processing issues).
This leads to a higher level of anxiety and loss of motivation.
          2. It may result in poorer standardized testing performance. When too much time is dedicated to student inquiries,
there’s always the risk that important “core” topics could be left out. Naturally, this hurts standardized testing
performance. 

     Still, one may find some useful techniques and ideas of inquiry-based learning for carefully implementing them into
the lesson and benefiting from them, as the approach gives a lot of opportunities to promote students’ problem solving
abilities

7. Flipped Classroom
     The concept of delivering online lectures that students can view from home to substitute lecturing in the classroom is
known as flipped learning. The letters FLIP represent the four pillars included in this type of learning: Flexible
environment, Learning culture shift, Intentional content, and Professional educator. This technique, in theory, allows for
more time in class to be devoted to active learning rather than instruction. 

     Advantages:
          1. Students have more control over their learning. When viewing video content or other materials at home, students
have the option of learning at their own pace.
          2. It promotes student-centered learning and collaboration.

    Disadvantages: 
          1. It is difficult to implement: unequal access to technological resources disadvantages certain populations. 
          2. Being based mostly on auditory perception of students, it leads to less effective comprehension. 
          3. It depends highly on students’ compliance: the approach assumes that students will complete the out-of-class
preparation and always be prepared for participation in class. There’s a risk though that not all students will always be
prepared for the lesson. 

     Multiple case studies prove that the positive effect of this method outweighs shortcomings that may be easily avoided
through the use of a partially flipped classroom. We’re sure that teachers are likely to find some useful techniques of
flipped learning and incorporate them into their own lessons. 

8. Cooperative Learning
     As the name suggests, cooperative learning involves a lot of group work. However, it also requires a lot of structure
and intervention on the part of the teacher to make learning as effective as possible. Some commonly used cooperative
learning strategies include “think-pair-share.” Discussions in small groups or pairs can also be effective, as can a “jigsaw”
approach. In the jigsaw model, students are broken into small groups to read or learn from a certain perspective. Then,
changing their groups, members spread the information and share it with others. 

     Advantages:
          1. It improves social skills through cooperative work, recreating real-world work situations in which collaboration
and cooperation are required. One of the most vivid results of cooperative learning is described in American psychologist
and professor of the John Hopkins University Robert E. Slavin’s essential work “Cooperative learning: Theory, Research,
and Practice”. 
          2. It improves critical thinking: during the group work process, students will express their opinions or ideas with
the other students in the group providing feedback. This feedback to each student will include critique as well as the
interpretation of the opinions or ideas expressed. 

     Disadvantages: 
          1. There may be difficulties with distributing social roles among group members and, as a result, the detachment of
one student from the group. There are risks of possible conflicts between group members, which demands more attention
from the teacher. 
          2. Students working in the same group may have different speeds of learning. 

9. Personalized Education
     Personalized education takes the student-centered approach to a new level by, as much as possible, responding to each
individual learner’s unique needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Each student gets a learning plan that's based on what he
or she knows and how he or she learns best. Through individualized instruction, learning is tailored to the student. It
provides numerous and yet-to-be-discovered advantages for both teachers and students.
 
     Advantages:
          1. Personal attention is given to ensure that every child develops his or her intellectual and creative talents. 
          2. Studying in a supportive and caring environment promotes respectful student-teacher relationships and even
teacher partnership with parents. 

     Disadvantages:
          1. It can be time- and organization-demanding: teachers have to modify their pace, do a lot of preparation, and learn
to comprehend and attend to each student's needs. 

What Is the Best Method of Teaching?

     There is no “best” method of teaching. However, many researchers today agree that including more student-centered
learning approaches in the classroom can improve learning. Using only a teacher-centered approach leaves out many
skills and learning opportunities for students. Yet, there may still be space for teacher-centered learning for some specific
topics and learning objectives. However, teacher-centered learning shouldn’t be the only strategy in your teacher toolbox.

     The bottom line is that each teacher needs to find a teaching style that fits his or her personality. An effective teacher is
a passionate teacher who is confident in what they’re doing! So, if any of the strategies on this list of teaching methods
intrigues you, why not look into it a bit more? You might discover a new method that motivates your students and
improves their learning and your teaching experience!