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[SpecialTopics 758] Re: What is formative assessment

Sandy Cropper

SCropper at fas.edu
Mon Feb 25 17:46:30 EST 2008


I remember the book. But I don't remember the author. I can't find the
book either. Thank you for reminding me about it. I started out in
elementary school. I switched to Adult Ed.:)

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Debbie Yoho
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 12:14 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 752] Re: What is formative assessment

While is appears formative assessment is relatively an unknown idea in
adult education, it may be very familiar to educators trained for k-12.
As
an undergraduate secondary education major in 1971, I was carefully
taught
the difference between formative and summative assessments. The
emphasis
for formative assessment was on teacher-developed assessment tools. We
studied Robert Mager's structure for formulating objectives and
outcomes,
and were taught to create our own periodic assessments, oiften quite
informal, keyed to those objectives. One book that had a profound
impact
on my teaching practice was called CLASSROOM QUESTIONS. Alas, I cannot
remember the author and no longer have the book. But the book showed
how
to structure questions by considering Bloom's Taxonomy. If the title
rings a bell with anyone I'd love to be reminded of the author and
whether
or not it is still in print. It was a slim volume, less than 100 pages.

Questions for our special topics guests: is the foundational work of
Bloom
and Mager pertinent to how formative assessment was evaluated in the
OECD
studies, and are we talking mainly about teacher-made tools?

Deborah W. Yoho
director, Turning Pages
(formerly the Greater Columbia Literacy Council)
a community service of Volunteers of America Carolinas
803-765-2555 Fax: 803-779-1657
PO Box 1447 Columbia, SC 29202
yohogclc at earthlink.net



> [Original Message]

> From: David J. Rosen <djrosen at comcast.net>

> To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>

> Date: 2/25/2008 1:40:36 PM

> Subject: [SpecialTopics 751] What is formative assessment

>

> Colleagues,

>

> A discussion list subscriber wrote to me offline: "David, I've never

> heard of formative assessment in adult basic

> education. What is it?" I think she may speak for many in the U.S.

> who are subscribed to this discussion.

>

> I encourage those who are new to this concept -- or possibly just

> this term -- to post your questions now, to ask Janet and our other

> guests about what formative assessment means. You might ask questions



> like "Does it mean that a teacher would......" or " ...that students

> would...." or "Does it differ from summative assessment in that....."



> or however you like.

>

> While we await subscribers' questions, Janet could you give some more



> examples of formative assessment in adult foundation (basic) skills.

>

> David J. Rosen

> Special Topics Discussion Moderator

> djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>

> -------------------------------

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> Email delivered to dwyoho at earthlink.net



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