What is a key characteristic of formative assessments?

A key characteristic of formative assessments is that they can be graded and provide insight into student progress. These assessments are designed to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to enhance their learning. Unlike summative assessments, which evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark, formative assessments are more about the process of learning.

They can take various forms, such as quizzes, discussions, or assignments, and are typically conducted throughout the learning process rather than at its conclusion. This allows educators to understand how well students are grasping material and where they may be struggling, enabling timely interventions. By providing valuable information on student understanding, formative assessments help to shape and inform future lessons and individualized approaches to learning.