Department Name Change
UWM's Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) has changed its name to the Center for Advancing Student Learning (CASL), learn more about it in our official statement. Alongside the name change, our website's url has changed to uwm.edu/advancing-learning/. Please update any bookmarks or links to point to our new url!

What is Formative Assessment

Formative assessment refers to a wide range of low-stakes, ongoing activities used during instruction to gauge students’ understanding, provide feedback, and guide next steps in teaching and learning (Sambell et al., 2012). Its purpose is not to grade or label students but to improve learning in real time. 

Unlike summative assessments, which evaluate learning after instruction (e.g., final exams or papers), formative assessments happen during learning. They serve as a check-in for both the instructor and the student to ensure learning is on track. 

Why Formative Assessment Matters 

  • It Furthers, Not Just Measures, Learning 
    • According to The SAGE Handbook of Research on Classroom Assessment (McMillan, 2012), the primary purpose of assessment is not to measure but to further learning. That principle is at the heart of formative assessment. It’s designed to support student growth by helping both students and instructors understand what has been learned and what still needs work. 
  • It Has Consequential Relevance 
    • When faculty dedicate time to administering and reviewing formative assessments, the results must be meaningful enough to justify that effort. This means the assessments should provide instructors with clear insights into where students are struggling and where they are succeeding. With this information, instructors can adjust their teaching to better support student progress toward learning goals. In this way, assessment becomes a powerful tool for learning—not just a checkpoint. 
  • Students Can Use It to Take Ownership of Their Learning 
    • Formative assessments are most powerful when students are active participants in the process. By using feedback to monitor their progress, students can better understand where they are in their learning journey. When they co-create assessments or contribute to developing assessment questions, they gain a clearer understanding of expectations and how to meet them. Encouraging students to regularly reflect on their learning fosters metacognition and self-regulation—essential skills for both academic achievement and lifelong success. 
  • It Provides Valid, Targeted Feedback 
    • Effective formative assessments are aligned with clearly defined learning outcomes and reflect the way those outcomes were taught, ensuring that the information gathered accurately represents student understanding. When assessments are well-matched to instructional goals, instructors gain reliable insights into where students are in their learning. Technology-enhanced tools—such as adaptive tests, virtual engagement check-ins, and exit tickets—can further personalize and sharpen these insights. For example, an exit ticket involves posing a question at the end of class and having students submit brief written responses before they leave. These responses help instructors quickly gauge comprehension and adjust instruction accordingly.  
  • It Helps Identify Learning Gaps
    • Students can use formative assessment to compare their self-perception of learning with actual performance, track their growth, and make necessary adjustments. This strengthens motivation and engagement when students feel a sense of progress and ownership. Through well-crafted prompts, questions, and activities, formative assessments reveal not only what students know, but also what misconceptions they hold or where they are struggling for instructors. This helps instructors guide students toward the next level of understanding with specific, responsive support.  
  • It Must Be Worth the Time
    • Ultimately, the utility of assessment data is crucial. Formative assessment should: 
      • Inform teaching 
      • Support timely interventions 
      • Offer feedback that leads to actionable next steps 
    • If the formative assessment doesn’t do this—for the student or the instructor—then its value and continued use as is, is unclear. 

Examples of Formative Assessments 

  • Mathematics: Brief in-class problem-solving tasks with peer discussion, followed by whole-class debriefs 
  • English: Draft thesis statements or outlines for essays with guided peer and instructor feedback 
  • STEM: Concept check polls or simulations during lectures 
  • Humanities: Minute papers summarizing a reading or lecture’s main point 
  • Online courses: Interactive discussion board posts with instructor replies and peer responses 
  • Examples of Formative Assessments in Canvas: Canvas Community examples  
  • Best Practices: Formative and Summative Assessments in Canvas 

References