With clear learning objectives established, the next step is deciding how you’ll know whether students are achieving them. In this stage of Backward Design, the focus shifts to identifying the types of evidence you will collect to monitor and evaluate student learning. Thoughtful assessment helps you stay oriented as an instructor and gives students a clear sense of progress. This module introduces the basics of formative and summative assessment and offers resources into more advanced strategies for those ready to explore further.
Chart the Path for Student Learning
You’ve written your learning objectives, and now you have a clear picture of what you want students to gain from your course. At this point, it’s very tempting to dive straight into content creation, especially when the semester is approaching fast.
But before you think about how you’ll teach, start with how you’ll know whether students are achieving those objectives. What evidence will show you what students know, can do, or still need help with? Designing aligned assessments up front ensures that everything else we use in the course (e.g., in-class activities, homework, projects, materials) is designed with intention in direct support of student learning while reducing the chances that we spend time finding or creating materials that don’t align with our learning objectives.
It is helpful to think about the many ways students could demonstrate their learning and aim for a mix of assessments that give all learners meaningful opportunities to show what they know.
Formative Assessment: The Checkpoints Along the Way
Consider your course as a journey and your students as the travelers. Formative assessments are like small markers on a hiking trail or “you are here” signs that help you and your students check progress before getting too far down a wrong path.
What makes a formative assessment good?
Formative assessments should give quick insights into your students’ progress. The goal is to provide just-in-time feedback that helps students keep moving forward. Therefore, effective formative assessments are:
- Aligned (checks what you said students should learn in the learning objectives)
- Actionable (feedback students can use immediately to adjust their learning)
- Low barrier (easy for you to administer and review, and easy for students to complete)
- Frequent (part of the course rhythm, a regular part of instruction)
Resources for getting started
- Classroom Assessment Techniques by Angelo and Cross is designed for higher education instructors.
- Principles for selecting or designing effective formative assessments
Summative Assessment: The Destination Marker
If formative assessments are like trail markers, then summative assessments are the “You’ve arrived at your destination” marker. They evaluate what students’ have learned at the end of the journey (e.g., unit, module, course). Typically, summative assessments tend to be higher stakes. These assessments are most effective and meaningful when they clearly reflect what you’ve been guiding students toward throughout the journey.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Learning objectives call for analysis, but assessment asks only for recall
- Assessments require skills students never practiced
- High-stakes tasks focus on niche knowledge
Resources for getting started
- How to write good multiple-choice exams
- Creating rubrics to assess student learning
- Adopting a universal design approach to creating assessments
- Exam blueprints as a tool for building aligned assessments