Formative assessment focuses on helping candidates learn. Formative assessments do not count towards the final mark. Digital assessment makes it easy to provide feedback. The following four tips will help you provide feedback on formative digital assessments. Why is good feedback so important in formative assessment? When you test digitally instead of in writing, formative assessment is easy. However, high-quality feedback is essential. Testing makes candidates aware of what they do not know (and cannot do) and challenges them to get to work with the course material. Candidates receive (digital) formative assessment clarity about where they stand. This makes it a pleasant and effective way to learn. Another advantage is that candidates who suffer from exam nerves perform better if they regularly pass formative tests. They receive confirmation through the feedback they receive, which reduces their anxiety about the actual (final) test. Determine at what level you wish to provide feedback; Decide how you will present feedback; Consider when you give feedback; Try to give feedback that requires as little maintenance as possible.. 1. Determine at what level you wish to provide feedback It is important to consider in advance at what level you want to give feedback. This can be done at various levels: Feedback on the level of attainment targets or topics; Feedback at the level of questions; Feedback at the level of responses. Feedback can be given at various levels, both in terms of right/wrong and in terms of initiating reflection on the candidate's thought process (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Please note: the various options may be limited by the assessment software used. 2. Decide how you will present feedback Consider how you present the feedback. Especially if you give feedback at the level of answer alternatives, there is a risk that the feedback will be phrased negatively. Try to be constructive when giving feedback and decide how you will present this feedback. 3. Consider when to give feedback You can provide feedback on the test at various times. Consider: Immediately after completing a question or exercise; Immediately after completing a test; When the decision is final (debriefing or inspection). Your choice may also depend on the testing system that you use. Sometimes a candidate can adjust their answer immediately (second chance); this also requires immediate feedback. Research shows that delayed feedback can work better than immediate feedback during the exercise (Van der Kleij, 2017). 4. Try to give feedback that requires as little maintenance as possible Ensure that your feedback is as standardised as possible. For example, do not refer to a page in a book that is revised every year. This would mean you would have to adjust your feedback every year. It is better to refer to the subject that needs to be studied more thoroughly. Conclusion Giving formative feedback starts with thinking about your requirements in advance. Take the candidate into account, but also consider your own work processes. Would you like more tips on giving feedback during (digital) formative assessment? Please contact us. Our technical consultants We are happy to assist you.
