What’s something you learned that truly stuck?

In workshops on formative assessment, I ask people to think about a “best learning” experience from their life – regardless of whether it occurred as part of traditional schooling or in a different context. Then, I ask them to “unpack” that experience to identify the most influential factors that made their learning so effective and share their list with others in a small group. While the examples of “best” learnings from the group members vary widely (e.g., learning to snowboard, military training, apprenticeships), the most commonly identified factor is prompt and personalized feedback with an opportunity to make use of it (e.g., re-writing, practicing and trying again). The exercise serves as a reminder of something that most people have experienced—that on-going assessment and feedback is fundamental to effective learning!

In this week’s episode of Edutopia’s “School of Practice” podcast, I explore formative assessment and feedback and share three practical and proven techniques that are applicable across grade levels and subject areas. You’ll also hear from teachers who describe their favorite techniques.

You can listen and subscribe to "School of Practice" and listen to my podcast on formative assessment on Apple and Spotify.