Hey there! 👋 Welcome to my blog where I will walk you through the virtual world of assessment in the classroom. As a virtual teacher, I have used different kinds of assessments to measure my students’ learning. In this blog, I will shed light on student-centered methods of assessment that will not bore your students and will guarantee success! 🎉

Formative Assessments

Formative assessments are the assessments that are conducted throughout the learning process. These assessments help teachers to track their students’ learning and provide constructive feedback. Formative assessments help to reinforce students’ learning and grow their confidence. A few ways to conduct formative assessment in the virtual classroom include:

Polls and Surveys 📊

Polls and surveys provide the teacher with a quick way to gather feedback on topics, questions, or concepts that students are currently learning. The teacher can use this information to adjust the instruction or content, and also to provide students with useful feedback.

A teacher holding a laptop conducting a survey with her virtual class

Quizzes 📝

Quizzes can be an engaging tool for formative assessment if designed creatively. Teachers can create multiple-choice quizzes, vocabulary quizzes, or quizzes with images and videos. Quizzes can be stacked with feedback to help students immediately understand their misconceptions.

A student sitting on a laptop taking a quiz in their virtual classroom

Discussion Forums 💬

Discussion forums allow students to engage in thoughtful discussions about the respective topics. Teachers can encourage participation by having students post or reply to comments.

A group of students in a virtual classroom discussing a topic on a forum

Summative Assessments

Summative assessments are assessments that are conducted at the end of a unit or term. These assessments evaluate the student’s overall knowledge and understanding of the material taught. A few ways to conduct summative assessment in the virtual classroom include:

Projects 📂

Projects give students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning. They can showcase their strengths and skills by creating a website, digital books, or PowerPoint presentations about the topic they have been learning.

A student in a virtual classroom working on a project about a topic they have been learning

Essays 📝

Essays can be an effective way to measure a student’s understanding of a particular topic. The teacher can give students an essay prompt related to the topic and can measure their knowledge based on their response.

A student in a virtual classroom researching for an essay they have to write on a particular topic

Oral Presentations 🎤

In virtual classrooms, oral presentations can be conducted via video conferencing. Oral presentations measure a student’s speaking skills and their ability to present their knowledge on a subject.

A student in a virtual classroom giving an oral presentation on a specific topic

Conclusion

Virtual learning is growing, and it’s crucial to use assessments that are effective and engaging. Formative and summative assessments are two types of assessment that a teacher can use to measure their student’s learning. Formative assessments are conducted throughout the learning process, and summative assessments are conducted at the end. Polls and surveys, quizzes, and discussion forums are examples of formative assessments, while projects, essays, and oral presentations are examples of summative assessments. So, let’s get creative with our assessments, and spark excitement in our students’ learning! 🚀

A group of diverse students smiling and excitedly learning in a virtual classroom