Posted: August 14th, 2022

Informal Assessment

Informal Assessment

An informal assessment is a type of evaluation that does not follow a standardized procedure or a fixed set of criteria. It is often used to measure students’ progress, skills, attitudes, and interests in an informal and flexible way. Informal assessments can include observations, interviews, portfolios, checklists, rubrics, self-reports, peer-reviews, and performance tasks.

Informal assessments have several advantages over formal assessments, such as tests and quizzes. They can provide more authentic and meaningful information about students’ learning and development, as they are based on natural and contextualized activities. They can also allow for more individualized and differentiated instruction, as they can accommodate different learning styles, preferences, and needs. Moreover, they can foster a positive and supportive learning environment, as they can reduce students’ anxiety and stress, and increase their motivation and engagement.

However, informal assessments also have some limitations and challenges. They can be subjective and inconsistent, as they depend on the judgment and interpretation of the teacher or the assessor. They can also be time-consuming and difficult to document, as they require careful planning, observation, recording, and feedback. Furthermore, they can be hard to align with the curriculum standards and learning objectives, as they may not cover all the content or skills that are expected from the students.

Therefore, informal assessments should not be used in isolation, but rather in combination with formal assessments. They should complement each other and provide a balanced and comprehensive picture of students’ learning outcomes. Informal assessments should also be aligned with the instructional goals and strategies, and reflect the students’ strengths and areas of improvement. Additionally, informal assessments should be valid and reliable, and follow some basic principles of quality assessment, such as clarity, fairness, usefulness, and feedback.

References:

– Brookhart SM. How to Assess Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Your Classroom. Alexandria: ASCD; 2010.
– McMillan JH. Classroom Assessment: help write my dissertation in Principles and Practice for Effective Standards-Based Instruction. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson; 2017.
– Popham WJ. Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know. 8th ed. Boston: Pearson; 2018.
– Tomlinson CA. How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms. 3rd ed. Alexandria: ASCD; 2017.

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