Checking for Understanding:
Formative Assessments, Rubrics, and More!

When used regularly, formative assessments and rubrics enable every teacher to determine what students know and what they still need to learn. This course explores a variety of engaging activities that check for and increase understanding, including interactive writing, portfolios, multimedia presentations, audience response systems, and much more. Specifically, concepts such as the gradual release of responsibility, guided instruction, formative assessment systems, data analysis, and quality instruction are explored. This course is intended for educators who are already familiar with formative assessments and rubrics as well as those who are not. Students who complete this course will learn how assessments and rubrics can work in tandem to create a seamless, comprehensive formative assessment system. The projected outcome of this course is to provide classroom teachers with the knowledge, understanding, and methodologies needed to enhance an active give-and-take relationship between teachers and students to promote learning.