Technology-based formative assessments: Student perceptions in pre-calculus mathematics

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Date
2019-12-20
Authors
Jason, Hurton
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Abstract
Formative assessment was pushed to the forefront of educational discussion in Black and Wiliam’s Inside the Black Box (1998b) and continues to be an integral part of assessment in the classroom. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (2014) suggested both formative assessment and technology must be indispensable features of the mathematics classroom for meaningful learning to occur. This study examined these two features combined together in technology-based formative assessments. Specifically, this study explored the experiences of students with Google Forms and Desmos as technology-based formative assessments. The purpose of this study was to give voice to the students and to explore the commonalities that existed in their experiences and to see if their experiences aligned with Wiliam and Thompson’s (2007) five key strategies of formative assessment. Six former students were interviewed in this qualitative research study. Three themes emerged from the data; the students expressed that the technology-based formative assessments gave them an opportunity to take a personal check-in of their understanding, gave them the opportunity to be engaged as owners of their own learning and allowed them to experience interactive and engaging activities, something other than yet another worksheet. A variety of minor themes and unique responses also emerged from the data. Five key elements related to the affordance that technology specifically allows for in these formative assessments is also discussed. The findings of this study provide researchers and educators with the important opportunity to hear from the students and to use their experiences to create more meaningful technology-based formative assessments for future students.
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Desmos, Google Forms, formative assessment, mathematics, technology
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