iPads are fantastic tools for boosting student engagement and encouraging classroom collaboration. They’re also great devices for personalised learning and can be used by all students.
These qualities make iPads ideal for supporting teachers with formative assessment – improving student performance and attainment in return.
This blog will explore iPads for formative assessment, introducing the concept of formative assessment and presenting the epic range of tools available to support teachers using this technique.
So, read on to learn how iPads for formative assessment could help your school!
What is formative assessment?
Formative assessment is the use of regular (often informal) assessments to check student understanding.
Summative assessments, e.g. exams, are concerned with monitoring student outcomes. Formative assessments, on the other hand, enable teachers to modify their teaching approach in real time in order to develop student understanding.
How can iPads help?
Test scores should never come as a nasty surprise! And, whilst teachers can’t predict the future, iPads for formative assessment should be an essential part of the teaching toolkit to help avoid this scenario.
With iPads for formative assessment, teachers have access to instant class-wide data to inform their teaching in that very moment. Student responses are also more authentic when you remove the peer pressure/bluffing that comes with raising their hands in class.
There are oodles of iPad-friendly apps to support formative assessment in your classrooms. So, let’s dive in and take a look!
iPads for formative assessment: apps and tools
It’s impossible to mention all the iPads for formative assessment tools here, so we’ve selected some favourites:
1) Nearpod: this is a popular web-based or mobile app for interactive presentations and assessments. Teachers can create multimedia presentations or select pre-made ones from a library. They can also upload videos, images or audio files and embed quizzes and polls. Student data displays in real time and is easy to share with peers to promote metacognition and error analysis.
2) Socrative: this is an interactive web-based student response system that allows teachers to ask quick questions for instant feedback, build their own quizzes or tests, or import pre-designed ones. With easy-to-interpret results, teachers can then tailor next steps to suit individual abilities.
3) Spiral: this is an interactive web-based learning platform that teachers can use for quick assessment (e.g. quizzes or questions), student collaboration, interactive video and flipped learning activities. Use the ‘Team Up’ feature to randomise or assign teams, and monitor student progress as they create collaborative presentations.
4) Edpuzzle: this is a web-based interactive tool that introduces students to self-paced learning with interactive video lessons containing questions and voice narration added by their teacher. Teachers can upload their own videos, use existing videos from sources like YouTube, or select the subjects they want from the curriculum video library. They can view student progress, length of time taken to complete assignments and scores.
There are many more tools on the market to support teachers with formative assessments – so there’s no excuse for nasty surprises when exam time comes!
Does your school want to find out more about using iPads for formative assessment? Contact iPads for Education today to chat through your options and learn about our flexible leasing agreements.
iPads for Education from Utility Rentals helps schools, acadamies, colleges and universities across the UK to acquire Apple iPads through affordable and tailor made rental solutions.
Our team of tablet wizards are fully in tune with the requirements of the education sector and will work in partnership with you to make the process of getting and maintaining iPads for your pupils and staff refreshingly straightforward.
