What is one way to assess a student’s understanding?

Assessing a student's understanding through informal observations and formative assessments is highly effective because it offers a continuous and dynamic insight into a student's learning process. These methods allow educators to gather real-time feedback regarding a student’s grasp of material, engagement, and application of skills in various contexts. By observing students during class activities, discussions, and collaborative projects, teachers can identify areas where students excel or struggle, enabling timely adjustments to instruction.

Formative assessments, such as quizzes, think-pair-share activities, or quick check-ins, provide immediate data on student performance and comprehension. This ongoing assessment helps in tailoring instruction to meet the needs of individual learners or the entire class, promoting a more personalized approach to education.

In contrast, standardized testing typically focuses on measuring students against set benchmarks and may not capture the full scope of a student's abilities or understanding. Class participation alone may not provide a comprehensive view of a student's knowledge or skills, as some students may contribute less verbally but still have strong comprehension. Likewise, relying solely on final exams limits assessment to a single evaluative moment, which may not reflect a student's overall understanding developed over time. Thus, the combination of informal observations and formative assessments emerges as a holistic approach to accurately gauge student understanding.