We encourage you to include formative assessment in your daily plans, to probe participants’ thinking and to get some feedback from them along the way about how things are going. Here are a few we like. As a bonus, these tactics also model useful strategies for formative assessment or metacognition that people can use in their own classes. Formative assessment helps participants (or students) be metacognitive: it’s beneficial for learning to reflect -- what am I thinking, and how has my thinking evolved? And it’s useful for you to get their input on what they need more of (and what they don’t!), and so to adjust your strategies or timing.
4.1. Waterfall, or 1-2-3 Go
This is a Zoom-friendly way to efficiently share a lot of ideas about a single prompt. We have seen this used very effectively in workshops, to brainstorm or to check in on how people are receiving or struggling with an idea. To run a waterfall, post a prompt to the Zoom chat window and ask people to type an answer, but not hit Submit until you say 1-2-3-Go (see also Robin Wilson’s writeup in the AIBL Handbook). Responses flood into the chat window, and everyone takes time to read them.
This works best with a simple prompt that can have many right answers, such as “Share one idea for doing X in your class,” or “What is one challenge you face in implementing Y in your setting?” This one is not anonymous in Zoom. You can read through the answers individually, or turn it into a discussion by inviting people to share (ask for volunteers or pick answers that intrigue you). Capture the chat so you can share the ideas to everyone.
4.2. Minute paper
This is a classic formative assessment for seeing what is clear or muddy about key ideas. This one can be anonymous. One way to implement it online is to set up Google Slides where each slide has the prompt and 6 answer boxes (3 rows, 2 columns). Prepare as many copies of the slide as you need for everyone to have a box. Everyone chooses a box and starts to write. When time is up, everyone takes time to read the responses - it’s quick because they are compact.
This format is well suited to a reflective question where you want to capture a range of ideas, such as “What do you think of when we say X?” or “What discomforts did the homework task generate for you?” The small box makes it clear what grain size of answer is expected. People can add their initials or write anonymously; leaders can scan a lot of answers quickly and choose a couple to comment on or invite discussion. (thanks to Naneh Apkarian, Estrella Johnson, and Sara Rezvi for the online version of this tactic)
4.3. Gots and needs
Everyone writes at least one sticky note with something they “got” today, and at least one with something they still “need.” The Gots help you know if your learning objectives for the day were achieved. The Needs help you identify topics to visit or revisit tomorrow.
This works well as a daily exit ticket, where everyone reflects a bit at the end of the day. Grouping the Gots and Needs into themes, and planning how to respond, is a good exercise for the end-of-day team meeting. For the most candid feedback, do it on a jamboard or padlet, where people can be anonymous. When you respond to issues the next day, call attention to the changes you made, so they know you heard and are responding to the feedback: “Several people asked for X in their Needs yesterday, so we’re going to [take next step].”
4.4. Roses, buds, and thorns
Because this is a bit more work, it’s less suited to daily feedback, but good for a midway checkpoint or end-of-workshop reflection. You can invite people to share in small groups or in the whole group. It’s nice to read the three responses together from each individual, but a padlet of 3 columns could also work here.
- Rose = A highlight, success, small win, or something positive that happened.
- Thorn = A challenge you experienced; something you can use more support with.
- Bud = New idea that has blossomed; something you are looking forward to learning more about or experiencing.
4.5. Daily team debrief
We highly recommend this practice, even if it’s quick, to go over the plan for the next meeting, make any adjustments based on Gots and Needs, and review who is doing what when. Maybe you’d like to share your own Gots and Needs at this time. It can be very helpful to have team members rotate through an observing role, who can then comment on what they noticed during a particular session. It’s a good time to appreciate each others’ different contributions and roles!