The problem this solves
“I'm a teacher and I keep being told to 'engage students'. What does the research say?”
Primary keyword: effective teaching strategies
What you'll learn
- The high-impact teaching habits
- Why low-stakes tests beat lectures
- The single change to make in Monday's class
- How to measure whether it worked
The science behind it: Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is the ongoing measurement of learning during the learning process, used to adjust instruction rather than to certify outcomes.
Why it matters
Without formative signals, both learners and teachers keep doing what is not working; with them, the next session can target the right gap.
How to apply it
- End every study block with a one-question self-check on the most important idea.
- Build review sessions around the questions you missed, not the ones you got right.
- Use periodic mock exams whose only purpose is to inform the next phase of study.
Common mistakes
- Treating mock exams as a final rehearsal rather than as a diagnostic.
- Skipping analysis of why an answer was wrong.
- Designing assessment that tests recognition rather than retrieval.
Read the full concept: Formative Assessment.
Where this fits
Part of module A New Way to Learn.
More articles in this module
- Why You Forget What You Study : how to remember what you study
- Learning Is a Skill, Not a Talent : is learning a skill or a talent
- What Learning Really Is (And Why It Matters) : what is learning
- Learning Styles Are a Myth. Here's What Actually Works : learning styles debunked
- The 'Multiple Intelligences' Idea Is Not What You Think : multiple intelligences myth