Receiving a quality education is not limited to listening to the teachers in the class, and memorizing the lessons. To review and examine how much we are gaining educationally, and what must be done to improve and excel in academics, assessments play a very important role in the lives of students.
There are two types of assessments, one that is taken at the end of the course known as summative ones, and the other one is a regular form known as formative assessment. Many students try to run away from assessment, finding it tough and stressful for them. But this must not be thought about. Let us discuss the benefits of regular assessments for learners.
Benefits of regular assessments
1. Keep students consistent
Many students have a habit of only studying when exams are near. And if only summative exams are conducted, students might not learn every day, which can affect their academic performance. But when students have to appear for regular assessment, they learn and practice every day. Regular self-studies enhance their consistency with learning.
2. Acts as confidence boosters
Regular assessment is very helpful for students to feel confident about their knowledge. By giving assessments regularly, students stay consistent with their learning. With this, they feel more confident about their knowledge and progress in academics. Students feel less stressed about completing huge chunks of the syllabus as they have been learning regularly. This keeps them more confident.
3. Help students to track their progress
Regular assessments help students to track how much they know, how well they are performing, and what is their progress throughout. By giving regular tests, students can check their learning status, what was previously and what improvement has been made this time. This can help students to keep improving and grow better each day.
4. Reduces stress and pressure
Many students who don’t study regularly, suffer from stress and pressure. Studying only at the time of final exams, makes students cover a huge syllabus in a short period, making them feel stressed and burdened. But when assessments and tests are conducted regularly, students study every day. They keep winding up the syllabus timely which makes them feel confident, more active, and less stressed.
Some assessment ideas for teachers to use in online classes
Our online teaching India, has excelled a lot throughout these years. Leaving behind the conventional methods of education, online education has grown rapidly. Also in the present pandemic times, educators and learners are connected digitally. To make students learn better here too, let us discuss a few regular assessment ideas that all teachers can follow.
1. Group discussions
As we all know, written tests are not very interesting and engaging for students. To make students enjoy and learn better, group discussions can be easily carried out in online classes. Make a few groups in the class, assign each group an effective topic and ask them to discuss and share information on the given topic. This way as per students’ participation, and involvement, you can score them.
2. Pair and present
This can be a type of assessment too. Teachers can make pairs of students or ask them to do it themselves. After that, give them some time to collaborate and connect. Through calls, messages, and other digital platforms, students can work together to present a given topic in the class. This is an innovative assessment process. Good learning, speaking skills, and confidence skills of learners can also increase this way.
3. Online quizzes and puzzles
This is a great assessment idea that will help teachers how to teach online effectively. You can design attractive quizzes and puzzles for students. Ask students to fill these puzzles and get instant scores and results. This way students will enjoy regular assessment and will stay consistent with their learning.
4. Project making
Many students are quite creative and love making models and projects. You can ask students to make projects on interesting topics. For online classes, you can ask students to make attractive PowerPoint presentations, visual notes, a document, animation, visual charts, etc.
Conclusion
Many students fear the assessments. They find regular tests stressful and hectic for them. But they must avoid thinking this way. Better academic growth, more confidence, consistency, less stress, and improvement are some of the benefits of regular assessment for the students. By following the above-mentioned assessment tips such as conducting GD, making presentations, giving projects to make, etc, teachers can make regular assessments interesting for the students.
