Formative Assessments and Me

Now that I'm digging deeper into this course, I'm left wondering if I really use formative assessments...well, at all!?  I guess in one sense I do; that is, by stringing together a line of different tests and assignments within a single course.  But each of these assessments is like a snapshot in time...the materials I go over post-evaluation are related in the context of the course profile, but typically not consistently reinforced thereafter.  For example, once I've talked about Pasteurization in beer, its effects and how it's perceived in the marketplace, then tested students on it...we don't really go over it again.  Maybe a word here and there, but not in the form of a regular review.

Mind you, I'm not sure I have a truly summative test either...at least not regularly.  I don't like final exams because I'm tired of the simple chug and gag reflex of cramming and regurgitation that students seem so apt to practice...either because of workload or failure to demonstrate due diligence in their preparations. So each of the tests and assignments I use are kind of somewhat formative and somewhat summative...is this the proverbial Biog Deal?  I'm not sure.

I can see the value of incorporating a distinctly formative evaluation.  And I'm no longer concerned about whether they should be accorded a mark, although I've noted that students are MUCH more transactional than me in this area...if it isn't worth something in the form of a mark, then the resistance or basic disinterest spikes appreciably.  But that said, why wouldn't I want to see how their progress is truly going?  It's easier in practical things, or so it seems....we can see how they progress from not having a clue in the brewery to becoming quite adept at the use of most of the technology in there. We show, we ask them to copy/demonstrate, we correct, they get it!  Simple, right?  But I'm left wondering if it's a harder task in writin', readin' and rithmetic?

With respect to the reading, writing and arithmetic, I do use some mild forms of formative assessment...grammar, referencing, spelling; basic stuff really...they all inflict a mild bloodlet of sorts when I catch errors.  And one would presume that they would see that which I want and they would react accordingly.  Not so, at least as often as I might like unfortunately but it's still worth a go.  Perhaps a real issue here is that I'm not being imaginative enough in terms of the kinds of dilemmas or issues I should be posing...I'd wager that I'm certainly not devious enough to camouflage them sufficiently either so that students can't perceive them as a test of sorts.  But try I will...I guess I'm so used to spending 80% of my time on 20% of the students whom generate or have problems (Pareto's Principle), that it affecting my judgement in this matter...do what's right for the majority whom will make the effort and worry less about that other 20%.