The following articles discuss the pros and cons of using tools that allow you to assess students in real-time - not with pop quizzes or end-of-section tests, but while in the midst of learning activities whether face-to-face or online:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/education/13social.html
http://www.bill-morrison.com/projects/etec-master/online-testing-tools/pros-cons.html
Use the following Padlet wall to post your thoughts about thee pros and cons:
http://www.socrative.com
•Teacher and student accounts
•Teacher creates a room; students join
•Online or app access
•Create multiple choice or short response questions
•Download reports to Excel file
http://www.polleverywhere.com
•Online and accessible from phones
•Can download results as PowerPoint slides or Excel spreadsheets
Other online tools to try:
•http://www.quizsocket.com
•https://getkahoot.com
•http://www.gosoapbox.com
•https://todaysmeet.com
•http://padlet.com
These tools allow you to make quizzes for students to take online and can be:
•Automatically graded
•Give customized feedback
•Be shared with you for evaluation
Some challenges:
•Hard to use as summative since can’t prove who is taking the quiz
•Mostly uses multiple choice or true/false – hard to auto grade a paragraph or text.
•Need to have access outside class for it to really help
This video shows how you can create online self-assessments for students using Google Forms. This then lets you gather all the student assessment data into a spreadsheet to help you analyze and use the data to help you in your teaching.
One way to use real-time assessment tools is for "back channeling". this is a method in which technology is used to allow students to ask questions during class without raising their hands or being called on. This method is also useful for you to gauge the temperature of student engagement and motivation without disrupting your presentation.
