FATE Suggested Guidance for Formative Assessment of Teaching

Formative assessment is an on-going process of gathering information and feedback to
continuously improve as teachers.

1. Choose a category of effective teaching you would like to assess.
   1. Course design
   2. Informed teaching
   3. Learner centered
   4. Reflective teaching
2. Consider all the work that you do to achieve elements* within the category in your
   course(s).
   Possible sources of evidence are listed below each category. Remember that not all
   possible evidence has to exist or be provided.
   
   *These are generalizable elements of effective teaching, but they are not proscriptive.
   How an element is implemented in any course or class meeting is highly customizable
   and adaptable. Individual instructors and/or departments may also emphasize some elements
3. Provide a brief self-assessment.
   Note that not all elements have to be fully developed for a category to be effective. For instance, is this element:
   1. Well-developed – e.g. might need tweaking but is currently working for you and students.
   2. Developing – e.g. element is present but could still be improved. Also consider the extent to which you feel the element needs to be further developed for overall effective teaching and learning.
   3. Not present but want to develop.
   4. Not relevant.
4. Use self-assessment to guide future improvement.
   Some options are to:
   1. Go solo and set your own goals. Could save your self-assessment and plans for
      improvement as evidence of reflective teaching.
   2. Seek professional development. For instance, through workshops on or off
      campus, reading pedagogical literature, conducting research/experiments on a teaching method, etc.
   3. Enlist a colleague. For instance, share your self-assessment and associated
      evidence with a fellow faculty member, the department chair, HARTE center
      expert, or another trusted colleague. Ask the colleague to offer guidance for improvement. For instance, is the element:
      1. Well-developed – highlight special strengths.
      2. Developing – further provide feedback for improvement and consideration of the relative value of that element.
      3. Not present – further provide feedback on necessity for inclusion and suggestions for doing so.
5. Develop a plan for incorporating feedback into teaching practice.