Formative assessment isn’t a final judgment, it’s part of the learning itself. It happens during teaching, not after. As Bell and Cowie (2002) defines it, it’s “assessment which provides feedback to students (and teachers) about the learning which is occurring, during the teaching and learning, and not after” (p. 6).
I’ve always liked Gipps’ (1994) framing of formative assessment as a process: one where we appraise student work with the goal of shaping and improving it, not simply evaluating it. This kind of assessment is most powerful when it leads to some kind of action, whether that’s a shift in instruction, a moment of self-reflection, or a targeted follow-up activity.
But for any of this to work, feedback has to be at the center. As Sadler (1989) and others have pointed out, formative assessment depends on interaction a dialogue where the goal is to support learning, not just monitor it. And as Black (1993) emphasizes, assessment is only truly formative if the information gathered is used, by both teacher and student, to improve learning outcomes.
Formative Assessment Tools
In this post, I’m sharing a curated list of digital tools that can help you make formative assessment more practical and engaging. These tools aren’t just about collecting answers, they’re about opening up space for dialogue, feedback, and real-time instructional shifts that support deeper learning.
1. Edpuzzle
Edpuzzle lets you turn any video, YouTube, Khan Academy, or your own into an interactive lesson. You can embed questions at specific points in the video to check for understanding, pause for reflection, or prompt discussion. It’s a great way to hold students accountable for video content while giving you instant feedback on what they’re picking up and where they’re struggling. I find it especially useful for flipped or blended learning models.
2. Plickers
Plickers is a low-tech but highly effective tool for live, in-class formative assessment. Each student gets a unique card they hold up to answer multiple-choice questions, and you scan the room with your phone to collect responses instantly. It works without student devices, which makes it ideal for younger grades or settings with limited tech access. It’s fast, engaging, and gives you real-time insight into student understanding.
3. Google Forms
Google Forms is a flexible tool that works for just about any type of formative assessment. You can create quizzes, exit tickets, check-ins, surveys, or self-assessments. Use multiple choice, short answer, or drop-downs depending on your goal. With automatic grading (if you enable quizzes), immediate feedback, and clear response summaries, it’s easy to spot patterns and adjust instruction.
4. Socrative
Socrative offers real-time questioning, instant result analysis, and auto-graded quizzes. You can run quick polls, exit tickets, or even longer quizzes to gauge student understanding during or after a lesson. One standout feature is the “Space Race” game mode, which turns assessment into a friendly competition. It’s ideal for spotting misconceptions on the spot and adjusting instruction accordingly.
5. Kahoot!
Kahoot turns formative assessment into a high-energy quiz game. You create or use pre-made quizzes, and students answer in real time on their devices. It’s fast, visual, and fun, perfect for review sessions or quick checks for understanding. The leaderboard format can be motivating for many students, but it also offers useful insights into which questions are causing trouble, even if the game feels lighthearted.
6. Quizizz
Quizizz works similarly to Kahoot but allows students to progress at their own pace. You can assign quizzes as live games or homework, and students receive immediate feedback after each question. What I like about Quizizz is the detailed data reports, it helps you track individual and class-wide performance trends. It’s great for identifying knowledge gaps quietly and efficiently.
7. Quizalize
Quizalize combines formative assessment with personalized follow-up. After students complete a quiz, the tool groups them automatically based on their results and can recommend differentiated activities. It works well for teachers looking to pair assessment with targeted instruction. You also get detailed analytics to monitor progress over time and adjust lessons for different learning levels.
8. Blooket
Blooket blends formative assessment with game-based learning. You can use pre-made question sets or create your own, then let students play through various game modes that test their knowledge. What sets Blooket apart is its variety of games, students stay engaged while you collect data on their performance. It’s ideal for review sessions, quick checks, or even reinforcing new content in a fun way.
9. AhaSlides
AhaSlides is an interactive presentation platform that includes live quizzes, polls, word clouds, and Q&A features. During a lesson, you can embed quick questions or surveys to gauge understanding or gather feedback. Students respond on their own devices, and you get real-time results. It’s perfect for making your lessons more interactive while collecting on-the-spot formative data.
10. Factile
Factile is a Jeopardy-style quiz game that turns content review into a collaborative competition. You create question boards aligned with your lesson objectives, and students (individually or in teams) respond during gameplay. While it’s more structured as a review tool, it still gives you a clear sense of what students know, what they’re guessing, and where they need reinforcement.
Conclusion
To conclude, formative assessment isn’t just a teaching strategy, it’s a mindset. It’s about staying responsive, using evidence from student learning as it happens, and making small, timely adjustments that lead to bigger outcomes. The tools I’ve shared here from Edpuzzle and Google Forms to Kahoot, Quizizz, and beyond are just that: tools. What makes them powerful is how you use them to create feedback loops, spark reflection, and build a classroom culture where students see assessment as part of learning, not just the end of it.
References
- Bell, B. F., & Cowie, B. (2002). Formative assessment and science education (1st ed.). Kluwer Academic. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47227-9
- Gipps, C. (1994) Beyond Testing: Towards a Theory of Educational Assessment. London: The Falmer Press
- Black, P. (1993) Formative and Summative Assessment by Teachers’. Studies in Science Education , 21, 49-97
- Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18(2), 119–144
