As students return to classrooms, new software gives teachers real-time feedback during tests
VACAVILLE, Calif. (KGO) -- As kids return to the classroom, teachers want to assess and monitor their progress early on after last school year's remote learning. Many of them have turned to a teacher-developed software program that seems tailored for immediate feedback.
Tracking student achievement has always had a lag time because testing is done weeks or months later. Welcome to a new world of real-time learning assessment called Formative.
RELATED: How masks impact the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant in a classroom
"This works when you use feedback in your classroom, and you give students insight into what standards are falling behind on a day-to-day basis. You can have much better outcomes for everyone," said Formative co-founder and CEO Craig Jones, a former eighth grade science teacher in Southern California.
The software incorporate a teacher's existing lesson plans and allows the teacher to monitor each student's response to questions, almost as though the teacher is peering over the student's shoulder.
"All they have to do is teach, and we show immediate insights that teachers usually are stopping class instantly and just saying, OK, let's talk about this right now," said Jones.
Analytics track correct and wrong answers with color-coded displays. The teacher can see if a student is struggling to write a math formula. The concept is to intervene and to enhance learning as it's happening. The basic software is free, and it is winning praise from math teacher Amanda Stokholm at Vacaville's Will C. Wood High School.
VIDEO: Experts explain why returning to school is safe despite fears over Delta variant
"We get live data from them as they're taking the test, so we can see what they record, what they write what they upload as they're taking it," she explained. "So we're really able to address needs almost immediately when we're seeing them take the test."
Formative is being used all over the U.S. Teachers from been hearing about it from each other and trying it in their classrooms. Some administrators have adopted it district-wide.
Research indicates the instant feedback can accelerate learning by as much as eight months per student.
Take a look at all of ABC7's Building a Better Bay Area stories and videos here.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL WEEK STORIES & VIDEOS:
- Oakland students and teachers deal with vaccination requirements as school resumes
- San Francisco teachers, parents, nonprofit tackle kids' priorities together as school resumes
- Bay Area school districts ready to tackle learning loss after year of online learning
- Here's how South Bay school custodian is ensuring safe return for students, staff
- State Superintendent Thurmond hosts vaccine town hall
- Gov. Newsom announces all CA teachers must be vaccinated or tested weekly
- Back-to-school anxiety 'definitely different' as San Jose teachers return to full-in-person learning
- Back to school: Stanford doctor ranks best mask types for kids in the classroom
