AI for Formative Assessment: A Summary of Approaches
THE KEY QUESTION!
How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) best serve our learners? Via formative assessments!
WHAT IS FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT?
Formative assessments take place during the learning process (and serves the student), while summative assessments take place after the learning process (and serves the instructor)
Formative assessments assist students in improving their understanding, mastery, and application of concepts, ideas, and skills by gauging strengths/weaknesses/areas of improvement
“Formative assessment refers to a wide variety of methods that teachers use to conduct in-process evaluations of student comprehension, learning needs, and academic progress during a lesson, unit, or course” (https://www.edglossary.org/formative-assessment/)
“A primary focus of formative assessment is to identify areas that may need improvement. These assessments typically are not graded and act as a gauge to students’ learning progress and to determine teaching effectiveness (implementing appropriate methods and activities)” (Northern Illinois University, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning)
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI):
In the context of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), learners can harness AI’s functionality to help them independently deepen their understanding of material through multiple applications mirroring formative assessments.
STUDENT USE CASES
REVIEWING: generate questions (and answers) of material; students can dictate academic level, difficulty, specific content/material, etc.
a. PROMPT A: I need help studying for an upcoming quiz on the First World War for my American History I course. Can you ask me 5 multiple choice questions about the conflict? Let me answer the questions before you share with me the correct answers. Also, let me know why the correct answer is accurate. Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe – you can choose which model to use so functionality will vary, YouChat (Smart mode)]
b. PROMPT B: We are having an in-class quiz on photosynthesis in Biology 2 and I need to learn more about the process of photosynthesis. Can you give me 5 T or F questions about the process? Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
c. PROMPT C: I need to work on definitions related to the functions of different parts of the brain. Can you please give me 10 questions related to that? Let me answer them before giving me the correct answer. Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
d. PROMPT D: I'm having trouble with basic terminology in my Computer Concepts I course. Can you give me 4 fill-in-the blank questions to answer about that subject? Let me answer and then tell me what answers are right and which answers are wrong. [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe]
The prompt had to be modified so that YouChat did not share the answers: I'm having trouble with basic terminology in my Computer Concepts I course. Can you give me 4 fill-in-the blank questions to answer about that subject? Let me answer and don't give me the correct answer until I ask for it!
e. PROMPT E: Can you give me a series of key events associated with the downfall of the Soviet Union and ask me to put them in chronological order? Don't give me any hints and once I put them in order tell me if I am right or not. Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
f. PROMPT F: Can you come up with questions from this material for me? This will be covered on our next multiple-choice exam. Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
Follow-up prompt: “What are the right answers?” [Gemini, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe]
g. PROMPT G: Please ask me a series of 5 questions about clinical depression for my Psychology 101 course. Make each question open-ended and allow me to provide a brief 1-3 sentence response. Only after I have answered one question should you ask me the next. If I get a question wrong, please explain to me the correct answer. [Gemini, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
*Copilot has text auto-complete, so it may provide students with the correct answer as they are in the process of writing = something to keep in mind with fill-in-the-blank or short-answer responses
*Studies have shown that if you are polite to AI, it works harder for you! (See “Does Being Nice to ChatGPT Make it Work Better? We Tested It Out,” via https://www.howtogeek.com/)
TUTORING: serve as a tutor to assist with challenging information/ideas/concepts
a. PROMPT A: I don't have much experience in science. Can you please explain, in plain terms, the principles of thermodynamics? [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
b. PROMPT B: Can you explain, with an understandable example - for someone who does not know a lot about science - the concept of parallax? Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
c. PROMPT C: You are my tutor and I need help in Political Science. Give me the name of an important political theory and ask me to explain it to you. When I am done, critique my response for its accuracy, clarity, and level of detail. Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
d. PROMPT D [for evaluation of an image file]: I don’t understand this diagram/chart/table! Can you please explain it to me? [Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Genius mode)]
Figure 1 Graph and image provided to AI tools for analysis.
Figure 2 Responses provided by Copilot, YouChat (Genius mode), and Gemini.
e. SPECIFIC TOOL: Google NotebookLM creates a dedicated chatbot interaction with up to 20 uploaded files (PDF or Google DOCS). Requirements: 1. a Google account, 2. setting up an account with Google Workspace Labs, c. logging into https://notebooklm.google.com/
EVALUATING: provide critiques on writing and suggestions for improvement
a. PROMPT A: Can you evaluate what I wrote and give me suggestions on how to improve? My instructor says to avoid passive voice. Thanks!
Figure 3 Writing feedback provided by Claude 3 Sonnet and YouChat (Genius mode).
a. PROMPT B: Next week we will be doing peer evaluations of each other’s speeches in my Intro to Communication Theory class. Can you please suggest constructive ways to evaluate another’s work?
SUMMARIZING: summarize/break down material to make it more “digestible” for learners
a. PROMPT A: Can you please summarize the main points of this text into 3 paragraphs (or an outline, 5 bullet points) as well as give me a thesis statement if I were to write about this. Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
b. PROMPT B [for evaluation of a PDF file]: Please summarize the main points of this file in an outline. [Copilot, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Genius mode)]
c. SPECIFIC TOOL: Microsoft Copilot provides a “Generate page summary” button once permission is granted to access the sidebar [Settings > Settings > Sidebar > Copilot > “Allow Copilot to read context clues on the web”]
i. Right-click on the PDF file > “Open with” > Microsoft Edge
ii. Enter the prompt into Copilot > “Allow” the request to use context cues
iii. In-browser content can now be analyzed by Copilot AI
d. SPECIFIC TOOL: MyMap.AI creates mind maps for visual representations of how content is connected (www.mymap.ai/signup)
Figure 4 MyMap.AI visual on the growth of Japan's post-WWII economy.
TRANSLATING: translate text into another language
a. PROMPT A: Can you translate this into Italian for me? [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
b. SPECIFIC TOOL: “Generate page summary” in Copilot > ask Copilot to translate it into another language
CLARIFYING: restate/reword information to make it clearer (remove jargon, adapt to a particular reading or grade level, restate within a requested context)
a. PROMPT A: Can you explain this (excerpts taken from a research article on dark matter) to someone who is not a scientist? [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Genius mode) – for a longer context window]
b. PROMPT B: You are a graduate student in Computer Science. You are currently working as a teaching assistant in an introductory Comp Sci class. Can you explain the concept of API’s to me in the context of AI? Remember that you are an advanced student and I am only a freshman. Thanks! [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
DEBATING
a. PROMPT A: You and I are in the finals of a regional debating competition. I will argue about a topic of my choice and after I share my position, I want you to argue the contrary. Keep your response to one aspect of the debate. I will then respond to your arguments. Thanks! I am against helmet laws. Individuals have the right to decide if they do harm to themselves. What do you think? [Gemini, Copilot, GPT-3.5, Claude, Poe, YouChat (Smart mode)]
ADDITIONAL PROMPTING SOURCES