Which assessment method can indicate a need for academic support?

The most effective assessment method for indicating a need for academic support is formative assessment. This type of assessment is designed to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and help students enhance their learning. Formative assessments can take many forms, such as quizzes, discussions, observations, and peer reviews, and are typically conducted throughout the learning process rather than at the end.

What makes formative assessment particularly valuable is its focus on identifying students' strengths and weaknesses at various points during instruction. Through this process, educators can quickly recognize which students may require additional support or intervention. This timely feedback allows educators to make adjustments to their teaching strategies or provide targeted resources to help students who are struggling. In contrast, summative assessments typically evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit, which may not provide immediate information about the need for support. Norm-referenced assessments compare student performance against a national average but do not explicitly indicate individual learning needs. Criterion-referenced assessments measure student performance against a set standard, but like norm-referenced assessments, they may not provide insight into ongoing learning interventions.

Overall, formative assessment is integral to identifying and addressing the academic needs of students as they arise, making it a crucial tool for educators working