Assessment Overhaul: Tools for Rethinking Assessment in the New Year!

Explore 4 Different Web Apps for Assessment in This AppEd Review Roundup!

Happy New Year and welcome to our first RoundUp of 2017. Over the break, we took a bit of time to recharge our batteries and we are ready to go! For this edition on the RoundUp, our focus is on websites that can be used for assessment purposes. We know how hard it can be to find tools to evaluate student knowledge and learning that are “outside of the box” and the ones we selected for this RoundUp fit that criteria while still being easy to use!

For each website shared in this RoundUp along with the other ones posted on App Ed Review, we provide an original description, ideas for how to use it in your classroom, and a comprehensive evaluation using our research-based rubric. Please feel free to check us out and enjoy our suggestions for overhauling assessments using edtech! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at info@appedreview.com!

1. Easy TestMaker is just what its name claims to be, an online tool for creating tests! This piece of edtech does not have some of the razzle-dazzle that other pieces of edtech may include, but that is no reason to count it out by any stretch. Easy TestMaker allows teachers to create tests that can be used for multiple purposes, such as formative assessments, formal exams, pre-tests, and anticipation guides. This piece of edtech guides teachers through the process of creating tests that can be shared with students via a link. Unlike similar test-making websites, what we really appreciate about Easy TestMaker is that it does not require teachers to create classes and load students into them; rather, teachers simply make the test and share it via a link and access code. As students complete the test, teachers can see their results immediately too! With great implications for making teachers more efficient, Easy TestMaker is sure to be a useful piece of edtech for you. Learn more about it by clicking here!
2. Perhaps one of the most interesting pieces of edtech we’ve reviewed this year (haha!), Answer Garden is a dynamic tool for gathering student response data. To use Answer Garden, teachers begin by writing a prompt and then sending it out to students via a link. Once students receive it, they can then write in their response to the prompt and Answer Garden will add it. As answers are added to the garden, students and teachers can view them either in real time or by refreshing their screen. In addition, if students enter a response that has been previously submitted, that response grows larger in the garden and it can be clicked on to view the amount of times it was entered. To check out specific ways to use Answer Garden in your classroom, click here!
3. Dotstorming lets teachers create a poll by posting a prompt and then offering different options that students can choose. When creating the Dotstorm, teachers can put specific parameters on the amount of responses students can add and votes they can make. Once created, teachers are able to share their Dotstorm via a link and students respond to the prompt by clicking an option. If students have an idea for another option, they are able to add it and other students can then vote for that option too! As students respond to the prompt, Dotstorming keeps a running tally of votes that are visible when looking at the board. With its flexible design, it is easy to see why Dotstorming scored an 8.5 on our rubric. Check out more about Dotstorming by clicking here.
4. Bingo is a classic game and it has a load of implications for assessment. Because of its design, we highly recommend using the My Free Bingo Cards With it, teachers are able to easily input a variety of content into the bingo card boxes. That way, with a little planning, teachers can read a question in class and students will then have to find that answer on their card. As always, the first student to yell “Bingo” is the winner and a new round begins! The reason we love this website is because it makes the process of creating multiple bingo cards simple and teachers can printout the bingo cards for easy classroom use. For more ideas about how to bring bingo into your classroom, click here.