Assessment and the regulation of learning

Abstract

This article defines the function of formative assessment, in classroom and school settings, as the regulation of teaching and learning activities in support of student learning. It describes four processes of regulation (goal setting, monitoring, interpretation, adaptation) and indicates various ways in which they can be implemented in the classroom. It then examines the implications of learning theories for formative assessment and the conceptions of formative assessment emphasizing, respectively, external sources of regulation, student self-regulation, processes of co-regulation. The final section addresses the question of continuity between formative and summative assessment in support of student learning.