Formative Tasks
Welcome to Formative Tasks!
This section of the design lab offers you a set of core Formative Tasks that serve as the building blocks of performance-based assessments and are critical to college readiness.
At reDesign, we differentiate between daily formative “checks for understanding,” which are typically independent of summative tasks, and what we call “formative tasks,” which are small tasks that build toward the end product (or summative task) that students work toward in each unit/module of study. Note that you can use these Formative Tasks just like building blocks – grouped or arranged however you like, as many as you like, and in whatever order that best suits your instructional goals and the learning goals of your students.
Click on the blocks below to access the Formative Tasks that make up each collection.
MAKE MEANING
INVESTIGATE
CREATE
SHARE & REFLECT
DESIGNER’S TIP
As you explore these formative tasks, remember that the processes and skills embedded in each “block” are transferable, meaning that they will be relevant across multiple types of performance assessments. For example, whether you are writing a research paper, crafting an argumentative essay, or developing a presentation, after you have explored the task, you will always identify your topic and questions and determine your audience and purpose. Helping learners see these “blocks” makes learning more visible, recognizeable, and approachable.
Putting it all together: Performance Assessments
Check out our adaptable performance task frames that organize the formative tasks needed to thoroughly learn, practice, and complete one.