Use BookWidgets for formative and summative evaluation

BookWidgets as an evaluation tool

At BookWidgets, we believe that evaluation is a crucial part of the learning process. When teachers guide students in learning through purposeful evaluation, growth occurs. BookWidgets is both a digital exercise creation tool and an evaluation platform that provides teachers with a variety of activities that provide an efficient and constructive approach to evaluation which may be tailored to individual student's needs.

Formative evaluation with BookWidgets

BookWidgets worksheets and quizzes have numerous formative evaluation, feedback, and correction options.

Teachers can:

Choose between over 30 interactive question types that are auto-graded: this makes formative assessments more engaging for students and teachers. There’s even a rubric question type!
Show students the correct answers when the activity is done: this way, students know what they have right and where they have to keep practicing.
Immediately color correct student answers green: so students can keep trying and dig deeper in their brain. Students get instant feedback, which can be quite motivating.
Enter automatic feedback based on their students' answers: so students with a different outcome will get different feedback, adapted to where they are in their learning process.
Return student results with personalized feedback - A score or grade is not required: learners receive personalized feedback and are able to try again (growth mindset model).
allow students to edit their answers: so students can change their responses after feedback is provided. This way, they will improve their learning outcome.
Monitor a worksheet or quiz Widget in real-time LIVE mode: Live teacher support and monitoring allows the teacher to provide differentiated instruction to struggling and advanced learners alike.
Provide a rationale which may be revealed along with the correct answer: when used in the Quiz Widget, students are allowed to sequentially build on learning.
Enable tools to assist learners with special needs: best practice, these tools may be provided for all learners to improve the learning process.

Active learning, including educational games are perfect for formative assessments.

Many Widget games are automatically corrected. Students are provided instant feedback.

Students are often more motivated when the teacher says the magical words "complete this crossword puzzle". Games can also be a good opening for student reflection.

Exit slips provide a method for quickly gauging students' understanding of a topic or theme.

BookWidgets’ Exit Slips are another formative assessment option allowing students to provide individual reflection and answers at the end of a lesson or unit of study.

Exit slips provide the teacher with data which will drive future instruction tied directly to student needs.

The abundance of exit slips in education sets the stage for utilizing this tool. BookWidgets provides a variety of exit slips and tickets.

This Exit Ticket Guide contains over 60 ready-to-use digital exit tickets.

BookWidgets worksheets and quizzes provide a variety of summative evaluation options. Teachers are also provided a secure lock-down testing browser option.

Teachers can:

Select from over 30 interactive auto-graded question types: this makes an evaluation more fun for both students and teachers.
Enable submitting of answers: so teachers can review and grade the incoming student work.
Show points associated with each question: so students know what questions weigh more than others.
Disable showing the correct answers when after submitting: so students can focus on other exams without panicking.
Add a required password in order for students to see the correct response.
Enable strict answering order: this is especially useful for sequential activities.
Enable a timer in exam mode: so students get a time limit on their test. When the time is up, students need to submit immediately.
Create a startup password: so students can’t start the assessment before you give up the password. By enabling this, students can also start the assessment at the same time.
Enable the Safe Exam Browser: so students can only open the summative assessment in a secure environment that prohibits them from opening other tabs or applications on the device.
Enable help tools like calculators, spell check or screen readers for students with special needs. (These tools are great for ALL learners).

Homework is also a useful summative evaluation tool. BookWidgets helps educators set up and review homework with interactive assignments.

The options for Worksheet and Quizzes Widgets are the same as the summative assessment options.

A few in particular stand out.

Teachers can:

Select from over 30 interactive auto-graded question types: this makes an evaluation more fun for both students and teachers.
Randomize question order: make unwanted collaboration on homework difficult.
Enable strict answering order: requiring learners to provide responses in a specific order; avoiding spoilers in subsequent questions; and making collaboration with others more difficult.
Disable text selection: so students are not able to copy/paste Internet research without using critical thinking skills and avoiding plagiarism.
Add video and audio instructions to questions to support learners: so students can go through their homework with you guiding them through.
Add hints to questions to help avoid homework frustrations: so students can think first, and still get help when needed.
Enable help tools like calculators, spell check or screen readers for students with special needs.

Teacher testimonials

I have used BookWidgets for both summative and formative assessments since September 2020. The students at my school take BookWidgets tests on iPads. During the school year, students regularly watch short instructional videos and then complete a quick assessment that directs them to a Widget based on these results (two different levels). This type of formative assessment works well, the students always provide activities at their level.

I also use BookWidgets for digital summative assessments, which have replaced traditional paper tests in the classroom. I see so many benefits in using BookWidgets, both for my students and me.

For me, time spent correcting tests and exercises has diminished. I am now able to provide meaningful feedback to students. Sending timely feedback is a big bonus. When using paper assessments, feedback was often delayed, and by the time the students received it, they have forgotten all about the exam or assessment.

Different elements of the activities (Widgets) trigger the students’ motivation: the visually engaging layout, improved teacher feedback, and the ability to redo the Widgets activity if necessary.

－ Sacha Vanderbeke French Teacher at GO! Middenschool Ieper - Belgium

I work for a non-profit language teaching organization with students of all ages. We have been using BookWidgets as an evaluation tool since mid-2020. Both teachers and students love it! The main benefit of using BookWidgets is the auto-grading feature. I have separated activities into auto-graded and teacher-graded categories to ease the effort of our volunteer teachers. Additionally, grades and evaluation comments can be archived and shared with students. Prior to using BookWidgets, we only used tedious paper-graded assignments and assessments. Now using BookWidgets, the time spent on grading has been drastically reduced.

－ Shashi Basavaraju Director of LMS Development at Kannada Academy- United States

In our school, we have 158 enthusiastic “Widgeteers”. They use BookWidgets both for mini-assessments and for partial exams (listening comprehension, reading, and writing). Their enthusiasm is understandable: with 30+ question types and many practical features, BookWidgets offers numerous advantages over other platforms: question variety, auto-grading features, manually grading of open-ended questions, providing direct feedback, reducing paper use, Safe Exam Browser integration, and the Live option which provides users an overview of students’ activity during a test. These options are a big added value to reducing teacher workload. We have also asked students how they feel about doing tests in BookWidgets and most of them are very positive. Students at our school were surveyed and their responses indicated several key areas:

Focus (the ability to see one question at a time)

Overview (the number of questions and the points for each question)

The ability to edit the answers (students no longer have to worry about correction fluid, according to this students digital editing is easier)

The visually engaging layout (unlike most copy machines that teachers use, a digital assessment has pictures, videos, colors...)

Their positive experience doesn't really come as a surprise, since digital tools are often used during classroom (and asynchronous) lessons... it therefore, makes sense to do some evaluations digitally as well.

－ Marc Sannen

BookWidgets is the best tool I've ever come across in my many years of teaching. It is a powerful tool that has it all; versatility, practicality, time-saver, and meaningful feedback.

－ Rana Subhiyeh High School teacher, United Arab Emirates

BookWidgets is the answer to the busy, overworked teacher’s dilemma. I am able to create a Widget and utilize the customization options to provide the optimal learner experience in my classroom.

I have also used BookWidgets in professional development with other educators and they are immediately hooked with using the Quizzes, SplitWorksheets, Hot Spots, WebQuests and Whiteboards in both the remote, hybrid and face-to-face environments.

BookWidgets allows teachers and students to work smarter, not harder.

－ Sheryl Place retired educator Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Use BookWidgets for formative and summative evaluation

BookWidgets as an evaluation tool

Formative evaluation with BookWidgets

Formative Worksheets & Quizzes

Educational games

Exit Tickets

Summative evaluation with BookWidgets

Summative assessments

Homework

The BookWidgets Reporting Dashboard

Use live widgets to help students at the right time

Teacher testimonials