Assessment: Engaging Formative Moments with Merlyn

Uncover Student Understanding Instantly, Anywhere

Effective teaching hinges on knowing what your students understand right now. Formative assessment should be dynamic, quick, and informative, not a pause in your lesson flow. Traditionally, gathering real-time feedback might involve calling on a few students, using mini-whiteboards, or collecting paper exit tickets – all methods that can be slow, limited, or disruptive.

Merlyn transforms formative assessment, empowering you to quickly gauge comprehension, identify misconceptions, and gather every student's voice instantly, all while maintaining your mobility and connection in the classroom.

Quick Checks for Understanding & Collecting Every Voice: Student Sessions

After introducing a new concept, you need a rapid, low-stakes way to see if it landed, or to collect initial thoughts from every student. Merlyn's Student Sessions "Pulse Check" provides instant, whole-class insights, while the "Brainstorm Board" is ideal for collecting diverse perspectives instantly.

How it helps:

• Real-Time Insights: Instantly see if concepts are clear or if re-teaching is needed.
• Inclusive Feedback: Hear from all students, not just the vocal few.
• Visible Learning: Display collective thinking in real-time, sparking discussion.
• Maintain Flow: Quickly integrate assessment without disrupting your lesson's pace.

Example Use:

Before the lesson starts, launch a student session with the command "Start a session". Your students will login to your session on their devices using the displayed join code.

You've just explained how to find the lowest common denominator. To quickly gauge understanding and collect initial thoughts:

First, for a quick sentiment check, say:

"Start a pulse check called 'How confident do you feel about finding the lowest common denominator?'"

Students will see a sliding scale on their devices and be prompted to respond. Responses appear on the main screen, giving you immediate class-wide feedback.

Next, you want every student to share their approach. Say:

"Start a brainstorm board called 'share one strategy or tip that helps you find the lowest common denominator.'"

Students then type their responses on their devices, and their thoughts populate the main screen instantly. You see a live stream of responses in the form of sticky notes, allowing you to highlight common themes or surprising insights.

Clarify Concepts Instantly: Merlyn Chat for Model Answers

Sometimes, you want to provide a definitive model answer to a question students should grasp after the lesson, or demonstrate how to articulate a concept. Merlyn's Chat tool can provide concise, accurate answers that you can then use for discussion and comparison.

How it helps:

• Provide Reference: Display a clear, accurate answer for students to compare their understanding against.
• Model Articulation: Show students how a concept can be clearly defined or explained.
• Facilitate Discussion: Use the AI's answer as a jumping-off point for deeper class dialogue.

Example Use:

After students have practiced finding lowest common denominators, you want to solidify their understanding by reviewing a key definition.

Use the Push-to-Talk button and say:

"What is the definition of 'lowest common denominator'?"

Merlyn Chat displays a precise definition (e.g., "The smallest positive integer that is a multiple of two or more denominators."). Next, challenge the students to think critically about the response given by Merlyn Chat. Was is correct? Did it explain the concept well enough? How could we improve this answer?

Exit Tickets & Small Group Discussions: "Let's Discuss" for Comprehension & Curiosity

You want to quickly create an exit ticket to check for individual understanding, or generate a discussion prompt to spark deeper thinking within small groups after a lesson. Merlyn's "Let's Discuss" feature can generate engaging questions on the fly, sparking further curiosity or consolidating learning.

How it helps:

• Gauge Comprehension: Quickly assess student understanding through a focused question for an exit ticket.
• Drive Discussion: Generate thought-provoking questions to initiate productive small group conversations.
• Consolidate Learning: Encourage students to articulate their understanding individually or collaboratively.

Example Use: After students have had some practice with lowest common denominators, you want to see if they understand the purpose of finding them, either as an exit ticket or for small group discussion. 

You say: "Let's discuss: Lowest common denominators." 

Merlyn displays a question (e.g., "Why is finding the lowest common denominator important when adding or subtracting fractions?") prompting students to share their insights, either individually as an exit ticket response or within their small groups.

Your Formative Assessment Advantage with Merlyn

Integrating Merlyn for formative assessment means:

• Instant Insights: Make informed instructional decisions on the spot.
• Enhanced Engagement: Keep students active participants in the learning process.
• Empowered Teaching: Confidently guide your lesson with real-time student data, all while staying mobile in your classroom.

Ready to make every moment count? Explore Merlyn's "Let's Discuss," Student Sessions, and Chat tools for powerful formative assessment!

ISTE Standard Alignment:

• 2.3: Citizen
   
  • 2.3.b: Evaluate Resources for Credibility
    • How Merlyn Aligns: When students use the Brainstorm Board or respond to "Let's Discuss" prompts, they're generating and consuming digital content. Teachers can guide them to reflect on the credibility and completeness of their own and peers' responses, fostering critical evaluation of digitally shared information. If using AI to generate prompts, the teacher explicitly guides the class to evaluate the quality of the generated question.
    • Why it Matters: This standard emphasizes critical evaluation of digital information. Formative assessment moments, especially collaborative ones, provide a natural setting for teachers to model and encourage students to critically assess the information they encounter and create in digital spaces.
• 2.5: Designer
   
  • 2.5.b: Design Authentic Learning Activities
    • How Merlyn Aligns: "Let's Discuss" can generate authentic, open-ended questions that require more than rote recall, leading to deeper engagement. The Brainstorm Board allows for authentic, collaborative ideation or quick responses to complex prompts, serving as a digital tool to maximize learning outcomes by making student thinking visible.
    • Why it Matters: This standard is about creating meaningful learning experiences. Merlyn's tools allow teachers to design and implement real-time, interactive assessment activities that are deeply integrated into the learning process, making assessment part of the learning, not just a check on learning.
• 2.7: Analyst
   
  • 2.7.b: Use Tech to Create Assessments
    • How Merlyn Aligns: Merlyn's "Let's Discuss" (for exit tickets) and Pulse Check in Student Sessions directly enable teachers to design and implement a variety of formative assessments that are quick, tech-supported, and provide timely feedback. The instant visibility of responses informs immediate instructional adjustments.
    • Why it Matters: This standard highlights the importance of leveraging technology for effective assessment. Merlyn streamlines the process of gathering real-time data, allowing teachers to quickly understand comprehension levels and adapt their instruction accordingly.
  • 2.7.c: Use Data to Guide Progress
    • How Merlyn Aligns: The results from Pulse Checks and contributions to the Brainstorm Board within Student Sessions provide real-time assessment data. Teachers can use this data to immediately guide their progress, identify areas for reteaching, and even use these visible contributions (anonymously or specifically) to engage students in reflection about their own learning, fostering self-direction.
    • Why it Matters: This standard emphasizes data-driven instruction. Merlyn generates immediate, actionable data that teachers can use to make informed decisions about their teaching and to involve students in understanding their own learning journey.