Correct Answer:
C. High stakes
Formative assessment is characterized by its continuous nature, occurring throughout the learning process to monitor student understanding and provide ongoing feedback. Its primary purpose is to inform both teaching and learning, allowing educators to adjust instruction and students to improve their performance. Key characteristics include:
- Continuous process: It's an ongoing part of instruction, not a one-time event.
- Feedback-oriented: It provides timely and specific feedback to guide learning.
- Low stakes: The results typically do not contribute significantly to a student's final grade, reducing pressure and encouraging risk-taking in learning.
Therefore, "high stakes" is NOT a characteristic of formative assessment. High-stakes assessments, like final exams, are typically associated with summative assessment, where the results have significant consequences for grading, promotion, or certification. Formative assessment prioritizes learning and improvement over evaluation and grading.