Which of the following is an example of a formative assessment?

A formative assessment is designed to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to enhance their learning. The primary goal of formative assessments is to identify learning gaps during the instructional process, allowing for adjustments before any summative evaluations are conducted.

In this context, a series of short questions at the beginning of a lesson serves as an effective formative assessment tool. It allows the teacher to gauge students' prior knowledge and understand their readiness for the day's lesson. The immediate feedback from this assessment can inform instructional decisions, such as whether to move forward with new material, review previous concepts, or adjust teaching strategies based on the students' responses.

Other options, such as a final exam, research paper, or mid-term project, are typically used as summative assessments that evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit or course. These assessments summarize what students have learned and are often used for grading purposes rather than providing immediate, actionable feedback that can guide ongoing instruction.