What is Convergent Formative Assessment

In this chapter, the authors consider the purposeful design of two mathematics content courses (Content 1 and Content II) and one methods course (Methods) as a means of helping teacher candidates (TCs) learn about divergent formative assessment (DFA), which seeks to explore what students understand rather than only if they understand a concept or skill. The authors leverage the research of groupworthy tasks and the Rights of the Learner to describe three tasks they use to help TCs learn mathematics through problem-solving and to learn to teach through problem-solving. The chapter outlines three commonalities across the courses: 1) Shifting from implicit to explicit and informal to formal practices of DFA that reflects teaching through problem-solving; 2) Using DFAs to transition TCs' identities from learners to teacher-learners; and 3) Supporting TCs' self-assessment through DFAs in multiple ways.