What type of assessment allows teachers to evaluate students informally?

Informal assessment is a method that enables teachers to evaluate students through more relaxed and non-standardized means. This type of assessment can include observations, conversations, or activities that allow teachers to gauge a student's understanding and skills in a natural setting, without the pressure of formal testing conditions. Informal assessments are not graded and can provide immediate feedback for both students and teachers, making it easier to adjust instruction based on student needs.

The use of informal assessment helps to create a more dynamic and responsive educational environment, where understanding and learning can be fostered continuously rather than at specific points in time, such as during formal evaluations. This conversational and adaptive approach is particularly effective in capturing a student's progress and learning style.

In contrast, standardized assessments are controlled and measure learner performance against a common standard, while formal assessments typically involve structured testing methods designed to quantify student learning. Summative assessments occur at the end of an instructional period and aim to evaluate overall learning outcomes, rather than informally gauging students' progress along the way.