Developing DiALoG: A digital formative assessment tool to support student and teacher learning of oral argumentation

We present lessons learned from an ongoing collaboration between researchers and practitioners to test and refine a teacher formative assessment tool named DiALoG (Diagnosing Argumentation Levels of Groups). DiALoG is a tablet-based instrument that enables teachers to score oral classroom argumentation in real time across multiple dimensions. Coupled with the DiALoG tool are Responsive Mini Lessons (RMLs), which provide follow-up lessons for teachers to act on assessment information from the tool to increase proficiency with the dimensions of argumentation assessed. Lessons learned include evidence that teachers' use of DiALoG promotes attention to particular aspects of classroom interactions during argumentation sessions that the teachers had not previously considered, and along with the RMLs, may help fill gaps in their pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher feedback on the user interface has informed the design of future iterations of the formative assessment instrument.