11 AI Tools for Teachers’ Formative Assessment Practice

There is so much happening in the world of digital tools for educators. It’s a topic that has interested me for over 20 years. You may have read my 75 Digital Tools and Apps Teachers Can Use to Support Formative Assessment in the Classroom or Building Your Formative Practice Toolkit – 15 Tools to Add to the 75. This article is an update to the original 6 AI Tools for Teachers’ Formative Assessment Practice.

In this article, I want to focus on AI (artificial intelligence) tools for educators using the same parameters I have in the past. For a tool to make my list, it must:

• Support formative assessment/formative instructional strategies
• Activate learners to be resources for themselves and peers (learner-centered)
• Be free or awfully close to it (under $10 per year, where possible)
• Ideally, allow both students and teachers to take the lead in using the tools

AI tools for educators have been around for a while, but finding those that match these criteria can be challenging. I’m eager to share what I’ve found, see what you’ve discovered, and hear how these tools work for you.

From the original 5 Tools

1. Diffit – Helps teachers instantly create leveled resources for any topic, lesson, or student. You can be very specific in topic and grade level. Processing time is only a couple of minutes. The output includes reading material, summaries, vocabulary words, and three types of assessment questions. Important: review content before sharing with learners.
2. gotFeedback – Provides suggested feedback on student work. Teachers, learners, and peers can provide feedback via text, audio, or video.
3. PanQuiz! – Allows teachers to create quizzes and assessments, and even generates question ideas. Quizzes can include gamification to boost engagement.
4. MagicSchool.ai – Provides a rubric generator tool and an informational text generator. To help differentiate instruction, check out the Text Leveler and Text Scaffolder tools. Includes tools for creating assessments, exit tickets and differentiated questions aligned to learning goals. Both teachers and students can engage with outputs for reflection and feedback.

7 Additional AI Tools to Strengthen Formative Assessment Practice

5. Curipod – Generates interactive lessons with polls, open-ended questions and word clouds to surface student thinking. Learners actively contribute responses, promoting peer learning and instructional adjustment.

6. Brisk Teaching – Integrates into Google Docs to generate feedback, questions and quick checks for understanding. Supports both teacher-directed and learner-directed formative cycles.

7. Quizizz (AI features) – Uses AI to generate quizzes and provide instant data on student understanding (including misconceptions). Student-paced and collaborative modes promote learner ownership.

8. Mentimeter – Enables live polling and open-ended responses. AI tools summarize student input quickly, giving every learner a voice while supporting instructional adjustments.

9. Edpuzzle – Embeds questions (students and teachers) into videos to create checkpoints for understanding throughout a lesson. Teachers can use the analytics to provide immediate feedback.

10. Khanmigo – Guides students step-by-step through problems without giving direct answers, promoting self-assessment and deeper thinking.

11. Padlet (AI features) – Provides AI-assisted brainstorming and feedback on collaborative boards. Learners can post, respond and reflect, making learning visible and supporting peer assessment.

Tips for Integrating AI Tools in Your Classroom

1. Identify your goals – Decide where you want support or how you want to support learners.
2. Match tools to goals – This article, plus my previous lists, provides a strong starting point. You might also explore EdTech Blog – Class Tech Tips by Monica Burns and The AI Educator.
3. Start small – Pick one tool and become proficient with it. Evaluate its benefits and check in with your learners.

The tools above align well with my framework because they:

• Support formative strategies (real-time checks, feedback loops, visible thinking)
• Activate learners (peer response, self-reflection, collaboration)
• Are accessible (most have free tiers or low-cost educator plans)
• Allow shared ownership (learners can generate, respond and assess—not just consume)

There are so many AI tools out there. Many focus on lesson planning, videos, slide decks, or administrative tasks. My focus is formative assessment practices, which narrows the list. Using AI thoughtfully, teachers can save time, engage learners, and make the most of classroom resources.

As Adam Geller wrote in Three Ways AI Can Help Teachers Save Time Now, teaching learners to use AI—and using it ourselves—prepares everyone for a more resourceful, independent future.

I’m curious. Which AI or other digital tools have you found useful in supporting your formative assessment practice? What tool(s) do you want to use next year? We’d love to hear from you!

As Geller says, teach your learners how to use AI tools and use these tools for your benefit as well. Navigate in today’s world as you prepare yourself and your learners for the future.

Here’s a table summarizing all 11 AI tools for formative assessment practice. This table highlights purpose, learner-centered use, cost, and formative assessment strategy.