Pre-assessment activities provide valuable information regarding students' level of readiness, skills, or interest level, for a particular content area prior to the instruction. This data will help an instructor to modify content and design activities that either offer remedial work if needed, or add more challenging tasks to meet the students at higher levels of understanding. Pre-assessment data is best when collected throughout the term prior to moving on to the next content area.

Low-Stakes Pretest:

A low-stakes quiz can help an instructor learn the level of student knowledge about a specific topic area prior to the beginning of instruction. Once the data has been gathered, the instructor can modify instructional materials and activities, as well as provide additional resources, to meet the needs of the students.

Give students a realistic idea of their performance early in the term, enabling them to seek appropriate resources as needed
Open up lines of communication between students and their instructors, and may increase students' willingness to ask for help
Provide feedback for instructors on how well students are absorbing information and progressing in their skill development
Allow instructors to direct students to resources if they need further assistance or support
Give students an opportunity to be active participants in the evaluation of their own learning
Increase the likelihood that students will attend class and be active and engaged

Survey or Poll:: A survey, or poll, can be used to obtain large amount of information about students' level of understanding prior to the beginning of instruction.

Concept Maps:: A concept map is helpful during pre-assessment when students are asked to create a diagram which identifies key areas of a particular topic area. This "visual representation" has the potential to help instructors identify if students understand the way in which information is linked or connected. Additionally, a concept map can be used throughout the course as the student can continually add new information to the original design.