This paper aims to present a toolkit for formative assessment in blended learning courses within higher education. The toolkit was developed as part of a PRIN project named Active Online Assessment in Higher Education (main coordinator: eCampus), a competitive research initiative funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. The project’s primary objectives include the development and validation of an online educational assessment framework designed to enhance learning outcomes through technologically advanced learning environments. Spanning three years, the project brings together research teams from the Universities of Florence and Padua, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to innovative assessment.

The toolkit is designed to sustain co-design and coaching, two key components of professional and faculty development. Ample literature on the subject underscores the importance of individualized faculty support, particularly when redesigning courses to integrate pedagogical innovations. At the same time, numerous studies highlight the need to enhance students' self-efficacy and self-regulation throughout the learning process.

In this context, feedback mechanisms - traditionally structured around self-assessment, teacher assessment, and peer assessment - are now complemented by a new dimension in the learning process: machine-led assessment. The integration of generative AI tools into educational practices introduces new opportunities for personalized and data-informed learning support.

Following an extensive scoping review, a formative assessment toolkit was developed, structured around three core blended learning approaches, which were in turn developed within the B-LeAF (Blended Learning Ateneo di Firenze) project (Ranieri et al., 2023). The first approach focuses on the flipped classroom model, where the teacher plays a central role in assessment. This model is particularly effective in providing instructors with a comprehensive overview of students’ progress and challenges. The second approach highlights an active one-on-one model that prioritizes student-teacher interaction, with self-assessment serving as the primary evaluative method. This form underscores the student's central role in the educational process. The third approach adopts a collaborative model, designed to foster skill development through peer feedback, and encourages critical thinking and autonomy of judgment, allowing students to evaluate each other's work and refine their reasoning through collective reflection and interaction.

The toolkit will undergo validation through experimental trials conducted in blended learning courses at the Universities of Florence and Padua. One of the initial outcomes achieved is the identification of innovative technological and AI-supported tools for developing formative assessment resources. These tools, while operating under direct teacher expertise, are designed to enhance feedback quality, particularly in contexts where large student numbers might otherwise pose a challenge. The toolkit has been shared with the faculty participating in the pilot phase, and initial feedback has been positive. However, the researchers’ team has highlighted the need for greater support, particularly in terms of training and structured guidance in integrating these innovations into teaching practice.

Keywords: Formative Assessment, Faculty Development, Innovative technologies, Blended Learning, Higher Education.