The Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) has introduced new possibilities to the Distance Education, making possible the adoption of innovative learner-centered pedagogical approaches based on interaction, collaboration, reflexion and knowledge construction. New possibilities has also been introduced to the online assessment, from traditional assessment, based on cumulative question and tests, to a more formative assessment aligned to these new pedagogical approaches. The online formative assessment is based on the continuous monitoring and regulation of learner participation throughout the learning activities development, aiming to support the learning process based on the adopted pedagogical approaches.The experience in online courses based on collaborative and constructionist learning activities and on these activities formative assessment has revealed that this assessment approach is even more important in Distance Education, since it helps on the learners' behaviour perception as well as on the problems identification, making possible more effective advice in the time of learning process, even at distance. Nevertheless, nowadays most Learning Management Systems (LMSs) does not present features designed to help this assessment approach. Thus, the educators need to take extra steps to monitor, to analyse and to advise the learning process. This scenario has been the main problem of formative assessment, at face-to-face as well as at distance practices.This doctoral thesis proposes a Formative Assessment Support Model for LMSs, aiming to reduce the formative assessment costs. This model is based on Perrenoud's Hadji's_[2001] researches and recommendations to formative assessment and on our previous practices in online formative assessment based on collaborative and constructionist learning activities. The technological support is based on a multiagent system (MAS) that provides support to formative assessment in LMSs, exploring the possibility of saving all interactions in online courses for later analysis. The model acts on two complementary ways: (1) by supporting the planning of learning activities to be assessed as well as by supporting the educator on these activities participation regulation (grades and comments); (2) by reducing the amount of information to be analysed, helping the educator on relevant information recovery and analysis for participation regulation, according to the criteria defined at each learning activity assessment planning.