Formative AssessmentThe Goal Of Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment
The goal of formative assessment is to gather feedback that can be used by the instructor and the students to guide improvements in the ongoing teaching and learning context. These are low stakes assessments for students and instructors.
Summative Assessment
The goal of summative assessment is to measure the level of success or proficiency that has been obtained at the end of an instructional unit, by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.
Examples:
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Examples:
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Asking students to submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture Have students submit an outline for a paper.
Early course evaluations
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Assigning a grade to a final exam
Critique of a Senior recital
University Faculty Course Evaluations
The outcome of a summative assessment can be used formatively, however, when students or faculty take the results and use them to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses.
Formative Assessment Is Student Focused
Formative assessment is purposefully directed toward the student. It does not emphasize how teachers deliver information but, rather, how students receive that information, how well they understand it, and how they can apply it. With formative assessment, teachers gather information about their students ' progress and learning needs and use this information to make instructional adjustments. They also show students how to accurately and honestly use selfassessments to improve their own learning. Instructional flexibility and student-focused feedback work together to build confident and motivated learners.
In brief: Formative assessment helps teachers
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•
•
•
•
Consider each student 's learning needs and styles and adapt instruction accordingly
Track individual student achievement
Provide appropriately challenging and motivational instructional activities
Design intentional and objective student self-assessments
Offer all students opportunities for improvement
An information gap
The goal of formative assessment is to gather feedback that can be used by the instructor and the students to guide improvements in the ongoing teaching and learning context. These are low stakes assessments for students and instructors.
Summative Assessment
The goal of summative assessment is to measure the level of success or proficiency that has been obtained at the end of an instructional unit, by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.
Examples:
•
Examples:
•
•
•
Asking students to submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture Have students submit an outline for a paper.
Early course evaluations
•
•
Assigning a grade to a final exam
Critique of a Senior recital
University Faculty Course Evaluations
The outcome of a summative assessment can be used formatively, however, when students or faculty take the results and use them to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses.
Formative Assessment Is Student Focused
Formative assessment is purposefully directed toward the student. It does not emphasize how teachers deliver information but, rather, how students receive that information, how well they understand it, and how they can apply it. With formative assessment, teachers gather information about their students ' progress and learning needs and use this information to make instructional adjustments. They also show students how to accurately and honestly use selfassessments to improve their own learning. Instructional flexibility and student-focused feedback work together to build confident and motivated learners.
In brief: Formative assessment helps teachers
•
•
•
•
•
Consider each student 's learning needs and styles and adapt instruction accordingly
Track individual student achievement
Provide appropriately challenging and motivational instructional activities
Design intentional and objective student self-assessments
Offer all students opportunities for improvement
An information gap