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Stay away from summative assessment
An essay on the differences between formative assessment and summative assessment
An essay on the differences between formative assessment and summative assessment
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Recommended: Stay away from summative assessment
There are many ways in which teachers can test their students to see where they are at and what still needs to worked on. These can be broken down into two distinct categories. First there is summative testing. Summative assessments are formal tests that are constructed by professionals to compare students with other students. Summative tests are used to measure outcomes of learning over time and can be criterion or norm referenced. Comparatively assessments can also be informal. Informal assessments also known as formative are generally constructed by the student's teacher. Formative assessments are a great resource to see where a student is at and measure what needs to be learned and help prepare a student for the summative assessment.
The first type of summative test is norm-referenced. This type of test is used to compare students with other students. This can be an advantage when looking at where a group of students stands in compassion to their peers. Another advantage is that these tests are are highly structured and all materials are provided so they are easily administered and machine scored so it leaves little room for any bias or other influences tainting the outcome. This however can be a disadvantage because the multiple choice doesn’t necessarily test the students higher order of thinking and the student could possibly select the correct answer when guessing what an answer should be. Another disadvantage of the norm-referenced test is that the test compares students to the level that their peers are at and doesn't necessarily compare them to where they should be at. Which could be a problem if the majority of the students are below where they should be.
The next form of summative test is the criteria referenc...
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...bout is writing samples. Getting a writing sample from your students is a great way to asses multiple concepts and can be a great way to see how well a student can apply the techniques that have been taught. However when getting writing samples a teacher can run into some issues. Writing can often be time consuming and not all students can easily translate their thoughts into writing. Also it can take a long time to grade writing assignments and the grading can be ambiguous because a lot is left up to the teachers discretion.
In conclusion it is easy to see that both summative and formative assessments have their pros and cons but when they are used together they work to help a student reach the educational milestones. It is up to the teacher to determine which informal assessments will help her students reach those milestones and achieve educational success.
In Ms. Hall’s seventh period ESL freshman biology class I chose to do a write around or pass a question formative assessment probe. I came up with three different questions and printed each one on an individual sheet of paper. The three questions were; 1. What is one thing you were surprised to learn about the past few weeks about genetics, what is one thing you wish you could learn more about related to genetics, what was the hardest topic for you to learn or that you are still confused about? I started the class by talking about what the purpose of the write around activity was. I informed them that this activity was an opportunity for them to reflect and talk about the lesson they were working on and also an opportunity for me to read about what students thought about their genetics unit. I placed students into groups of three and then asked them to read the first question and take 2 minutes to write as much as they could about the question at hand. If students were confused at the question at all I encouraged them to ask me about their confusion or ways in which to respond. After the 2 minute time slot students then passed that question to and the next person would spend 2 minutes to respond to the previous person’s comments or respond to that new question as well. This was repeated one more time so each student had an opportunity to respond to each question prompt. The classroom consist of 17 students whose first language is not English. Primary languages of the students in the class consist of Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Polish.
Elwood, J. (2006). Formative assessment: possibilities, boundaries and limitations. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 215-232, doi:10.1080/09695940600708653
Although somewhat vague compared to summative assessment, several key features help frame formative assessment. First, formative assessment happens while learning is taking place as opposed to at the end of content delivery. Rather, this is considered “assessment for learning,” (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012, pg. 5). The format is formal or informal, but the outcome in its use is an in-progress check of what students know and what students do not know. Chappuis, Stiggins, Chappuis, and Arter (2012) define formative assessment as, “Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning,” (pg. 24). Second, this type of assessment is used to make instructional strategy adjustments. If student learning did not happen via one instructional method, the teacher must make the necessary accommodations to reteach the concept or skill. Next, it is not only used by teachers for feedback on instruction, but formative assessment is also used for providing timely, descriptive feedback to students and extends to allow for student self-assessment (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012; Popham, 2008). Formative assessment provides opportunity to provide specific feedback to students on where they are currently in their learning, and where they should be headed.
However, a formative assessment is ongoing and is used to check for students’ understanding throughout a lesson. Both work samples “matched learning objectives” and I was able to identify the students’ strength and weaknesses. I was also able to “analyze assessment data to understand patterns and gaps in learning” to guide my future instructions. In the word problem assessment, I recognized where the student was struggling and gave “effective and descriptive feedback” to address the area that she needs work in.
Assessments have always been a tool for teachers to assess mastery and for a long time it was just to provide a grade and enter it into the grade book or report card. Through resources in and out of the course, there has been a breath of new life into the research on how to use assessments. They take many forms and fall within the summative or formative assessment category. Sloan (2016) addresses how formative assessments has traditionally been used by teachers to modify instruction, but when we focus on a classroom that is learner-centered “it becomes assessment for learning as opposed to assessment of learning” (slide 4). The fact is, the students are the ones that should be and are the ones using the data we collect through assessments, since it is our way of providing feedback in order
Formative assessment is "the process used by teachers and students to recognise and respond to student learning in order to enhance that learning, during the learning." (Cowie and Bell, 1999)
“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader- not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon” (E.L. Doctorow. N.d). Not all children learn the same so in order to be effective with your writing instruction one must determine what they want the students to learn and be able to do as a results of the lesson. Once you can answer those questions you can determine what instruction you want to use, the realistic goals you want to set as well as how you plan to achieve those goals and how you are going to assess the work being done. The overall goal of a teacher is to help the students gain knowledge and reach their full potential in order to achieve that goal one must be willing to try different methods so
Assessments are according to Edglossary.org (2014), “the wide variety of methods that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning process, and skill acquisition of students”. Assessments can be used to identify several important aspects of learning and development. First, they can be used to distinguish a child’s strengths and weaknesses as well as measure specific knowledge and skills. Assessments can also be used to demonstrate what a child has learned and what they understand (“Assessment,” 2014). My opinion of assessment has not changed; however, now I understand how to use assessments that will help ensure that I am providing the most benefits for my students.
Assessments allow for teachers to monitor the progress and growth of his/her students, help engage students and help guide teachers as well as students in their decision making. Teachers should know that tests are not the only way to assess students in the classroom. It is important for educators constantly assess their students on comprehension and progression.Teachers can take use of both formal and informal assessments so that they can engage students in their own learning, as well as monitor their comprehension and progress.
Cauley, K.H. & McMillan, J.H. (2009). Formative assessment techniques to support student motivation and achievement. Clearing House, 83(1), 1-6.
“Teachers help students use assessment as a window into their own growth and identify as learners so, they develop the power and agency necessary to take charge of their learning (Tomlinson, 2010). Summative assessments are a mirror to student thinking. Summative assessments help teachers and students see a trajectory of their learning. Teachers can use them to identify which students are ready for other tasks; and which students need more time to develop specific concepts. The assessment that we administered asked students to answer a series of questions using information from a graph. It also prompted them to create a graph using the results of survey for our field trip. This assessment combined constructed response questions with a meaningful task. “The paper and pencil multiple choice test is not the only way to assess learning. It is a limited way to gain insight into what some students know and are able to do”(Berliner, 2010, p.113).
As teachers, we have to monitor the progress our students make each day, week, quarter and year. Classroom assessments are one of the most crucial educational tools for teachers. When assessments are properly developed and interpreted, they can help teachers better understand their students learning progress and needs, by providing the resources to collect evidence that indicates what information their students know and what skills they can perform. Assessments help teachers to not only identify and monitor learners’ strengths, weaknesses, learning and progress but also help them to better plan and conduct instruction. For these reasons, ongoing classroom assessment is the glue that binds teaching and learning together and allows educators to monitor their efficacy and student learning.
Assessment is an important part of teaching. It is a measure of the students understanding of the material being taught. I use formal assessments in form of test and quizzes.
Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a
‘The main purpose of schooling is learning and development, and this should be supported by appropriate assessment. Assessment is undertaken to provide information about students’ learning and/or their attitudes to learning and doing mathematics’ (AAMT 2008 as cited in Reys, R, ‘et al’ 2012). Assessment of students mathematical learning can happen in various forms, traditionally with tests done at the end of a topic to link a student’s learning which can also be known as summative assessment, to new activities and quizzes known as formative assessment. Both of these forms of assessment are used in the classroom and each has their own purpose in a student’s learning progress.