Compare And Contrast Formative And Summative

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This essay will look at the different types of assessment and whether the methods used within school X are effective.
The two main areas of assessment are formative and summative. Formative involves the teacher giving “informative feedback to learners while they are still learning the topic”. (Petty, 2015, Page 448). Conversely summative assessment is used as a means to sum up what a pupil can do in the form of an examination which takes place at the end of a module (Petty, 2015, page 462).
Formative assessment (also known as Assessment for Learning or AfL) is perhaps the most used form of assessment as it includes numerous methods that teachers can use in the classroom every day. Activities within the classroom could include; monitoring class work, homework, designated assessment tasks and may include non-formal tests (Kyriacou, 2007, Page 111-114). Therefore, it can be said that AfL can include written (including tests) and non-written (such as questioning) sources of data collection. (Cohen et al., 2010, Pages 407 and 425). …show more content…

Summative assessment is a much more traditional approach to assessment. It involves terminal assessment and requires pupils to demonstrate their knowledge via tests and examinations, normally having completed a module of work.
Another important part of assessment is ensuring data is processed correctly. This can be done by picking the correct test and scoring method. This could mean using criteria-referenced assessments, so grading is based upon set criteria (a certain score equates to a certain grade). Another option is norm-referenced assessment, where grading is based upon performance of others within the class (giving a more even spread of

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