Summative Assessment And Assessment Of Learning

Assessment is an important aspect in teaching. It allows teachers to gauge learner progress and development. It also helps teachers to measure their performance as a teacher and whether their teaching methodologies and transformation of the content knowledge to the learners are effective. This article concerns the use of assessment for learning (formative assessment) and assessment of learning (summative assessment), and how one can affect the other in either positive or negative ways.

The two main purposes of assessment discussed in this article are for helping learning and for summarizing learning. Assessment has always been a part of the education system and involves various tasks, tests and examinations for the development of the learner and the teacher. Often an assessment measures what has been learned, remembered, understood and applied (Sieborger & Macintosh, 1998). Assessment also provides a platform for evaluation and feedback to take place. The primary purpose of an assessment is not only to measure what the learners have learned but rather as an indication of where they can improve and achieve more. An assessment is also in place to motivate learners to improve.

When it comes to assessment, there are various forms or types that can be given to learners. The first type is informal. This is where the educator gauges learner understanding in the classroom while teaching is taking place without the learners being aware of it. The main reason behind it is to find out what the learners know and what they are not fully grasping (Sieborger & Macintosh, 1998). This method helps teachers to keep abreast on each learner as the lesson progresses. In contrast to this, teachers use formal assessment on the learners. This is an ...

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...ent is now used for summative assessment in which the grades of the learner in determined. Based on the formative data, a summary is done to see if the learner has successfully attained each level of learning.

To conclude changing teaching and assessment practices is a critical element if assessment for learning and formative assessment is to be progressed. There are important challenges for formative and summative assessment still to be faced. However, through teaching, learning and assessment practices the skills and dispositions needed for long-term learning must be given priority if the most important goals for future learning as well. According to me, both formative and summative assessment is essential ion the curriculum. They both play a vital role in the cognitive development of the learner; hence both should be given equal importance in the curriculum.