Difference between summative and formative assessment
The main difference between summative and formative assessment is their purpose and timing within the learning process.
Summative Assessment:
1. Purpose: Summative assessments are used to evaluate learning at the end of a unit, course, or program. They are often high-stakes assessments that determine a student's final grade or level of achievement.
2. Timing: Summative assessments are typically administered after the completion of a learning unit or course, making it more of a retrospective evaluation.
3. Focus: Summative assessments focus on measuring the overall learning outcomes and student achievement. They provide a summary or snapshot of what a student has learned.
Formative Assessment:
1. Purpose: Formative assessments are used to monitor and provide feedback on student learning throughout the learning process. They aim to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and improve their performance.
2. Timing: Formative assessments are ongoing and can be conducted during a lesson, unit, or course. They are used for instructional purposes and to guide further teaching and learning.
3. Focus: Formative assessments focus on providing feedback, recognizing student progress, and identifying areas of improvement. They help teachers adjust their instruction based on the needs of the students.
Overall, summative assessments evaluate learning at the end of the learning process, while formative assessments provide ongoing feedback and support student learning during the process.
Summative assessment and formative assessment are two different types of assessments used in education.
1. Summative Assessment:
- Definition: Summative assessment is used to evaluate students' learning and achievement at the end of a specific period of instruction, typically at the end of a unit, course, or school year.
- Purpose: The main purpose of summative assessment is to determine students' overall understanding and knowledge of a subject.
- Timing: It is usually administered after instruction is completed.
- Examples: Final exams, standardized tests, end-of-unit tests, and grades at the end of a semester are examples of summative assessment.
2. Formative Assessment:
- Definition: Formative assessment is an ongoing process that is used to monitor students' learning and provide feedback to improve their understanding and performance.
- Purpose: The main purpose of formative assessment is to guide instruction and provide feedback for both teachers and students on how to improve learning.
- Timing: It occurs throughout the learning process and is often informal and ungraded.
- Examples: Class discussions, questioning strategies, quizzes, assignments, student self-assessments, and peer assessments are examples of formative assessment.
Key Differences:
- Timing: Summative assessment is typically done at the end of instruction, while formative assessment takes place during instruction.
- Purpose: The purpose of summative assessment is to evaluate and summarize learning, while formative assessment aims to monitor and improve learning.
- Feedback: While summative assessment provides a summary of performance, formative assessment provides ongoing feedback to enhance learning.
- Grading: Summative assessment is often graded and contributes to final grades, while formative assessment is usually ungraded and used for instructional purposes.
In summary, summative assessment evaluates learning at the end of instruction, while formative assessment is used during instruction to monitor progress and provide feedback to enhance learning.