City University of Pasay
College of Education
Assessment of Learning
Module 3 Formative and Summative Assessment
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I. Objectives:
1. Define the terms summative and formative assessment
2. Differentiate the terms summative and formative
3. Explain the relationship between summative and formative assessment
4. Enumerate the benefits of formative assessment in teaching and learning
II. Introduction/Overview
This module will differentiate between the summative and formative assessment
-When and how each one is used and the relationship of the two types. It will also dwell
on the benefits and weaknesses of both with the hope that the future teacher will utilize
the two types of assessment wisely and for the benefit of the learner.
III. Lesson Proper
What is formative assessment?
a. Formative assessment refers to a wide variety of methods that teachers
use to conduct in-process evaluations of student comprehension, learning
needs, and academic progress during a lesson, unit, or course.
b. Formative assessments help teachers identify concepts that students are
struggling to understand, skills they are having difficulty acquiring,
or learning standards they have not yet achieved so that adjustments can
be made to lessons, instructional techniques, and academic support.
c. The general goal of formative assessment is to collect detailed
information that can be used to improve instruction and student
learning while it’s happening.
d. What makes an assessment “formative” is not the design of a test,
technique, or self-evaluation, per se, but the way it is used—i.e., to inform
in-process teaching and learning modifications.
e. Formative assessment is used before instruction, to find out where students
are, and during instruction, to find out how they are progressing
f. Formative assessments are integrated into the teaching and learning
process.
g. Formative assessment is not used for grading. Students need—and
deserve—an opportunity to learn before they are graded on how well they
have learned
h. The fact that formative assessment is not used for grading makes it even
more useful for learning, especially for less-able students.
i. Formative assessment is collecting any information, before or during
instruction, that can be shared with students and used for improvement.
j. Formative assessment help faculty recognize where students are struggling
and address problems immediately
What is summative assessment?
a. Summative assessments, are used to evaluate student learning progress
and achievement at the conclusion or at the end of a specific instructional
period—usually at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or
school year.
b. Summative assessment at the end of an instructional unit usually compares
student’s achievement against some standard or benchmark.
c. Summative assessments are often high stakes, which means that they have
a high point value.
d. In other words, formative assessments are for learning, while summative
assessments are of learning.
e. Examples of summative assessments include
o a midterm exam or the final exam
o a final project
o a thesis or dissertation
C. The following are a few representative examples of formative assessments:
o Questions that teachers pose to individual students and groups of students
during the learning process to determine what specific concepts or skills they
may be having trouble with. A wide variety of intentional questioning strategies
may be employed, such as phrasing questions in specific ways to elicit more
useful responses.
o Specific, detailed, and constructive feedback that teachers provide on student
work, such as journal entries, essays, worksheets, research papers, projects,
ungraded quizzes, lab results, or works of art, design, and performance. The
feedback may be used to revise or improve a work product.
o Exit slips” or “exit tickets” that quickly collect student responses to a teacher’s
questions at the end of a lesson or class period. Based on what the responses
indicate, the teacher can then modify the next lesson to address concepts that
students have failed to comprehend or skills they may be struggling with.
“Admit slips” are a similar strategy used at the beginning of a class or lesson
to determine what students have retained from previous learning experiences.
o Self-assessments that ask students to think about their own learning process,
to reflect on what they do well or struggle with, and to articulate what they
have learned or still need to learn to meet course expectations or learning
standards.
o Peer assessments that allow students to use one another as learning
resources. For example, “workshopping” a piece of writing with classmates is
one common form of peer assessment, particularly if students follow a rubric
or guidelines provided by a teacher.
D .In addition to the reasons addressed above, educators may also use formative
assessment to:
Refocus students on the learning process and its intrinsic value, rather than
on grades or extrinsic rewards.
Encourage students to build on their strengths rather than fixate or dwell on
their deficits.
Help students become more aware of their learning needs, strengths, and
interests so they can take greater responsibility over their own educational
growth. For example, students may learn how to self-assess their own
progress and self-regulate their behaviors.
Give students more detailed, precise, and useful information. Because grades
and test scores only provide a general impression of academic achievement,
usually at the completion of an instructional period, formative feedback can
help to clarify and calibrate learning expectations for both students and
parents. Students gain a clearer understanding of what is expected of them,
and parents have more detailed information they can use to more effectively
support their child’s education,
References:
Assessment of Learning 1, Gabuyo,Y. Rex Book store, Manila, 2015
Assessing Learning Outcomes, Navarro, R. Lorimar Publishing, 2012
