Lecture Notes: Formative vs. Summative Assessment

Key Concepts

Formative Assessment

• Definition: Ongoing assessment used as checkpoints along the way to inform and guide teaching and learning.
• Importance:
  • Most crucial aspect of teaching for student achievement.
  • Provides feedback to both students and teachers.
  • Aids in learning without the necessity of grades.
  • Involves descriptive feedback, which has three components:
    1. Identify the goal or objective.
    2. Determine the current position relative to the goal.
    3. Decide on actions to close the gap.
• Feedback:
  • Essential for the effectiveness of formative assessment.
  • Should be descriptive and actionable.
  • Helps students revise their efforts and encourages relearning.

Summative Assessment

• Definition: A final assessment that evaluates what has been learned after instruction is complete.
• Characteristics:
  • Considered final with little room for revision.
  • Often emphasized more by teachers in preparation.
• Flexibility:
  • Teachers can choose to use what was intended as summative assessment as formative if necessary.

Impact and Research

• Dylan William & Paul Black:
  • Authors of "Inside the Black Box," highlighting the impact of formative assessment.
  • Their work revolutionized the approach towards assessment in education.
• Effect Size:
  • Assessments with descriptive feedback have a significant impact on learning outcomes compared to assessments without feedback.
• Formative Assessment in Practice:
  • Should be embedded within lesson plans.
  • Teachers should be able to explain how formative assessment influences their teaching decisions.

Classroom Application

• Differentiated Instruction:
  • Formative assessment is a pillar of differentiated instruction.
  • It helps tailor teaching strategies to meet the needs of individual students or groups of students.
• Student Achievement:
  • Classrooms focusing on formative assessment generally see improved test scores and mastery.
  • It raises questions about the potential learning lost when formative assessment principles are not applied.

Conclusion

• Teachers need to balance the time spent on summative vs formative assessments, with a greater focus on the latter.
• Effective formative assessment can transform teaching practices and student learning outcomes.