Assessment for learning |
Assessment of learning | |
Also known as… |
Formative assessment |
Summative assessment |
Purposes | To diagnose student difficulties in reaching learning objectives; To identify student strengths that can be built upon; To inform future learning and teaching. | To measure and summarise student achievement of learning objectives in the form of grades; To inform selection procedures for, e.g. promotion, entrance to higher education, employment. |
Formality |
Formal or informal (ad hoc) |
Formal |
Timing |
Prior to / During school term |
During / At end of school term |
Consequences |
Low-stakes |
High-stakes |
Perspective |
Forward-looking |
Backward-looking |
Feedback | Specific, qualitative feedback in the form of evaluative comments on performance or highlighted descriptors on a criteria marking scheme. Students are provided with constructive and concrete advice on how to improve, time and opportunities for further development and practice. Scores may be given to show students the result they would have achieved in a ‘real’ test, but the scores do not contribute to grades. Students should absorb teachers’ comments fully before seeing scores. | Feedback is optional. If the students are going to do a similar test/exam in future, then feedback could serve a formative purpose. If the test/exam content is the last time they will be tested on this, then of course no feedback, just grades. If the summative assessment is criterion-referenced, then students can refer to the criteria marking scheme to understand what the grade implies about their capabilities, but there is nothing they can do to change their grade. |
Feedback providers |
Self / Peers / Teacher |
Teacher / Examiner |
Understanding learning goals | Enhances student understanding of learning objectives, criteria, standards, etc. | Merely checks student ability to meet learning objectives |
Motivation |
Positive |
Negative |
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Jackdaw Learning & Teaching 