TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

Assessment can be both a formative and summative process. Formative  assessment is used to provide feedback to students and teachers to promote further learning. Summative assessment contributes to the judgement of student learning for reporting and certification purposes.

• FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT– is assessment for learning. It is used at the beginning of an instructional period and during the process of instruction as teachers check for student understanding. Diagnostic tools determine what students already know and where there are gaps and misconceptions. Formative assessment also includes assessment as learning, where students reflect on and monitor their own progress.  The information gained guides teachers’ decisions in how to enhance teaching and learning. Formative Assessment enables students to learn through the process of feedback and opportunities to practise and improve. As students reflect on and monitor their progress this process effectively becomes assessment as learning and contributes to students planning future learning goals.

• SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT – is assessment of learning. It is used towards and at the end of the instruction period. Teachers document the culmination of students’ learning achievements through tasks that invite students to Demonstrate their mastery and knowledge of the course content. Summative assessment data provides teachers with information about how effective teaching strategies have been, time needed for instruction and how to improve teaching for future students.