Formative and Summative Assessment

There might be instances where teachers confuses the difference between Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment. Yes they are both intended to assess the students' learning but how do they differ?

Formative Assessment is also known as Assessment For Learning. It is done during the instructional process, while the learning is taking place. It helps teachers to decide where students are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there. After such assessment, teachers can make adjustments on the instructions (if needed) and provide feedback to ensure that the students attains the intended learning outcomes. On the students' perspective, such assessments helps them to be motivated, set goals, and engage in learning.

Teachers uses Formative Assessment to ensure that the students actually are learning what the teacher have taught. If a class does not engage in such assessment, the teaching and learning process will be compromised; teachers will move on from one competency to another without a clear picture if the students actually did learned. The teaching strategies could depend on the information gathered from this assessment.

How can we execute Formative Assessment? Pre-test, quizzes, concept maps, observations, discussions, questioning, think-pair-share, journals, exit cards, and peer-and-self assessment are few examples of how to conduct a Formative Assessment.

Summative Assessment is also known as Assessment Of Learning. It is done after the learning has been completed, it provides information that sums up the teaching and learning process at the end of teaching, unit, grading period or semester. It is used to gauge progress of grade-level goals; for grading and promotion on to the next grade-level. Usually in a form of a test or project to measure student competency. 

Summative Assessment and Formative Assessment are equally important part of the teaching and learning process. 

A good assessment allow teachers to better plan for success, encourage students, and ensure the best students' outcomes as possible.