Summative assessments are given after a lesson, chapter or semester is near completion. Students typically receive a letter grade or number score that reflects their work and find out how well they performed once the unit is finished. They may also be given a grade of pass or fail. Results from summative assessments can be used to determine whether a student has mastered a skill, if a teaching program is successful or if a school has met its assigned benchmarks.
According to Heather Coffey of LEARN NC, an academic program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Education, the most common types of summative assessments are state-mandated exams, district tests, end-of-unit tests and semester evaluations. The format for these assessments is generally multiple choice, short answer or essay. Other types of summative assessments may include final projects, classroom presentations, research papers and final recitals.
Formative assessments are used to measure learning, and students are not graded on them in the traditional sense. The goal of a formative assessment is to obtain on-the-spot information about the quality of learning throughout the course of a unit. The teacher both gives and receives feedback throughout a class period to gauge student understanding and reteach necessary ideas. Students can use formative assessments to immediately reflect on what they have learned and ask the instructor to clarify confusing concepts.
Formative assessment techniques include observing students as they work, questioning students on steps and procedures, discussing new information and using peer assessments. During formative assessments, student work such as journals and charts can take the place of multiple-choice responses or short answers. Presentations and games also give teachers the opportunity to assess student understanding during a class period. The key to all types of formative assessments is to provide instant feedback to students based on their degree of understanding and to adjust teaching methods to reflect student needs.