Difference Between Summative Assessment and Formative Assessment

The two main components of the education system are formative and summative assessment. Although they both serve students learning, still they have many differences including differences in their purposes and their focus, and many other things. You need to understand the difference between both components to get a better understanding of which can be used and when. Whether you are a student or even a tutor you must understand the difference. This article will further explore the differences in the key points, including differences in their purpose, focus, timing, feedback, function, goal, format, and many more. 

What are Formative and Summative Assessments? 

Formative assessment is an ongoing process that includes gathering information and regular feedback on the learning of students during the learning process. The aim of formative assessment is simply to monitor all the understanding that a student is gaining in the learning process, provide feedback regularly, and guide their future way by providing them with instructional decisions. They can provide you with information like “Game-changing tips on how to write an assignment” Formative assessment can be taken in various ways including classroom discussions, self-assessment tests, projects, observations, and quizzes. 

The summative assessment focuses on evaluating the student's learning at the very end of their learning process, Whether it be the end of the semester, unit, or end of their course. The primary purpose of summative assessment is to measure the achievements, in this, it is done by providing grades and providing a proper summer judgment at the end of the student's academic calendar. Summative assessments are taken in various ways including final exams, standardized tests, or even end-year projects. You can even ask to write an assignment, so make sure you have good knowledge of the assignment structure. 

Key Difference Between Summative and Formative Assessment 

Below is a detailed difference between summative and formative assessment, after going through this you will be able to understand everything in the proper sense: 

• Purpose: Formative assessment entails assessment targeted at student learning to examine and feedback information for enhancement in learning, while summative assessment is used in that it seeks to assess student learning to provide grades.

• Timing: Form for assessment is used during the learning process and continuous while on the other hand, the sum for assessment is usually given at the end of a unit or a course.

• Focus: Formative assessment indicates the description of enhanced learning requirements and development, while on the other hand, summative assessment indicates outlining learning end products and achievements.

• Feedback: Formative assessment offers information concerning future learning to be done while summative assessment gives information or a final verdict.

• Function: Formative assessment targets student learning processes, with the results informing instructional strategies and modifications needed, while summative assessment targets student mastery and learning achievements, with the results describing a learner’s preparedness for the next learning level.

• Format: Formative assessment is an informal & variable formative assessment method used throughout the learning-teaching process which includes quizzes, observation, and discussion.

• Goal: Formative assessment provides the necessary information about the learning progress during a lesson to enhance instruction, at the same time, summative assessment seeks to evaluate learning after a lesson, course, unit, or term to determine responsibility.

• Audience: While formative assessment can involve teachers and learners mostly, then summative assessment can involve teachers, learners, parents, or even administrators.

• Frequency: Assessment can be formative or summative; In formative assessment, assessment is continuous throughout a learning process while summative assessment is usually done at the end of a learning unit.

• Influence: While formative assessment feedback is used to inform the improvement of the teaching and learning process, summative assessment is used to determine the efficiency of the teaching and the learning that has taken place.

   

   

   

   

   

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Key Points of Summative assessment vs Formative assessment

Similarity Between Summative and Formative Assessment

There are some similarities between summative and formative assessment as well, you should know of that as well so that you do not get confused in the future as well. 

• Purpose: As discussed before, formative assessments and summative assessments are used to assess student learning but at different times in the learning process.

• Importance: In other words, both kinds of assessment serve the purpose of instruction, feedback, and student development and success.

• Learning Outcomes: Both tests are criterion-referenced in Learning Objectives/Standards to evaluate the student’s learning progress and accomplishment.

• Assessment Methods: Formative and summative types can use a variety of methods such as quizzes, tests, project observation, etc.

• Teacher Role: The key implication is that teachers are often involved in distributing as well as assessing formative and/or summative forms of assessments.

• Student Performance: Both assessments evaluate the performance of the students as well as give the instructor information as to what aspects the students are good at and which aspects they need to work on.

• Feedback: For the first assessment it might be useful to provide the student with feedback, that encourages learning, whereas more specific feedback might be helpful for the second assessment.

• Instructional Adjustments: Formative and Summative assessments, serve as powerful tools in determining instructional decisions and sometimes require changes based on student needs.

• Educational System: Each kind of testing is a segment of the overall educational structure and makes useful contributions to the whole educational program.

• Continuous Improvement: Both, simultaneously improve such a culture where the students and teachers are not only aiming for improvement but are preparing for excellence.

Conclusion 

We can conclude the difference between summative and formative assessment by simply saying that aim of the both assessments is the same but they have their way of helping students with their learning process. When you go through the blog you will see that everything is not different in both these assessments, there are some similarities as well. They both are directing students in the same direction which helps them analyze the way and what they are learning, which is the reason some of the stations of both these trains are the same. Other than these stations both the assessments have their track and their pattern of evaluating students' learning process.