1.2 Formative and summative assessment

At this point, it is worth introducing you to formative and summative assessment types.

Formative assessments are assessments that do not contribute towards the mark or award achieved in the course of study. Nonetheless, formative assessments provide a useful opportunity to determine assessment for learning. Formative assessments can be something as simple as asking a class question and determining what they understand by the responses. It might also involve learners engaging in a group discussion regarding a topic.

In contrast, summative assessments are used to determine what has been learned. For example, a summative assessment could be an exam where the mark achieved determines the grade a learner is awarded in a subject. Or, an assignment submitted by a learner that contributes towards the grade achieved in the course of study.

An easy way to separate formative assessment from summative assessment is to think of it this way: