Formative Assessment as Part of the Learning Process Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The term “formative assessment” refers to a certain understanding and philosophy of evaluation in education, as well as practices and approaches based on this understanding and intended for educators’ use. Formative assessment is the evaluation of the teaching process in the course of it. In contrast, summative assessment is an evaluation based on certain benchmarks and occurring regularly at the end of certain periods, e.g. tests, quizzes, midterm exams, and final exams.

Garrison and Ehringhaus (2007) state that “formative assessment is part of the instructional process. When incorporated into classroom practice, it provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening” (p. 1). This approach has been popular within recent decades because it manages to critically estimate the effectiveness of delivered education. It has been argued that summative assessment fails to recognize the needs of learners that are newly arising or had been overlooked when education programs were designed. Formative assessment activities, such as student-led conferences, provide educators with valuable feedback, which allows modifying the learning process toward addressing the needs of learners more effectively.

Summative and formative assessment in education can be compared to different approaches to gardening (“The garden analogy,” n.d.). A summative assessment is measuring plants. Certain criteria can be developed to conclude whether the plants’ growth and development are normal. However, it can be argued that such measurements do not contribute to the growth and development of the plants. Formative assessment, on the other hand, is similar to nourishing and watering the plants according to their needs.

Ussher and Earl (2010) argued that the terms “formative assessment” and “summative assessment” can be confusing and misleading because they were initially shortenings of more meaningful expressions: “assessment for formative purposes” and “assessment for summative purposes” respectively. The authors explain that some assessment methods are aimed at summarizing the achievements of learners, while other assessment methods are used for critical evaluation, i.e. to find out what should be changed and improved about teaching. The latter has proved to be beneficial for education overall.

References

Garrison, C., & Ehringhaus, M. (2007). Formative and summative assessments in the classroom. NMSA’s Annual Conference and Exhibit, 34(11), 1-3.

The garden analogy. (n.d.). Web.

Ussher, B., & Earl, K. (2010). ‘Summative’ and ‘formative’: Confused by the assessment terms? New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 7(1), 53-63.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, September 17). Formative Assessment as Part of the Learning Process. https://ivypanda.com/essays/formative-assessment-as-part-of-the-learning-process/

Work Cited

"Formative Assessment as Part of the Learning Process." IvyPanda, 17 Sept. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/formative-assessment-as-part-of-the-learning-process/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Formative Assessment as Part of the Learning Process'. 17 September.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Formative Assessment as Part of the Learning Process." September 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/formative-assessment-as-part-of-the-learning-process/.

1. IvyPanda. "Formative Assessment as Part of the Learning Process." September 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/formative-assessment-as-part-of-the-learning-process/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Formative Assessment as Part of the Learning Process." September 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/formative-assessment-as-part-of-the-learning-process/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1