Chapter 1 Taking Stock

Purpose for Using Student Assessment Technique: Worksheet 'C'

The terms formative and summative evaluation have become part of the educator's lexicon since Michael Scriven coined them in 1967. They have come to mean different things to different people but for the purposes of this handbook, we will return to Scriven's original distinction.

Formative evaluation is intended to provide information for both teacher and student about the progress of that student so that corrective action may be taken to help achieve the desired learning outcome.
Summative evaluation is intended to provide information to be used in making judgments about a student's achievement.

This distinction leaves out any reference to the type of assessment technique used or to the time at which it is used. So, the results of a written unit test could be used for both summative and formative evaluation. If the test or the unit is never referred to again and if the mark is simply reported, then that is summative evaluation. If, upon correcting the test, you find that most of the students have failed to grasp an important concept, and, if you decide to reteach the concept before going on to the next unit, then you have carried out formative evaluation as well. In school we have very few instances of evaluations that are purely summative or purely formative usually we make use of the same assessment information in both modes. To keep the distinction between formative and summative evaluation clear, remember the illustration given by Robert Stake, a noted evaluator:

When the cook tastes the soup, that's formative. When the guests taste it, that's summative!

There is a third kind of evaluation decision that we can include here: diagnostic evaluation. A common form of diagnostic evaluation is used at the beginning of a unit, course, or lesson when the teacher assesses students" readiness and background for what is about to be taught. This is pre-instructional assessment and evaluation. It occurs when you decide that you need assessment information on a student, group of students, or a whole class before you can proceed with the most effective instruction. It is considered part of good teaching practice to find out prior to instruction the level of knowledge and skill that is present in the learner

Another form of diagnostic evaluation is used when more specific information is needed about a student's learning needs. Assessment information is gathered to give a more detailed representation of learning strengths and weaknesses. Instruction is then directed toward the specific learning needs of the student. While diagnostic evaluation is really specialized extension of formative and summative evaluation, its emphasis is on assessing the strengths and educational needs of students as a starting point for instruction.

Diagnostic evaluation in group or class situations usually takes place before instruction begins. Some examples include: reading inventories in order to develop appropriate plans for student learning in reading, second-language oral tests in order to assign students to appropriate learning groups, writing tasks to assess the level of writing skills, or beginning-of-the-year tests to see what the students retained from the previous year.

Diagnostic evaluation with individual students is often initiated when you feel the need to find out more about how a student learns. Some examples include: assessing a student with a suspected learning disability to arrange for special intervention, assessing a transferring student to ensure accurate grade placement, and assessing a student to recommend an enriched program for the academically talented.

Now you can proceed with filling in Worksheet 'C' for the first of your student evaluation groupings.

For each of the Ongoing Student Activities and the Quizzes and Tests assessment techniques you checked off on Worksheet ‘B’, decide whether you use it primarily to make diagnostic, formative, or summative judgements.

On Worksheet ‘C’, indicate this primary use by writing a ‘1’ in the appropriate column: diagnostic, formative, or summative.

Then decide if you also use the technique for a secondary purpose. If you do, mark a ‘2’ in the appropriate column.

To refresh your memory later, make a note of the key points in your thinking that led you to your decisions.

Finally, transfer your ratings to the Student Evaluation Summary Inventory Sheet.

For printing and copying, this table requires Acrobat Reader

Purpose for Using Student Assessment Technique:
Worksheet 'C'