Formative v. Summative Assessment

Regardless of the type of assessment used, some common criteria need to be included in all. These assessments should all be research-driven; students may use the learning resources and textbook in the course, and/or they may locate outside relevant sources to use as evidence in demonstrating their mastery of the concepts. Other common criteria are academic/professional writing and correct citing of sources within their assessment projects. In all subject matter courses, students need to be held to high academic writing and documentation standards.

Students are all different in the way they learn and the way in which they explain concepts to others.  When students produce an assignment for assessment, they are, in effect, explaining concepts to their faculty, who, will grade their attempt at demonstrating mastery of the content. It stands to reason, that assessment projects should be different throughout the course. Taking it a step further, doesn’t it also make sense that each unit of study include multiple choices in types of assessments students may use to show mastery? In my course observations, I have seen those in which there is the traditionally-formatted weekly discussion, homework copied from the textbook chapter, and a short essay every week. Students in classes like this have no opportunity to use their strongest learning and communication skills in demonstrating mastery of the course content. In fact, I would go so far as to say that these types of assessments do not show any understanding whatsoever of the course content.

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