Educational assessment is a broad field encompassing all the activities teachers use to help students learn and measure their progress. These assessments are not a monolithic entity; instead, they are categorized to serve different objectives throughout the learning process. From initial evaluations that help place students appropriately to final assessments that summarize learning, each type plays a distinct role in the educational journey. Understanding
these distinctions is crucial for both educators and students to maximize their effectiveness.
Placement, Formative, and Summative Assessments
Assessment practices are often divided into initial, formative, and summative categories, each addressing specific goals. Placement assessment, also known as pre-assessment, initial assessment, or a threshold knowledge test, is conducted before instruction begins. Its purpose is to establish a baseline of a student's prior achievement, knowledge level, or personal characteristics. This helps place students at the most appropriate point in an instructional sequence, with a suitable teacher, or within a unique instructional strategy. These assessments are generally not graded and can include tests used by colleges and universities to assess readiness for specific classes.Formative assessment, on the other hand, is carried out throughout a course or project. It's often referred to as "educative assessment" because its primary goal is to aid learning. Teachers, peers, or even the learners themselves (through self-assessment) can conduct formative assessments. They provide feedback on a student's work and are not typically used for grading. Examples include diagnostic tests, quizzes, oral questions, or draft work. The results of formative assessments, which are conducted concurrently with instruction, may count towards a grade, but their main aim is to determine if students understand the material before a summative assessment.
Summative assessment is generally conducted at the end of a course or project. In an educational setting, these assessments are typically used to assign students a course grade and are evaluative in nature. They summarize what students have learned and determine their understanding of the subject matter. Summative assessments are usually graded, often on a pass/fail basis or a numerical scale, and can take the form of tests, exams, or projects. A common criticism of summative assessments is that they are reductive, and students often discover how well they have acquired knowledge too late for that information to be useful for further learning.
Diagnostic and Performance-Based Assessments
Diagnostic assessment focuses on identifying the difficulties that occurred during the learning process. While a common form of formative assessment, it can also be a distinct category. It measures a student's current knowledge and skills to pinpoint areas where they might need additional support or a tailored learning program. Self-assessment, where students evaluate their own understanding, is a form of diagnostic assessment.Performance-based assessment is similar to summative assessment in its focus on achievement. It is often aligned with standards-based education reform and the outcomes-based education movement. Unlike traditional multiple-choice tests, performance-based assessments typically involve free-form responses to standard questions, scored by human evaluators on a standards-based scale (e.g., meeting, falling below, or exceeding a performance standard). These assessments ask students to create, produce, or do something, often in settings that involve real-world application of knowledge and skills. Proficiency is demonstrated through an extended response.
