ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SUMMATIVE AND FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATION

Summative assessments, which have been ingrained into teaching models for years, evaluate how much a student has learned at the end of a block of teaching. Summative assessments can include papers, exams, and final projects. Each student’s learning is compared against a standard or benchmark.

Formative assessments, which are gaining popularity in teaching, evaluate in “real time” how much a student has learned. Formative assessment can include strategic questioning (of one or all students), quizzes, tests that asks students to explain their thinking, and group projects.