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There are two types of assessment techniques: one is Formative and the other is Summative. Within this article you will find an explanation of each as well as an example to use. You will also find out why these assessments are so helpful and vital to the learning of our children as well as our teaching professionals.

Let’s first discuss exactly what an assessment is. An assessment is an evaluation of one’s learning process and what one has learned. This is a very good reason as to why teachers are fond of assessments. Assessments are a wonderful tool to see how well a student learns and which method of learning is best for him or her.

The best method for this is Formative Assessment, and for good reason. Most teachers enjoy using this as it shows how well the student is progressing throughout the year. Formative assessment is a technique used to see how a student learns best. It also shows what they have learned so far in the term. This helps the teacher see what method of teaching is best for them to use. Usually this type of assessment is done during the term rather than after. With this teachers can adjust or remain on the same teaching path they have chosen. The assessments are done through activities that are not done for credit but for information. One good example of a Formative Assessment technique is a Minute Paper. This is when the teacher asks a student to write what they have learned so far on a half-sheet of paper. For more examples of this technique you can click here.

The other assessment is called Summative. This is usually done at the end of a term to see overall learning ability. Summative assessment is used to see if the students have met the teachers’ goals for that term. Some examples are the benchmark exams, end-of-term papers, and report card grades. These are the most common techniques and have proven to work well in the classroom setting.

In summary, the two types of assessments techniques are Formative and Summative. The most often used technique is Summative, but only at end of term. Most teaching professionals do use Formative as well, only during the course of the term rather than the end. These techniques are extremely important in the learning process of our children.

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