Assessing student learning is a vital process that goes beyond simply assigning grades. Assessment is "the ongoing process of establishing clear, measurable expected outcomes of student learning; ensuring that students have sufficient opportunities to achieve those outcomes; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well student learning matches our expectations; and using the resulting information to understand and improve student learning" (Suskie, 2018, p. 4).
The purpose of assessment is two-fold:
Ultimately, effective assessment practices lead to better learning experiences for our students and contribute to the overall improvement of education.
Assessment typically falls into two main categories: summative and formative. Each serves a distinct purpose in the learning process.
Formative assessment is ongoing and occurs throughout the learning process. It aims to monitor student learning and provide continuous feedback, allowing instructors to adjust their teaching methods and students to improve their understanding.
Some examples of formative assessment include:
Summative assessment occurs at the end of a learning period (such as a unit, semester, or course) to evaluate student learning against specific standards or benchmarks.
Some examples of summative assessment include:
Both types of assessment are valuable and often work together. Formative assessments help prepare students for summative assessments, while summative assessments can inform future teaching strategies and curriculum design.
For those interested in diving deeper, we suggest the following resources, which offer comprehensive insights into both formative and summative assessment strategies, as well as broader perspectives on assessment in higher education:
Suskie, Linda. (2018). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. John Wiley & Sons. Available in the CTSE Library
