"The role of formative and summative assessments" (статья на английском языке)

The role of formative and summative assessments

It is worth noting that the assessment role has shifted from measuring student achievement to incorporating formative assessment as a powerful tool for personalized language instruction. Developing formative assessments as part of differentiated language instruction, we can then create diverse student learning environments that are rich in formative features, providing students with the opportunity to practice and improve their skills in a variety of challenging and exciting academic environments.

Formative assessment is different from summative assessment as it is conducted at the conclusion of a course or unit to gauge either a unit or a person, with formative assessment taking place at the end of a course or unit to assess a unit.

Similarly, in a differentiated language classroom, formative assessment plays an essential role in tailoring instruction to meet individual needs through formative assessment. Through consistent assessment of student performance, we obtain valuable insights into the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement for our students. The data enables us to create effective instruction strategies, ensuring that students are given the appropriate level of challenge and support to succeed in the classroom and throughout their education. Formative assessments can be incorporated into differentiated language teaching, and some of the approaches utilized include:

Diagnostic assessments

Conducting diagnostic assessments at the outset of a course or unit to determine students' current knowledge, skills, and learning prerequisites.

Embedded assessments

Using quick quizzes, exit tickets and observations during lessons to assess student comprehension and areas for improvement through embedded assessment methods. Engaging in peer evaluations and self-assessment practices to enhance students' cognitive and self-awareness and develop proficiency in applying these skills.

Self-assessments and peer evaluations

Encouraging students to reflect on their learning through self-assessments and engage in peer evaluations to foster metacognitive skills and self-awareness.

Performance-based assessments

Incorporating hands-on activities, presentations, and projects to assess students' language skills in a communicative context.

Teaching students to evaluate themselves and their own learning by participating in peer evaluations and self-assessment techniques. Students can use activities, presentations, and projects to assess their language skills in a communicative manner, leading to performance-based assessments.

Where does this belong when it comes to proficiency tests? Do formative assessments and proficiency tests have an opposing perspective? Honestly, they are not sufficient.

Summative assessment can also be effectively used for a formative purpose and proficiency tests, which are typically connected to summative assessment, can also benefit from proficiency testing.

Our proficiency testing process is structured to track student progress over time over the course and identify areas for improvement, allowing us to take periodic proficiency tests periodically throughout the course, so we can help inform instructional decisions and determine potential instructional gaps and gaps. Performance assessments also serve as a form of uniformity testing of language command, allowing us to evaluate the performance of our students against external standards. Summative assessments are still considered important, despite formative assessment being the primary means of teaching different languages.

While formative assessment is the underlying framework for differentiated language instruction, summative assessments remain relevant to a more general level of instruction, as taught in schools where children and adults learn a new language (e.g. Through their power, student performance measurements at specific times provide substantial insight into student achievement levels and provide powerful data for reporting, evaluating programs, and comparing with external assessments and comparisons of programs. We can strategically use formative assessments as well as summative assessments to provide a holistic understanding of student learning and strive for the best possible formative and summative assessments to improve academically, socially, and politically. Effective assessment is not a final goal, but rather a means to empower language learners and promote their proficiency in communicating and fluency.