Assessment of and Assessment for Learning
...help. We also assess to grade the attainment of learners. When goals are set for students, assessment can be used to verify learners' progress and achievement. Assessment is also useful for teachers as it helps to form judgment as to whether learning has been successful and to identify any difficulties students might have so that corrective action can be taken to remedy this problem. There are two types of assessment: summative assessment or assessment of learning and formative assessment or assessment for learning. Formative Assessment This takes place during the course and is useful for telling the student how the learning is proceeding as well as telling the teacher about the success of the teaching. Summative Assessment Summative assessment takes place at the end of the course and is used for certification purposes. It is used to see if a student has learned the material and is capable of going on to further study. Examining/validating bodies use this assessment for awards of grades. The validity of an assessment depends on whether it actually measures the knowledge or skills it is designed to assess. A test is said to be valid if it does the job it was supposed to do, if it really tested the knowledge and skills targeted and if it does this at the right level. The method of assessme...