Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/3-1-2-summative-vs-formative-evaluation

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# Summative vs Formative Evaluation

CPD: The CRAFT of Assessment (by Michael Chiles), topic 3.1.2

## Summative vs Formative Evaluation

Scriven (1967) suggested some of the earliest work on the distinction
between summative and formative roles in programme evaluation.

### Scriven's definition

![Scriven's definition](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/db1c4f92-dbfd-4b81-ba7f-921de21296fd/Judge-Gavil-Trial-Court-Wig-.jpg)

- He identified summative as **‘information to judge the overall value of an
educational programme’**.
- Formative evaluation was believed to be used to provide focus on **‘facilitating programme improvement’**.

### Bloom's contextual definition

![Bloom's contextual definition](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/f8c735b6-696f-4da0-bcfe-e2184ce6362c/school-children-learning.jpg)

- This was further emphasised by Bloom (1969), who used similar definitions of the terms but in the context of pupils instead of the evaluations of programmes.
- Bloom emphasised that the main reason for the use of formative evaluation was to **‘provide feedback and correctives at each stage of the teaching-learning process’** whereas summative assessment was **‘employed to judge what the learner had achieved at the end of a course or programme’**.

### Black and Wiliam

![Black and Wiliam](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2020-04/7703dece-79a6-4ccf-a3d3-532ee581097c/improvement-.jpg)

- Building on the work of Scriven and Bloom, Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam concluded that **‘there is no other way of raising standards for which such a strong prima facie case can be made’**. 
 - The evidence from their review indicated that the use of formative assessment was
one of the single most effective strategies to support pupils in achieving learning
intentions across all education phases.

### Harry Fletcher-Wood

![Harry Fletcher-Wood](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/3d7c4deb-95b2-4486-b934-cc36f349f8bd/exam-writing.jpg)

- **‘When assessment is formative, the aim is to reveal pupils’ weaknesses so that the teacher can act on them. 
- When assessment is summative, the aim is to give pupils a final grade, and so there can be pressure to try to conceal and gloss over misunderstandings. 
- Indeed, formative assessment is so different from summative assessment that Wiliam has said that he wished he had called AfL (assessment for learning), “responsive teaching”, rather than using the word assessment.’**

### Analysis of this view

![Analysis of this view](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/9367f4da-6dde-49eb-b810-04a31a005469/classroom-2093744_1920.jpg)

- This view of formative assessment as responsive teaching is useful to
establish strategies to apply in the classroom. 
- It provides a clear indication that when teachers are being responsive, they could be providing ‘in the moment’ necessary adjustments to teaching that reflects the data we collect after checking for understanding following knowledge input

## Test yourself on Summative vs Formative Evaluation

- What form of assessment did Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam find to be the most effective strategy for supporting pupils in achieving learning
intentions?

[Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/0ca96d36-7b23-451b-bac3-a78ec368872f/section/3c0fb19f-9844-43d7-bee0-6a3363cdf10b/session)

- Previous topic: [3.1.1 The Problem of Assessing 'On' or 'Off' Track](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/3-1-1-the-problem-of-assessing-on-or-off-track.md)
- Next topic: [3.2.1 Proxies for Learning](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/3-2-1-proxies-for-learning.md)

## CPD: The CRAFT of Assessment (by Michael Chiles) contents

### 1 ‘C’ - How Can Knowledge be Effectively Condensed?
- 1.1 'C' - Condense
  - [1.1.1 The Basics of Condensing Knowledge](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/1-1-1-the-basics-of-condensing-knowledge.md)
- 1.2 Strategies for Condensing
  - [1.2.1 Condensing the PowerPoint](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/1-2-1-condensing-the-powerpoint.md)
  - [1.2.2 The Four Cogs to Expert Explanations](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/1-2-2-the-four-cogs-to-expert-explanations.md)
  - [1.2.3 Cornell Notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/1-2-3-cornell-notes.md)

### 2 'R' - How do we Generate Reflective Learners?
- 2.1 Research on Memory
  - [2.1.1 Semantic & Episodic Memory](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/2-1-1-semantic-and-episodic-memory.md)
  - [2.1.2 The Importance of Spacing Learning](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/2-1-2-the-importance-of-spacing-learning.md)
- 2.2 Timings for Reviewing Previously Learnt Material
  - [2.2.1 How Long and How Often to Review Material](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/2-2-1-how-long-and-how-often-to-review-material.md)
- 2.3 Strategies for Generating Reflective Learners
  - [2.3.1 BUG Twist](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/2-3-1-bug-twist.md)
  - [2.3.2 Low-Stake Spaced Quizzing](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/2-3-2-low-stake-spaced-quizzing.md)

### 3 ‘A’ - Using Assessment as a Responsive Tool
- 3.1 Formative & Summative Assessments
  - [3.1.1 The Problem of Assessing 'On' or 'Off' Track](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/3-1-1-the-problem-of-assessing-on-or-off-track.md)
  - [3.1.2 Summative vs Formative Evaluation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/3-1-2-summative-vs-formative-evaluation.md)
- 3.2 Determining Whether Learning has Taken Place
  - [3.2.1 Proxies for Learning](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/3-2-1-proxies-for-learning.md)
- 3.3 Strategies for Assessing Student Learning
  - [3.3.1 Hinge Questions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/3-3-1-hinge-questions.md)
  - [3.3.2 Exit Tickets](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/3-3-2-exit-tickets.md)

### 4 'F' & 'T' - Precise Feedback to Feedforward
- 4.1 Giving Effective Feedback
  - [4.1.1 Creating an Effective Feedback Culture](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/4-1-1-creating-an-effective-feedback-culture.md)
  - [4.1.2 Effectiveness of Feedback](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/4-1-2-effectiveness-of-feedback.md)
- 4.2 Grades
  - [4.2.1 Research on Giving Grades as Feedback](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/4-2-1-research-on-giving-grades-as-feedback.md)
- 4.3 Strategies for Providing Feedback
  - [4.3.1 The Language of Feedback](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/4-3-1-the-language-of-feedback.md)
  - [4.3.2 'In the Moment' Feedback](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-the-craft-of-assessment-seneca-certified-assessor/4-3-2-in-the-moment-feedback.md)