What distinguishes formative assessment from summative assessment in educational practice?

Formative assessment is distinguished by its focus on monitoring student learning throughout the instructional process, allowing educators to provide ongoing feedback that can help improve student performance. This type of assessment is typically integrated into the learning experience, occurring regularly during lessons to gauge understanding and guide future teaching strategies.

The primary goal of formative assessment is to support and enhance learning rather than to evaluate it conclusively. Educators use tools such as quizzes, class discussions, and observational assessments to gather information about student comprehension, which in turn allows them to make adjustments to their teaching methods to better meet students’ needs.

This differentiates formative assessment from summative assessment, which is intended to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional period, often through final exams or standardized testing. In sum, the focus of formative assessment on ongoing feedback and monitoring of student progress is what sets it apart in educational practice.