Aligning Formative and Summative Assessments

Aligning Formative and Summative Assessments

Brainstorming

Summative assessments are formal, high stakes assessments that evaluate what someone has learned overall in a course. These are things like term papers, mid-terms, final exams, major projects or presentations.

Formative assessments are usually less formal, low stakes assessments that help instructors and students judge where there are holes in the learning and/or practice skills and knowledge that will need to be shown in later summative assessments.

1.      Describe one summative assessment that you plan to assign in your course:

For EN101, a major paper about a selected topic a student is engaged in.

2.      What are some of the learning outcomes that will be measured in this assessment?

I use the portfolio rubric to assess SLO criteria for each assignment, so the research and synthesis is definitely a big measure for this paper.

3.      In the chart below, brainstorm some possibilities for formative assessments that you may be able to integrate leading up to the planned summative assessment?

What is the outcome you want students to learn or do?	What is the formative assessment activity?	What is the mode and context? (homework, in class, online?)	How will student receive feedback? (self, peer, teacher?)
Use and Synthesis of Sources	To bring in beginning research for the paper	In class looking through for the “best information”	Peer groups
Reason, Logic, Evidence and Support	Find two or three pieces of grounds	In class with one paragraph from paper (scaffolded)	A peer finds them, reflects
Conventions and Documentation	Final paper with steps of looking at MLA or APA formatting	In-class series of double-checking (I know it is tedious, but looking again can help!)	Self