Formative assessment

Formative assessment contributes to learning through providing feedback. Often, it does not contribute to the final mark of a module. Formative work is an integral part of teaching and learning and if well designed, makes students learn more effectively. It should indicate what is good about a piece of work and why this is good; it should also indicate what is not so good and how the work could be improved. Effective formative feedback will affect what the student and the teacher does next.

Summative assessment

Summative assessment measures the extent to which a learner has successfully met the assessment criteria used to reflect the learning outcomes. It contributes to the final mark of the module. It is often used at the end of a teaching unit, but multiple summative assessments can equally take place at different points durin a module. Summative assessment is used to quantify and reward achievement, and to provide information for selection, such as the next stage in education or employment. Hence, it is important to ensure the validity and reliability of a given summative assessment.

Authentic assessment

Authentic assessment tests intellectual development in ways that are meaningful and its methods are often significant in a particular context. The type of problems posed and/or questions asked can be applied in nature, set in a context which gives them meaning, or relate to a wider understanding, giving the exercise of engagement with the assessment significance. Often authentic asessment is understood as 'relevant to employment' but that is a limited understanding of the term. This form of assessment is designed to develop and master skills and competencies in addition to academic development.

More on authentic assessment: A five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment

Diagnostic assessment

Similarly to formative assessment, diagnostic assessment is used to better the student's experience and achievement. However, unlike formative assessment, diagnostic assessment looks backwards: it examines what the student already knows and/or the nature and level of difficulties the student might experience, which, if undiagnosed, may limit their capabilities for further learning. It is often used prior to teaching or when an issue arises.

Dynamic assessment

Dynamic assessment measures the learner's achievement when faced with an unfamiliar topic or field. For example, an assessment could examine how much of a new language a student learns in a short period of teaching when having no prior knowledge of the language. It is often used before the main body of teaching commences in order to assess the potential for learning in a field where there is an absence of prior knowledge, or to assess the learning capabilities of students from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds.

Synoptic assessment

Synoptic assessment is used to enable learners to combine elements of their knowledge from different parts of a module or programme in order to showcase their accumulated understanding of a specific topic or field. A synoptic assessment encourages students to showcase their ability to apply their skills, knowledge and understanding within a given topic, and tests their ability to use them to gain understanding in other parts of the programme. Synoptic assessment can be part of other forms of assessment.

Criterion-referenced marking

Each student’s achievement is marked against specific criteria, and their perfomance is not compared to other students'. However, in practice, biases may affect judgements of whether or not a student has met a criterion. In order to ensure reliability and validity, the process should be moderated, trial marking should be introduced, and exemplars should be collated.

Ipsative assessment

Ipsative assessment measures a student's performance in comparison to their own previous standards. Comparing to the student's average performance, best attainment, or their most recent work, it can be determined how well a particular task has been completed. Ipsative assessment places value on effort and enchances motivation to learn, as it demonstrates the correlation between success and effort.

More on ipsative assessment: Towards a personal best: a case for introducing ipsative assessment in higher education

Norm-referenced marking

Based on comparing the relative performances, norm-referenced assessment evaluates the performance of a student in comparison to the performance of the group being assessed, or of those of similar background, experience or age. In its simplest form, norm-referenced assessment may involve ranking students or scaling their marks according to a standard distribution.