In order to ensure student’s learning, teachers should monitor their progress on a regular basis. A simple method of assessment that helps the teacher understand which specific part of learning materials was unclear for the students is a summative assessment. Summative assessments take place way after initial learning, allowing the teacher to evaluate students’ long-term knowledge. There are several types of summative assessments, such as projects, tests, and essays which all have different levels of student involvement and require different skills (Teachings in Education, 2017). However, all summative assessments aim to evaluate the students’ long-term assimilation of the learning materials and their ability to apply the acquired knowledge.
Teachers need to address several ethical considerations prior to assigning summative assessments. Firstly, each summative assessment requires specific and clear instruction, as the accuracy and depth of instructions directly influence students’ results. Next, the teachers need to define the depth of knowledge they require from the students. Teachers should not prioritize minor details in the learning materials over the fundamental understanding of valuable concepts. Lastly, the teachers should note that the summative assessments can only focus on the materials covered in class.
Some forms of summative assessments can provide valuable results on the student’s development and help define what knowledge areas the student needs to improve. For example, the COR advantage assessment provides the teacher with a tool that helps to improve the learning outcomes for each student. The assessment is based on 36 items in eight areas of growth that ensure the children’s success in the future (HighScope, n.d.). The assessment provides valuable insights into individualized lesson plans for each student. The tool also allows the teachers to monitor the student’s progress and edit the lesson plan to ensure the best learning outcomes.
References
HighScope (n.d.). COR Advantage.
Teachings in Education. (2017). Summative assessment: Overview & examples [Video]. YouTube.