These forms of evaluation succeed the placement and diagnostic evaluation and are done after instruction mainly on an objective or a series of such objectives. As the name suggests, formative evaluation is progressive and normally done throughout the learning curriculum, normally to determine the progress of students towards the attainment of certain objectives. After students learn something, the teacher evaluates them to try and find out those that have mastered the particular skill and therefore met the objectives, and those that need further training (Sue, 2012).
Take for instance a swimming class, the teacher would want to evaluate the progress of his students towards meeting the set objectives. If the intention of the teacher was to ensure that all students learn say backstroke, he/she would evaluate them to find out how they have/have not mastered their swimming skills. This is just one objective in learning. After the swimming lessons, the teacher may teach the students how to make simple artistic items, on which they shall still be evaluated. This means that students will be continually evaluated on each objective to ensure that the teacher keeps track of the students’ development in the course.
Summative evaluation, as the name suggest is a form of evaluation that is done as a summary of the students activities in a given academic period. It’s more or less the final assessment of student’s performance on various issues at the end of the year. This means that it comes after the diagnostic and formative evaluations, and normally for grading purposes. In the classroom, summative evaluation is normally done in the form of a final exam (Popham, 2008).
In most schools and teaching institutions, final exams are used to gauge the student’s academic development. The best performers are normally rewarded while those with dismal performances are normally allowed another opportunity to learn and horn their skills. These final exams are marked and grades awarded. An objective summative evaluation should ensure that the examination is a reflection of almost everything that the student has learned during the year.
2. How are these evaluations different in a K-3 and a Birth-PK learning environment?
While the learning objectives remain the same for both learning groups, formative and summative evaluations are structurally different in both K-3 and birth to PK learners. This is informed by the students’ abilities in these categories, which affects the mode of administering these assessments (Akpan, Notar & Padgett, 2012).
Birth-PK for instance may benefit mostly from oral and group assessments since most of the learners in this category may be unable to read and write, or may be in the process of learning these skills. Their evaluation is therefore expected to take cognizance of their abilities. In both formative and summative evaluations, students may be asked to perform a particular activity, say sing a song taught in class, a game, or even in some cases write down their names or some alphabets or numbers that they have learnt in class.
Their counterparts in K-3 are however in a position to fit in more advanced forms of both formative and summative evaluations such as written exams. This is because their knowledge is normally higher, and can easily be tested using the available media such as tests and skill evaluation.
K-3 students can mostly be evaluated individually and with minimal supervision while for the birth to PK category, allot of explaining and supervision is required so as to ensure that objectives are met. Due to the age and knowledge level of children in this category, teachers’ involvement in the evaluation process is intensive, while in the K-3, students can be organized and easily managed during the evaluation process.
Why is it important to use informal evaluation methods with preschool and primary children?
Different students have different learning needs, which may not be served by standardized evaluation methods. Since each student has unique learning requirements, the presence of the teacher in the evaluation process ensures that the assessment takes cognizance of the student’s specific needs as well as the learning objectives.
In preschool and primary schools, children are still developing and it’s therefore a critical stage in the development process of the child, and this calls for a higher teacher involvement. While standardized evaluations are popular amongst some scholars, it must be noted that the teachers’ individual evaluation of each and every student is an important aspect in determining the nature of the assessment (Keshavarz, 2011)
It can therefore be said that informal assessments would be more effective as compared to standardized tests, since the teachers opinion of the students as well as the circumstances surrounding their performance is taken to account in the evaluation process and this almost guarantees fairness in evaluation.
Informal assessment is also useful in enabling the student to produce knowledge as opposed to reproducing knowledge. It gives the teacher an opportunity to evaluate the students other unique abilities that may not be adequately covered in these standardized tests
Again, informal assessments can be customized to the given learning objectives as opposed to testing for general objectives which is normally the case with standardized assessments. The teacher can employ informal assessments to ensure that the learning and curriculum objectives are met in both primary and preschool learning environments.
How is diagnostic evaluation used in instructional planning?
As noted in this course, diagnostic evaluation is normally geared towards ensuring that the teacher investigates the ability of the students with specific objectives. For instance, the teacher may decide to design a test that will help in finding out the student’s knowledge on colors, or even writing skills (Younglove,2011).
After assessing the students learning needs from the diagnostic evaluation, the teacher then makes a decision as to how the students would be grouped so as to ensure that those areas that needed further learning are ironed out and almost all students are at par with one another.
Diagnostic evaluation therefore helps the teacher to decide which student has what knowledge or learning need, and how such a student can be helped, from the results of the diagnostic evaluation. If for instance a student has a problem say with color identification, the teacher therefore has an opportunity to objectively plan on how such a student can be helped (Keshavarz, 2012).
This means that the results of the diagnostic evaluation are useful in determining how a teacher does their work planning as well as instruction. This is because, the results the diagnostic evaluation are expected to provide an objective platform that the teacher utilizes to ensure that the needs of each and every student are met.
What strategies does the early childhood teacher use to assess young students using formative and summative measures?
As earlier explained, formative evaluation is an ongoing assessment of the student’s performance. This means that the students are evaluated on an ongoing basis on each and every learning activity. Some of the strategies that teachers use in formative evaluations would include group activities, continuous assessment tests, end of lesson tests or homework etc.
In group activities, the teacher would design a group activity and monitor the performance and participation of all members and decide on whether the learning objectives have been met or whether further learning opportunities would be necessary.
Continuous assessment tests are normally tests at the end of a given period, or learning activity. In this case, students are subjected to a mini exam normally written, in which they are expected to answer questions relating to the work covered in the previous periods. This normally ensures that students are constantly on toes as opposed to final examinations where students could waste time and study on the last minute (Niels,2012).
In the summative evaluation, teachers normally develop tests that normally cover most of the course content that has been taught during the year. This normally ensures that students read their books as no one really knows what part of the coursework would be tested. This is a strategy that ensures that students are busy almost all year long.
What are the names of specific types of formative/summative assessments used in K-3 and Birth-PK classrooms?
Writing samples- These are assessments that are normally used to determine the students ability to apply what has been learned, as well as assessing the students knowledge and progress level. Homework- This is an assessment tool that tests the students understanding of what is learned on a daily basis.
Oral Presentations- This is an assessment tool that tests the students mastery of oral skills as well of knowledge on a given subject learned in class. It’s useful in building the student’s confidence as well as encouraging student’s participation in class.
Experiments- It’s a tool of assessment that is generally used to enhance the students’ participation in the class as well as test the technical or general understanding of a given subject. It normally tests the students application of what has been learned in the class.
Conclusion
References
ReferencesSue, C. W (2012) Assessment in Early Child hood Education. Pearson education Inc. Adapted from: http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/pearson/2011/assessment-in-early-childhood-education_ebook_6e.php Akpan, J. P., Notar, C. E., & Padgett, S. A. (2012). Formative Assessment: A Basic Foundation for Teaching and Learning. National Teacher Education Journal, 5(1), 83-97.Keshavarz, M. (2011). Measuring course learning outcomes. Journal of Learning Design, 4(4), 1-9.Younglove, B. (2011). (In)Formative Assessment: The Key to Accountability. California English, 17(2), 21-23.Niels, G. J. (2012). Summative Evaluation Or Formative Development?. Independent School, 72(1), 58-63.Popham, W. (2008). Formative assessment. Principal Leadership: Middle Level Edition, 9(1), 16-20.
