Back to: Measurement and Evaluation in Education B.ed Notes, M.A Notes, IGNOU Notes and Graduation Notes
What is The Difference Between Formative and Summative Evaluation Through Example
The most fundamental contrast is probably that between formative and summative evaluation.
- Formative assessment: This is an evaluation that is carried out when a course, curriculum, educational package, etc. is being established, with the main goal of determining whether it is required and, if so, whether it can reasonably be improved.
- The important aspect of all such evaluations is that they are intended to enhance the course, curriculum, or educational package while it is still feasible to do so, i.e., before the content is put into its operational form.
- In the event of a big course that will be offered across the country or worldwide, such an evaluation must be explicitly carried out before the course design is finalized, the essential resource materials are mass-produced, and the course is deployed.
It must be completed before the final product is released in the case of an instructional package.
- Summative assessment: This is an evaluation performed after the development phase of a course, curriculum, educational package, or other product has been finished and the course curriculum or package is ready for use in its final form. The goal of such an evaluation is to evaluate if it fits its design requirements, i.e., whether it performs the function for which it was created.
- Summative evaluation can also be used to compare one course, curriculum, educational package, etc. with another (or several others), for example, to compare the relative effectiveness of two different courses in the same general area, or to determine which of several different textbooks is best suited for use in a specific course. The goal of such evaluations is not to enhance the courses or texts under consideration, but rather to pick amongst them.
