Assessment: Formative and Summative Evaluation

The purpose of formative evaluation is to gather information to understand strengths and weaknesses in order to improve teaching and learning. Summative evaluation assesses achievement with an end in mind such as a grade. The sites below compare these two forms of evaluation and offer examples of each.

Formative v.s. Summative Evaluation (Northern Arizona University).
A chart on this website compares formative and summative evaluation.
Link: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/edtech/etc667/proposal/evaluation/summative_vs._formative.htm

Formative and Summative Evaluation (University of Texas at El Paso, Center for Effective Teaching and Learning).
This site also compares formative versus summative evaluation.
Link: http://sunconference.utep.edu/CETaL/resources/portfolios/form-sum.htm

The Assessment of Teaching and Learning (University of North Florida, Office of Faculty Enhancement).
Useful discussion, with examples, of formative and summative evaluation measures.
Link: http://www.unf.edu/dept/ofe/teaching/assessment.htm

Summative Evaluation and Formative Feedback. Update, Vol. 1, No. 5, October 1995, National Education Association. PDF/Adobe Acrobat.
This article explains the differences between summative and formative evaluation as well as their interconnectedness and offers examples of programs at two universities using both forms of evaluation to assess teaching effectiveness.
Link: http://www2.nea.org/he/heupdate/images/upv1no5.pdf

Evaluation for Distance Educators (University of Idaho, Engineering Outreach).
Click on "Types of Evaluation" for a concise summary of formative versus summative evaluations plus examples of each that would be useful for in-class courses as well as distance education.
Link: http://www.uidaho.edu/eo/dist4.html#types