Assessment of Learning

Depending on the sources you peruse, assessment of learning could be a comprehensive evaluation to determine the level of achievement a student has reached. In fact, this is the main way that most people look at evaluating a student’s performance. However, this is actually both a formative and summative way of doing this.

The formative version of assessment of learning deals with the different ways teachers can evaluate students based on the material presented in class. The information collected from this type of assessment is then used by the students themselves to see where they need to concentrate more efforts on. The teachers can also use the results to focus in on the areas where extra time should be spent on instruction.

The feedback in influential version of assessment of learning is not the goal of a real grade but more of a way to track progress of learning and encourage self-assessments in the students. There are different active exercises the students can do which give them the chance to apply the knowledge they have learned.

The summative version of assessment of learning or a comprehensive look gives teachers the opportunity to grade work that evaluates the quality of the student’s work through different assignments. Not only are those black and white facts graded for accuracy but also how well the student translates their knowledge of the subject matter at hand.

The bottom line is that assessment of learning is what many educators do to determine whether a student is ready to pass to the next level of study. It is not always a time at the end of the year before grade promotions. It can happen at any time the educator deems necessary and should incorporate more than just grades but also level of competency in other areas of learning as well.