This page introduces the key differences between formative and summative assessment and offers a curated collection of low-tech and digital tools to gather meaningful feedback, support student learning, and make informed instructional decisions. Whether you’re designing a new course or refining an existing one, these assessment approaches can help you align learning outcomes, instruction, and evidence of learning.
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is assessment for learning. It focuses on students’ future achievement, is usually ungraded, and provides instructors with instantaneous feedback.
We use formative assessment because it provides insight into how well students are meeting learning outcomes and helps guide instruction.
Low Tech Tools
- Think/Pair/Share
- Present students with a reflection question, ask them to pair up, and discuss their responses.
- World Café
- A discussion strategy where students move from station to station, sharing ideas.
- Gallery Walk
- Post a question on several posters around the room, then have students walk around and add ideas to each poster.
- Muddiest/Clearest Point
- Students write down the “muddiest” and clearest points from a lecture or presentation.
- 1-Minute Papers
- Ask an open-ended question and give students one minute to respond on paper or an index card.
- Application Cards
- Students write one or more real-world applications of a concept on index cards.
- Paper/Project Prospectus
- Students write a detailed plan for a project or paper.
- One-Sentence Summary
- Students summarize a concept in a single sentence.
- Punctuated Lectures
- A technique that provides immediate feedback on how students are learning from a lecture/demonstration and how student behaviors may influence the process.
Online Tools
- Poll Everywhere
- Kahoot
- Mentimeter
- Lino (Linoit)
- Socrative
- Quizlet
- Online surveys
- Discussion board (Canvas)
- GoSoapBox
Summative Assessment
Summative assessment is an assessment of learning. It evaluates what has been learned in the past, is usually graded, and often serves as a culminating activity to demonstrate learning outcomes.
We use summative assessment because it provides feedback that can improve a program as a whole.
Traditional tools
- Multiple-choice/short answer exams
- Essay tests
- Research papers
- Oral presentations
- Team projects
- Literature review
- Thesis/Dissertation
- Lab report
Alternative tools
- Web pages
- Case studies
- Group/Two-stage exams
- ePortfolios
- Prezis
- Visual essays
- Gaming