Given that we are discussing on-line courses, the first thing that has to be considered is the method by which the summative assessment will take place. It is vital that all students are familiar with and comfortable with the software that will be used.
Secondly, it is also extremely important that the assessment focus on the learning objectives that were presented to the student at the beginning of the unit.
I completely agree. If students cannot relate the material to something concrete and real to them they will lose interest. It has to be relevant and something that they can apply to a past or current situation.
Students need to know what they did right and what they did wrong. It is equally important for the student to be able to reference each to the grading rubric. It is important to praise the student for what they have done correctly in the assignment and also enlightened them as to how they can correct what they have done incorrectly. This also helps them understand how their grade was derived. A feedback that explains in detail how the grade was derived, for the most part, eliminates confusion on the part of the student and/or others concerned.
Jean Riese
Objective implementation and relating to real life activities, I would say the least.
Coradi
When evaluating the assessment, ask yourself if the objective meet the requirement for the course level. Did it offer learning skills that will take students to the next level in their education? It is important to be able to assess if there are any improvements that can be made for other students.
When I develop a summative assessment, I always want to ensure the following:
Does my assessment clearly relate to the various indicators that I want students to master?
Does my summative assessment provide an opportunity for me to really give students some quality feedback on the various skills they should have learned, during the unit.
Summative assessments are used to gauge student progress as well as to determine where a learner needs additional help to master content. An important point to remember is these assessments occur throughout the learning process. As a result, these should be to make adjustments in teaching to address student’s needs. Also, summative assessments should provide constructive feedback to students as a means of guiding learning. Sometimes the focus is too much on the grade for an assessment over student achievement in mastering concepts at an individualized pace
First, does the instructor have a firm understanding of the material, then what has the student actually learned. I like to see the student demonstrate the level of mastery of the material via a rubric of some sort.
Yehia,
The instructor could also use peer group to carry out summative assessment.
Austin
The two most important issues in summative assessment include that it should provide grading and appropriately gauge amount of knowledge gained at course completion.
Austin
I would consider the outcomes/objectives the most important--instructors need to be fair as to what they have covered and what they have not covered.
In my role, it is important that the student is able to apply the information presented to the "real" world.
I look to assessments to ensure that my students grasp the information but are able to use critical thinking skills to apply the information in their day-to-day activities.
The two most important things to consider when conducting summative assessments are to evaluate if the learning objectives were achieved and to make course corrections should an activity need to be revised/changed for future classes. One assessment that I use at the end of every course is to examine the end of course survey and make adjustments, changes or to continue certain aspects of the course.
I would say that the first is whether the summative assessment meets the learning objectives of the period being assessed.
The second would be whether it provides the facilitator with an accuarte view of how well the instruction was understood and what changes could be made to enhance instruction.
Timing is important when doing summative assessments. One would want to see if the student has learned the skill or has mastered a concept. Doing a summative assessment at the end of a lesson on the basics of Microsoft Word 2010 would need to happen as soon as the lesson ended so the student could be measured before going on to the next lesson. Can the student start a new document and save it. Can the student change font and font size? Can a student bold and Italics word. Can a student copy and paste?
Another item to consider is what level is the student learning. In the Microsoft Word 2010 basic lesson, the student would need to apply the skills to an activity—like writing a three paragraph report and being able to underline, bold , italic, copy and paste.
Dr. Cecil,
Good answer! You are right, it should measure the course objectives. If transferring knowledge is part of the outcome(s).
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Cecil,
True, as long as that is part of your objectives of your course!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
David,
I agree with your assessment that real world applications are at the heart of good summative assessment. In mathematics, for example, the student may be able to complete the mechanics of algebra but unless the student can apply those mechanics to situations in his or her career or life, then knowing how to perform those algebra mechanics will be of little value for the student. The student should be able to see personal relevance and value from the learning.
Determining how well the student has mastered the course outcomes/objectives is one of the main reasons for summative assessment. The summative assessment should also measure the students’ level of ability to transfer these course objectives to authentic (real-world or career improving) applications. Summative assessment can often also measure how well the instructor has provided relevance between what is considered “book knowledge†and applications useful to career or life situations.
Thomas,
Your last statement is so true! The students need to know that there is purpose in the assessment or it will not be taken seriously. (easier said than done)
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
