Pre-assessment or diagnostic assessment

Before creating the instruction, it’s necessary to know for what kind of students you’re creating the instruction. Your goal is to  against a fixed set of predetermined criteriaagainst an average normagainst previous performances from that studentfind out if the instruction is still a success after a yearget to know your student’s strengths, weaknesses and the skills and knowledgemonitor student learning to provide feedbackthe most important outcomes at the end of the instruction have been reached they possess before taking the instruction. Based on the data you’ve collected, you can create your instruction.

Formative assessment

It is used in the first attempt of developing instruction. The goal is to  against a fixed set of predetermined criteriaagainst an average normagainst previous performances from that studentfind out if the instruction is still a success after a yearget to know your student’s strengths, weaknesses and the skills and knowledgemonitor student learning to provide feedbackthe most important outcomes at the end of the instruction have been reached. It helps identifying the first gaps in your instruction. Based on this feedback you’ll know what to focus on for further expansion for your instruction.

Summative assessment

It is aimed at assessing the extent to which  against a fixed set of predetermined criteriaagainst an average normagainst previous performances from that studentfind out if the instruction is still a success after a yearget to know your student’s strengths, weaknesses and the skills and knowledgemonitor student learning to provide feedbackthe most important outcomes at the end of the instruction have been reached. But it measures more: the effectiveness of learning, reactions on the instruction and the benefits on a long-term base. The long-term benefits can be determined by following students who attend your course, or test. You are able to see whether and how they use the learned knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Confirmative assessment

When your instruction has been implemented in your classroom, it’s still necessary to take assessment. Your goal with those assessments is to  against a fixed set of predetermined criteriaagainst an average normagainst previous performances from that studentfind out if the instruction is still a success after a yearget to know your student’s strengths, weaknesses and the skills and knowledgemonitor student learning to provide feedbackthe most important outcomes at the end of the instruction have been reached, for example, and if the way you're teaching is still on point. You could say that this assessment is an extensive form of a summative assessment.

Norm-referenced assessment

This compares a student’s performance  against a fixed set of predetermined criteriaagainst an average normagainst previous performances from that studentfind out if the instruction is still a success after a yearget to know your student’s strengths, weaknesses and the skills and knowledgemonitor student learning to provide feedbackthe most important outcomes at the end of the instruction have been reached. This could be the average national norm for the subject History, for example. Other example is when the teacher compares the average grade of his or her students against the average grade of the entire school.

Criterion-referenced assessment

It measures student’s performances  against a fixed set of predetermined criteriaagainst an average normagainst previous performances from that studentfind out if the instruction is still a success after a yearget to know your student’s strengths, weaknesses and the skills and knowledgemonitor student learning to provide feedbackthe most important outcomes at the end of the instruction have been reached or learning standards. It checks what students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of their education. Criterion-referenced tests are used to evaluate a specific body of knowledge or skill set, it’s a test to evaluate the curriculum taught in a course.

Ipsative assessment

It measures the performance of a student  against a fixed set of predetermined criteriaagainst an average normagainst previous performances from that studentfind out if the instruction is still a success after a yearget to know your student’s strengths, weaknesses and the skills and knowledgemonitor student learning to provide feedbackthe most important outcomes at the end of the instruction have been reached. With this method, you’re trying to improve yourself by comparing previous results. You’re not comparing yourself against other students, which may be not so good for your self-confidence.