Alicia Gower

Gina Di Guardi
Emily Zehr
Sara George
Linda Link
Week 1, Team A Project

Evaluation of Learning:
Objectives & Formative / Summative
Evaluation

Formative assessment

is an integral part of the learning process and it is often informal;

carried out by instructors during the teaching and learning process (Carnegie Mellon, 2016).
Often, formative assessment is interchangeable with an assessment for learning (Carnegie Mellon,
2016). The goal of formative assessment is to continuously monitor student learning in order to
provide feedback which can be utilized by the instructor to improve their teaching methods and
utilized by students to enhance their learning (Carnegie Mellon, 2016). Formative assessment
serves to help students identify their specific strengths and weaknesses as well as to target
individual areas which need attention (Carnegie Mellon, 2016). It also helps faculty to recognize
certain aspects in which students may be struggling as well as to address and act on these issues
immediately (Carnegie Mellon, 2016). Formative assessments are considered low-stakes
assessments which means that they hold low or no point value (Carnegie Mellon, 2016).

Instructors who utilize formative assessments may ask students to perform tasks such as:
drawing a concept map, summarizing the main idea of a lecture in one to two sentences, or to turn
in a research proposal for early feedback (Carnegie Mellon, 2016).

Summative assessment, however, serves to evaluate student learning at the completion of

instruction by comparing and contrasting it against an education standard or benchmark
(Carnegie Mellon, 2016). These assessments are often interchangeable with assessments of
learning (Carnegie Mellon, 2016). They are typically executed at the end of a course and are
almost always executed in a formal fashion (Carnegie Mellon, 2016). These assessments differ
from formative assessments because they are considered high stakes assessments, which means
they hold a high point value (Carnegie Mellon, 2016). Instructors who utilize summative
assessments would focus on student assignments such as: midterm exams, final projects, papers
or senior capstones (Carnegie Mellon, 2016). Information which is obtained from summative
assessments is useful as students or faculty may apply it to help guide efforts and activities in
later courses (Carnegie Mellon, 2016).
Meaningful graphic created to depict relationship between student-centered objectives and
evaluation of learning:

One example of Formative Assessment is collecting periodic feedback from students, both
verbal and written, throughout the course and program. This can be done through
reflection/journaling and discussion. With journaling, the students will self-evaluate their
experiences and their performance within it. Discussion will enable the student to decide whether
or not there is room for improvement, question or debate their role and performance, and draw
conclusions as the learning is integrated into their expanding paradigm of nursing. They can then
imagine a new, similar scenario in which they are applying this new understanding and knowledge
to patient care. Writing, evaluation, discussion, debate, imagining and creating new scenarios are
all among the more complex and abstract higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Students can be
assessed on these concepts if the methods used in learning included them (Billings & Halstead,
2012). Nielsen et al (2012) states that reflection of clinical concerns is necessary for professional
learning and that emphasis should be placed on discussion and reflection. This feedback will
inform and guide faculty curriculum, as well as give students valuable information about their
performance at points in time during the course. Formative assessment throughout the course
will help students to identify whether they need additional clarification, the areas in which they
need help, and give them the opportunity to seek this help, such as meeting one-on-one with the

instructor during office hours, or engaging a tutor. If students are not achieving the course
outcomes, it may be that they need a more effective learning strategy or more clearly defined
objectives. A formative assessment such as periodic feedback will allow the faculty to track
student progress, as well as determine whether the curriculum is succeeding, while the course is
in progress (Billings & Halstead, 2012).
An example of Summative Assessment is using case studies within the final course exam.
Preceding this, case studies will have been used throughout the course, since students must be
evaluated in the same manner in which they learned the information (Billings & Halstead, 2012).
Case studies as part of the curriculum are a great way to engage students in active learning, but
also to assess critical thinking and problem solving at the end of the course. Billings & Halstead
(2012) suggest that combining short-answer essay questions with multiple-choice items as a
useful strategy for summative evaluation of learning. One noted downfall to this strategy is the
labor-intensive manner that is required to review and assess essays. However, having students
de-identified on the test (known only by a number), and having students critically examine their
peers work, or allowing students to work in pairs to grade these, would be appropriate
alternatives to complete this task (Billings & Halstead, 2012).

Reference: Nielsen, C., Sommer, I., Larsen, K., & Bjork, I. T. (2013).
Model of practical skill performance as an instrument for supervision and
formative assessment. Nursing Education in Practice, 13, 176-180.
This article described a study that was completed on the applicability of
a tool that was created to enhance the learning of clinical skills for
nursing students. The model was also found to be highly appropriate in
formative assessments of the clinical skills learned.
An action research design was utilized. This design is when there a close
collaboration between academia, practice, and a focus on change in
practice. The study was completed in a large Danish Hospital. Nine
clinical supervisors from med-surg wards were included and they had to
meet the following criteria: 1) interest in developing supervision slo;;s in
relation to students practical skills learning, and 2) willingness to
participate throughout the student period of one year. Forty-four nursing
students were included that had completed nine months of theoretical
education prior to their first 10-week clinical placement.
During the clinical experience, the students were supervised by the
clinical supervisors, who had completed a short pedagogical course. The
clinical supervisor and the student completed patient-specific care
together, and to facilitate the learning process, the student was given a
formative evaluation before, during, and after clinical skills.

The participants agreed that the model contributed to formative

assessment of clinical skills and was useful for reflecting on the skills
before, during, and after completing them. It also helped the students to
understand that learning of a specific category could be transferred to
other patient care situations. It gave the student the ability to see what
exactly was expected and how the basis of the clinical supervisors
evaluation. The model made it easier for clinical supervisors to provide
accurate, professional, and immediate feedback to the students
performance. This model was proven to be effective in formative
evaluation of nursing students and their clinical skills performance.

Helminen, K., Coco, K., Johnson, M., Turunen, H., & Tossavainen,
K. (2016). Summative assessment of clinical practice of student
nurses: A review of the literature. International Journal of Nursing
Studies,53, 308-319. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
This article describes an overview of summative assessment of
student nurses clinical practices that are currently in use.
Summative assessment is the evaluation of participants where the
focus is the outcome of the program as a whole, or at the end of an
instructional unit. The article chosen is a narrative review of a
quantitative and qualitative study. A review of journal articles was
conducted that identified 725 papers that met search criteria.
Twenty three of these articles were chosen for use.
The articles found a number of key points regarding assessment of
practices. It was found that nursing students, educators and
mentors suggested that the main process of evaluation was
inconsistent. It was also found that students focus their learning
primarily on what is going to be tested or assessed. With that being
said, educators should focus on issues and testing points that can
truly be measured. Adjunct instructors and clinical mentors should
also receive training for final assessment within the clinical
location, so that standards are consistent with the school of
nursing that the student attends.

This article points out issues of summative assessment of student

nurses within the clinical facies. As an educator, it is important to
take these issues into consideration to ensure that students are
receiving a quality educational experience within the clinical
setting, and that grading remains consistent among all faculty and
staff. This will ensure safe and competent nurses are being created
for the future of nursing.

https://www.csn.edu/PDFFiles/academics/Resource%20Development
%20and%20Assessment/Assessment/Summative_vs_
%20FormativeEvaluation.pdf
This link provides a side-by-side comparison of summative and
formative evaluation from the College of Southern Nevada. The
comparison provides a real-life analogy for formative evaluation to
enhance the learner's understanding.
http://www.nursing.umn.edu/preceptors/evaluation-in-nursingeducation/ModuleIVOverviewofClinicalEvaluation/ImportanceofClinicalE
valuation/index.htm
This second link from the University of Minnesota highlights the
importance of summative and formative evaluation from the educators'
perspective.

http://www.nursingsimulation.org/article/S1876-1399(13)00078-9/fulltext
This link highlights summative and formative evaluation, and it
references our Billings & Halstead textbook.

Additional References
Carnegie Mellon. (CMU). (2016). What is the difference between formative and summative
assessment? Eberly Assessment. Retrieved from:
https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html
Billings, D. & Halstead, J. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty. (4th Edition), Elsevier.
Nielsen, C., Sommer, I., Larsen, K., Bjork, I. (2012). Model of practical skill performance as an
instrument for supervision and formative assessment. Nurse Education in Practice, 13, pp. 176180.