Summative Assessments
Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning. They are typically given in the form of an assignment, quiz, or exam. They are:
- Done at the end of an instructional unit
- Typically used to compare student work against a standard or benchmark
- Provide little opportunity for students to apply any feedback
Summative assessments are typically high-stakes opportunities, meaning they have a higher point value. Some examples include:
- Midterm exam
- Research paper
- Final Project
- Final Exam
When creating assignments, be sure to:
- Align the course goals with the assignment
- Provide necessary resources and instructions for successfully completing the assignment
- Prompt students to stretch a little beyond their comfort zone by adding some desireable difficulty
Course Assignment Framework
Below you will find a table of different summative assignment types that can help you plan and build assessment activities. Each of these assignment types can be combined to complete different objectives.
| 1 | Tests and Evaluations | Students should evidence their “ownership” of course content. | Can be formative or summative; include objective formats; easier to grade and can be posted and completed online and asynchronously |
7+1 Tests/Reading (Assess knowledge of assigned reading in a traditional test format) 7+2 Tests/In-class Writing (Have students respond in writing to how they studied for and completed an assessment) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Application Projects | Students should be able to apply the course content in meaningful ways. | Allow for guided, but self-selected choices that promote creativity and motivation; can help connect theory to practice |
8+10 Application/Service Learning (Show how course content is applied to help others) 8+4+3 Application/Online Collaboration (Have groups apply content to a scenario posted online) |
|
| 3 | Written Reports | Students need to critically comprehend and synthesize a variety of sources based on a strong thesis statement. | Expect college-level writing and higher-order thinking; represent one “big” task vs. several smaller activities |
9+10 Written Report/Field Experience (Guide a written reflection to analyze a field experience) 9+8 Written Report/Application (Argue for an application or model in a written proposal) |
|
| 4 | Service-learning or Field Experiences | Students can be challenged to integrate course content into community-oriented applications and relate theory to practice in service to others. | Connect students to community for collaborative applications; put students in the field to provide negotiated services; don’t consume class time and take advantage of local resources |
10+6 Service-learning/Current Event (Use a current event to target a service project) 10+5 Service-learning/Technology (Use social media to understand and support a community project) |
*This was orginally "In Class Written Responses" but has been changed to "Written Responses" here to adapt it for the online teaching environment.
Source: Mohr, K. A. J. (2002). Planning for productive college-level work: Using the course assignment framework. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 26, 469-477.
Teaching Format Modifications
Summative assignments may look slightly different depending on the format in which you deliver your course. Below are some suggestions as to how those might look:
Online
Consider quiz and exam security and use a virtual proctoring solution, if prudent. Quizzes and exams may also be proctored by an approved proctor. See the Academic Testing Center website for details.
Connect
Quizzes and exams can be proctored at the Regional Campuses or USU centers around the state. Be sure to add a password to the quiz or exam and enter pertinent details about the assessment in the Materials and Testing Services (MATs) website.