What is the primary focus of formative assessment?

The primary focus of formative assessment is to provide guidance during the learning process. This type of assessment is designed to monitor student learning and offer ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to enhance their learning. Formative assessments take place throughout the learning experience, enabling educators to identify areas where students may be struggling and to adjust their instruction accordingly. This continuous feedback loop helps create an engaging learning environment, encouraging students to reflect on their understanding and develop their skills progressively.

In contrast, evaluating final student performance typically pertains to summative assessments, which occur at the end of an instructional period, and are used to measure the extent of learning. Similarly, determining overall course effectiveness is tied to summative measures, as they often consider end results rather than the ongoing learning journey. Assigning grades at the end of each semester also centers on summative assessment, which is focused more on final results than on the learning process itself.