A Guide to Summative Assessment

What is summative assessment?

Summative assessment involves evaluating outcomes and skills at the end of the course (Dolin, et al., 2018). Summative assessment is typically conducted at the end of a unit or course and is designed to evaluate student learning by assessing their what they did well and where they could improve against the unit learning objectives and UCA’s grading criteria. This is different from formative assessment, which is ongoing and used to inform direction towards summative assessment. Summative assessment might include final projects, portfolios of work, essays, presentations, reflective statements and exhibitions of work (Biggs, 2003).

Why

do we need summative assessment?

Summative assessment in creative arts is essential for several reasons:

• It evaluates learning objectives – measuring whether students have met the learning objectives of the course.

• It certifies achievement – providing a formal record of student achievement, which can be used for progression and accreditation.

• It informs future learning – offering feedback that can guide students' future artistic and academic endeavours.

• It enhances accountability – ensuring that teaching and learning policy and procedures met educational standards and goals (Brown & Knight, 1994).

Aligning with learning objectives

Effective summative assessments should be closely aligned with the learning objectives set out in the unit descriptors. This ensures that the assessment accurately measures the skills and knowledge that students are expected to acquire (Biggs, 2003).

Here is an example of this below:

• Learning objective - demonstrate proficiency in using digital media to create original artwork.

• Assessment task - develop a portfolio of digital artworks that showcase technical skills and creative expression.

You can find more information on Learning Objectives and Constructive Alignment through our PDF guides and Lite Learn videos

Offer a variety of assessment methods and alternative assessments

In creative arts, employing a variety of assessment methods can cater to different student strengths and provide a more comprehensive evaluation of their abilities, as well. Doing this offers a more inclusive approach to assessment.

Some examples might include:

• Portfolios: Collections of students’ work over a period of time, demonstrating progress and breadth of skills. This can be supported through formative feedback sessions, which enables students to meet the threshold criteria of the unit with feedback from you on what they have done well and where they could improve.

• Written Reflections: Essays or journals that encourage students to articulate their creative process and critically evaluate their work. For an alternative assessment option, you could offer students an opportunity to submit an audio reflection that holds equivalence in length to the written task.

• Presentations: Oral presentations or critiques that assess students’ ability to discuss and defend their work. Offering a chance to prerecord the presentation would provide an inclusive alternative assessment task.

• Exhibitions: Public displays of students’ final projects, allowing them to present their work in a professional context. Again offering a chance for student to prerecord any submission would enable a more inclusive approach.

Planning for Summative Assessment Timing

Summative assessments should be planned well in advance and integrated into the course schedule. Providing students with a clear timeline helps them manage their workload and ensures that they have sufficient time to develop their projects (AdvanceHE, 2020).

Instructions and Guidance

Providing detailed instructions and guidance is essential to help students understand what is expected of them. This includes:

• Assessment briefs - comprehensive documents that outline the assessment task, criteria, deadlines, and submission guidelines.

• Workshops and tutorials - sessions that offer additional support and clarification on the assessment requirements.

This is something that can be harnessed very well through unit briefings, where students get the opportunity to ask questions, look at previous students summative assessments, and even peer assess against the learning objectives.

What does UCA policy say on summative assessment?

UCA’s feedback policy states that “all assessment feedback is formative. That is, it informs the students of their progress in a manner which will allow them to reflect, and to take action to improve” (UCA, 2013). It allows “teachers and students to recognise and respond to student learning in order to enhance that learning, during the learning” (Cowie and Bell in UCA, 2013). Although all feedback is formative, it can be applied to both formative and summative assessment.

Summative assessment are those which contribute to the unit mark. However, they also have formative purpose, as the feedback on these assessments allows students to reflect and improve.

Key principles include:

1.Feedback must be provided for all assessments.

2.It should be qualitative, clear, constructive, timely, and linked to specific learning objectives.

Ensuring fairness and consistency with your course team through summative assessment

Parity in marking:

Implement moderation marking, which involves a second assessor reviewing a sample of the work. This ensures consistency and fairness in marking (QAA)

Calibration Meetings:

Regular calibration meetings among assessors on the unit can help ensure that all markers have a shared understanding of the assessment criteria and standards. This practice promotes consistency and fairness in marking (Brown & Knight, 1994). To implement this, assessors review a range of work samples together and discuss how they would grade each piece according to the learning objectives and grading criteria. Discrepancies are discussed, and consensus is reached on the application of criteria.

How should I feedback through summative assessment?

UCA’s summative feedback templates can be found here. You will see in this document that there is space for the unit Learning Objectives, to then be measured against your feedback; highlighting what went well and what could be further improved. This is the UCA recommended feedback form.

Be timely and specific in your feedback:

Timely feedback is crucial for students to understand their performance and areas for improvement. Feedback should be specific, focusing on both strengths and areas for development (AdvanceHE, 2020).

Example:

Strengths: “Your use of colour and texture in this piece demonstrates a strong understanding of the medium and effectively conveys the intended emotion.”

Areas for Improvement: “Consider exploring more varied compositional techniques to add depth and interest to your work.”

Offer balanced, non judgmental feedback: Feedback should be balanced, highlighting what the student did well while also providing constructive criticism. This approach encourages and motivates students, helping them to see their progress and understand how to improve (Hattie & Timperley, 2007).

Example:

Positive note: “Your conceptual approach is innovative and thought-provoking.”

Constructive criticism: “However, your technical execution could benefit from more precision and attention to detail.”

Encouraging Reflective Practice:

Encouraging students to engage in reflective practice helps them take ownership of their learning and development. This can be facilitated through reflective journals or post-assessment discussions (Schön, 1983).

Example:

Reflective journal: Students maintain a journal where they reflect on the feedback received, their learning process, and how they plan to address areas for improvement.

Managing Subjectivity

Subjectivity in assessing creative work is a common challenge. Using detailed rubrics and involving multiple assessors can help mitigate this issue.

Ensuring Inclusivity

Assessment tasks and criteria should be designed to be inclusive, taking into account the diverse backgrounds and abilities of students. This might involve providing alternative assessment formats or additional support where needed (Gipps, 1994).

Balancing Formative and Summative Assessment

While summative assessment is essential, balancing it with formative assessment throughout the course ensures continuous feedback and supports ongoing student development (Black & Wiliam, 1998).

Example:

Formative assessment: Regular critiques, peer reviews, and progress check-ins. Summative assessment: Final project, portfolio, or exhibition at the end of the unit.

Conclusion

Summative assessment in creative arts higher education is a critical tool for evaluating student achievement and informing future learning. By designing assessments that are aligned with learning objectives, providing clear criteria, and ensuring fairness and consistency, we can effectively measure student performance. Additionally, constructive feedback and reflective practice play vital roles in helping students understand their progress and areas for improvement. Addressing challenges such as subjectivity and ensuring inclusivity further enhance the effectiveness of summative assessment, ultimately supporting student success and development.

Resources:

AdvanceHE, (2020) Assessment and Feedback in Higher Education. Available at: https:// www.advance-he.ac.uk/teaching-and-learning/ assessment-and-feedback-higher-education (accessed 7th August 2024)

Biggs, J. (2003). Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student Does. 2nd ed. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7-74. Available at: https://www.gla.ac.uk/t4/learningandteaching/ files/PGCTHE/BlackandWiliam1998.pdf (accessed 6th August 2024)

Dolin, J., Black, P., Harlen, W., and Tiberghien, A. (2018) 'Exploring Relations Between Formative and Summative Assessment'. In: Dolin, J. and Evans, R. (eds) Transforming Assessment. Contributions from Science Education Research, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https:// doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63248-3_3 (Accessed 7th August 2024).

Gipps, C. (1994). Beyond Testing: Towards a Theory of Educational Assessment. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/360835676_Beyond_Testing_Toward s_a_Theory_of_Educational_Assessment_by_Car oline_V_Gipps (accessed 7th August 2024)

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. Available at: https:// journals.sagepub.com/doi/ abs/10.3102/003465430298487 (accessed 7th August 2024)

Schön, D. A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books.