Assessment FOR Learning and Assessment OF Learning

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Assessment FOR Learning is an assessment with the "heart". It is assessment that holds the hands of students towards the success of learning. Not an assessment from the outside but an assessment that guides and understands students through the journey of learning. It is like building a road or laying down stepping stones for students to step forward or move forward to their goal to learn. A scaffolding to set a framework to build students to be a successful learner. It moulds the students according to their uniqueness and capabilities not in comparison with others but as where they are in their goals. It is a personal approach to assessment because the teacher needs to know their students not just by name but who they are as a learner.

Assessment FOR Learning provides a clear picture of the goal to be able to guide the student to reach the goal through monitoring their progress and motivating them to achieve such goal. It would require an active participation of the students on their own assessment and achievement. It is a progressive assessment and is not constraint of time but should be done while the student is learning.


Assessment OF Learning, on the other hand, gives a general picture of achievement and rank students to position of highest to lowest. Though this could give a positive perspective to those who have a high achievement but it could be frustrating to the low achiever and connotes hopelessness and giving up.

Assessment FOR learning eliminates the negative aspect of assessment of learning. It rather make students confident to keep learning because it is an assessment of his own learning and not an assessment of where he is in comparison of another person's achievement. It motivates and not frustrate. It is not about who are the winner and loser but how all students can win in the field of learning. Failure is not an option…" Every student must believe that, “I am in control of my own success and I am succeeding at learning because of my good work.” But not to disregard the role of the teachers as a guide or facilitator to learning and not a dictator.

Assessment OF Learning uses external obligatory standardized test like admission tests and unit test, final exam that would need to be rated by grades and reflected in a report card. It does have a multi-level accountability and would help in instructional decisions.

Assessment FOR learning is a diagnosis of the needs of students to improve themselves. Such can have a numerical equivalent for monitoring of their progress towards achieving their goal that need not be publicly reported.

Assessment OF learning has been the assessment used for a long period of time and dominates the learning environment. It is already in place. Assessment FOR learning is quite new and very few teachers, administrators or school leaders were given the chance to learn the principles and practice it. It is being built up and needs support.

On Formative and Summative Assessment...

Formative assessment is more frequent assessment that provides teachers with evidence. It tells if student’s achievement is meeting the standard. Assessment For learning is continuous and informs students of where they are in achieving their learning goals. It is done while learning is happening.


If formative assessment is done on a regular basis of each period of learning, summative assessment is done at the end of learning and tells which students have reached the highest position according to the required standards.

A perfect assessment structure is the balance of the different assessment approaches used for the purpose of effective learning that considers the holistic aspect of the students.