601.1.4
As a teacher, to reach the ultimate goal of student competency, one must consistently check that each individual student is understanding and comprehending the lessons being taught. To do this, the teacher must use various methods of assessing the students work. The two types of assessments are both equally valuable to the teacher for various reasons. Formal and informal assessments are both beneficial because they can both take the shape as criterion or norm-referenced assessments, as well as be objective or performance. Neither type of assessment is in a strict box of what it must or mustn’t consist of. However, whereas informal assessments are usually teacher constructed to determine a student’s current understanding before moving forward with a unit, formal assessments are constructed by test specialists or textbook publishers to determine a student’s understanding after the unit or course has been completed. Also, informal assessments can often be done at any time the teacher sees fit, while formal assessments generally have a set time to be done. One type of formal assessment teachers use is midterm exams. This type of assessment is a high-stakes exam, often presented to the students at the mid-point of the school year to determine the mastery of skills and concepts the teacher has taught. The midterm exam is given in a very structured environment. Students are given a predetermined amount of time to complete the task on a predetermined date, which allows for consistency throughout numerous classes. The exam can consist of several different methods such as essays, multiple-choice, matching, or short answer, depending on what the test creator believes is important and appropriate. An advantage of midterm exams is that students have plenty of notification beforehand that the assessment is coming up, giving them ample opportunity to seek help in areas they may be struggling in. However, a disadvantage is that the exam may not accurately measure a student’s