What type of assessment focuses on ongoing feedback during the learning process?

Formative assessment is designed to provide ongoing feedback that can be used to improve teaching and learning. This type of assessment occurs during the learning process rather than at the end, which allows both teachers and students to identify areas that need adjustment or additional support. By employing formative assessments, educators can gather information about student understanding in real-time, enabling them to make informed decisions about instruction and intervention.

This approach emphasizes a continuous cycle of feedback, where students receive insights on their performance, which helps them enhance their understanding of the material. Formative assessments can take various forms, including quizzes, drafts, discussions, or observations, all aimed at monitoring progress and informing decisions about the next steps in learning.

In contrast, summative assessments are typically administered at the conclusion of a learning unit to evaluate what students have learned, diagnostic assessments are conducted before instruction to identify students' existing knowledge and skills, and performance assessments focus on demonstrating skills through practical application. Each of these has its specific purpose but lacks the ongoing, iterative feedback component that characterizes formative assessment.