How Do We Know What Students Know? Types of Assessment

UPI Study › Courses › Educational Psychology › Free lessons › Lesson 8.1 Free with a free account

How Do We Know What Students Know? Types of Assessment

Educational Psychology · Chapter 8: Assessment, Testing, and Making Sense of ResultsSection 8.1 · lesson 70 of 1008 min · free with a free account

← To Group or Not to Group? Ability Grouping, Dysgraphia, and Learning DifferencesNext lesson: Checking In vs. Wrapping Up: Formative and Summative Assessment →

Earn 3 college credits for Educational PsychologyRecommended for credit by NCCRS · Psychology 120 · self-paced · one payment, lifetime access
Enroll in Educational Psychology · $250 →Download the syllabus (PDF)

In this lesson

Five kinds of assessment, and the principle that decides which one you need.

  • Define assessment and its purpose beyond grading
  • Distinguish formal from informal assessment
  • Describe performance-based and portfolio assessment
  • Match assessment type to instructional purpose

Transcript

Everything said in the video, section by section (1,109 words). Read along, or search it.

Assessment, Testing, and Making Sense of Results

How Do We Know What Students Know?

Most teachers think of assessment as the thing that produces grades. That description is not wrong, but it is far too small. Assessment is how a teacher finds out whether teaching worked. This section covers the types available, and how to choose between them. Formal and informal, which is the first distinction that matters. Then performance-based assessment, and portfolios. Then a comparison table, so you can see the trade-offs at once. And one principle that decides almost every practical question. That principle is simple to state. Purpose drives type. Most bad assessment is not badly built. It is well built for a purpose that nobody actually had.

Definition

Assessment Is Not the Same as Grading

Assessment is the systematic process of gathering information about learning. Gathering it, interpreting it, and then using it. All three verbs are part of the definition. It encompasses every method teachers use, at every scale. From an informal observation during a class discussion. To formal standardized examinations across an entire school district. And here is the part worth holding on to. The goal of assessment is not merely to assign grades. It is to generate actionable evidence. Evidence that helps educators adjust instruction and identify gaps. And that lets them celebrate growth when it happens. Without assessment, teaching operates in the dark.

Formal

Structured, Standardized, Comparable

The first distinction is between formal and informal methods. Formal assessments are planned, standardized, and often objectively scored. They follow a set of standardized conditions. Same instructions, same time limits, same scoring rubric. That is what makes them comparable across students and classrooms. And comparable across different time periods too. Paper-and-pencil tests fall into this category. So do oral examinations following a predetermined protocol. And standardized achievement batteries. Because the conditions are held constant, statistical analysis becomes possible. So does accountability reporting, which is why districts want them. They are most valuable when a summary judgment is genuinely needed.

Informal

Woven Into the Ordinary School Day

Informal assessments work completely differently. They are spontaneous, or embedded directly in instruction. Thumbs-up and thumbs-down checks are informal assessment. So is teacher observation, and impromptu questioning. Consider a teacher circulating during independent practice. She makes mental notes about which students seem confused. That is informal assessment, even though nothing was written down. The power of informal assessment is its immediacy. A teacher can respond to confusion in the very next moment. Rather than waiting days for test results to arrive. By then the misconception has had a week to settle in.

Exit Tickets

The Useful Middle Ground

One tool sits neatly between the two categories. The exit ticket. It is a brief written response, submitted at the end of class. It is structured enough to generate real written data. Data you can sort, and act on that evening. But it is simple enough to administer every single day. It does not consume instructional time to run. One thing should be clear by now about these categories. This is not a competition between formal and informal. Both types are indispensable, for different jobs. Skilled educators blend them fluidly throughout the school day.

Performance

Doing the Thing, Not Choosing the Answer

Performance-based assessment changes what the student is asked to do. They demonstrate learning through real or simulated tasks. Rather than selecting answers on a multiple-choice exam. Science fair projects are a classic example. So are oral presentations, and laboratory experiments. And dramatic readings, in a language arts classroom. These are prized because of what they can capture. Collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. Those are skills that paper tests cannot easily measure at all. But they come with two real costs. They require clear rubrics, for fair and consistent scoring. And they are time-intensive, for students and teachers alike.

Portfolio

Evidence Collected Over Time

Portfolio assessment collects evidence across time instead. It compiles a curated collection of student work. That lets learners show growth, and reflect on their progress. It also lets them take ownership of their own learning journey. A writing portfolio might include early drafts. Alongside revised final copies, and personal reflections. And the student's own assessment of their improvement. Portfolios are especially popular in language arts and the arts. But collecting evidence over time applies across every discipline. Now notice where the real learning happens in a portfolio. It is when students select the pieces, and articulate why. That builds metacognitive and self-regulation skills at the same time.

Compared

Five Types, Strengths and Limits

Placing five assessment types side by side clarifies the trade-offs. Formal tests, such as unit exams and the SAT, are standardized and comparable. Their limitation is a limited skill scope. Informal assessment, such as exit tickets, gives immediate feedback. Its limitation is less reliable data. Performance assessment, such as presentations and labs, gives authentic tasks. Its limitation is that it is time-intensive. Portfolios, such as writing collections, show growth over time. Their limitation is subjective scoring. And checklists give clear criteria, but they are binary only. Read down the limitations column and a pattern emerges. Every strength on this table is purchased with a specific weakness.

Key Idea

Purpose Drives Type

So how do you choose? There is a single governing rule. The choice of assessment type should always align with its purpose. Suppose the goal is to rank students against one another. Then norm-referenced formal tests are the appropriate tool. But suppose the goal is to guide next week's instruction. Then daily informal checks or exit tickets are far more powerful. A final exam cannot tell you what to teach tomorrow. It arrives after tomorrow has already been decided. Matching tool to purpose is the hallmark of assessment literacy. And it explains most assessment failures you will encounter. The instrument was fine. The purpose was never named.

Classroom Example

A Three-Part Weekly Cycle

Here is what layering looks like in one teacher's week. Ms. Reyes teaches fourth grade. She uses a three-part weekly assessment cycle. On Monday, an informal entrance ticket gauges prior knowledge. That tells her where the class is actually starting from. Throughout the week, she circulates and notes misconceptions. On Friday, a short formal quiz provides summative data. That data goes into her grade book. Three different tools, doing three different jobs. This layered approach ensures no student slips through unnoticed. Each layer catches something the other two would miss.

Diversity

Why One Type Is Never Enough

That leads to the central argument of the whole section. Relying on a single assessment type creates blind spots. And the blind spots are not random. They are systematic. A student who struggles with timed tests may excel in portfolio work. Assess only one way, and that student is simply invisible. The practical fix is to build an assessment map for each unit. Include at least one formal component. One informal component, and one performance-based component. Then share that map with students, so expectations are transparent. Using multiple methods paints a fuller picture of achievement. A more equitable one too, because no single format decides who is capable.

About Educational Psychology at UPI Study

Educational Psychology (Psychology 120) is a self-paced online course of 100 video lessons in 11 chapters, from memory, conditioning and child development to motivation, individual differences, assessment, instruction and educational technology. It carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits.

Every lesson transcript is free on pages like this one, and the videos are free with a free UPI Study account. Enrolling adds a practice quiz after each lesson, the graded work and final exam that earn the credit, lifetime access, and an official transcript on completion. UPI Study has helped over 130,000 students with college credits. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Enroll now → Course details Download the syllabus All Psychology and social science courses Every course with PRO →

Why take it here

Why students take Educational Psychology with UPI Study

How people learn, and how to teach themEducational Psychology explains how students learn, develop and stay motivated, and how teachers assess and support them. It is a standard course in education and teaching degrees and a common psychology elective.
Credit at a fraction of the priceThe same 3 credits can cost $750 or more at a US college. Here it is one payment, self-paced, with lifetime access.
Finish your degree soonerTransfer credits reduce the courses you still owe, so you can graduate earlier or lighten a heavy semester.
Strengthen an applicationA completed college-level course on an official transcript shows admissions and scholarship committees you can do the work.
Study on your own scheduleNo start dates, no deadlines. Watch the lessons, practice, and take the final when you are ready.
130,000+students helped with college creditsACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Where the credit goes

Universities that work with NCCRS

Educational Psychology carries a NCCRS credit recommendation. These universities work with NCCRS; some are UPI Study's signed partners. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Thomas Edison State UniversityThomas Edison State UniversitySigned partnerUniversity of the PeopleUniversity of the PeopleSigned partnerCharter Oak State CollegeCharter Oak State CollegeSigned partnerStrayer UniversityStrayer UniversitySigned partnerColumbia Southern UniversityColumbia Southern UniversitySigned partnerIndiana TechIndiana TechSigned partnerPenn StatePenn StateWorks with NCCRSSouthern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversityWorks with NCCRSSUNYSUNYWorks with NCCRS +many more cooperating universitiesFind my college →

Find my college → Not listed? Ask Athena in the corner of this page, or book a 15-minute call.

FAQ

Questions students ask us

About How Do We Know What Students Know? Types of Assessment

What is the difference between assessment and grading?
Assessment is the systematic process of gathering, interpreting and using information about learning, while grading is only one possible use of that information. The main goal of assessment is actionable evidence that helps teachers adjust instruction, identify gaps and recognize growth. It ranges from informal observation during a class discussion to formal standardized exams across a whole district.
What is the difference between formal and informal assessment?
Formal assessments are planned, standardized and often objectively scored, with the same instructions, time limits and scoring for everyone, which makes results comparable across students and classrooms. Informal assessments are spontaneous or embedded in instruction, such as thumbs-up checks, observation and impromptu questions. Their strength is immediacy, since a teacher can respond to confusion right away rather than waiting days for test results.
What is portfolio assessment?
Portfolio assessment is a curated collection of student work gathered over time that shows growth and lets students reflect on their progress. A writing portfolio might include early drafts, revised final copies, personal reflections and the student's own assessment of improvement. Selecting pieces and explaining why builds metacognitive and self-regulation skills, though portfolio scoring can be subjective.
How do teachers choose the right type of assessment?
The type of assessment should match its purpose. To rank students against one another, norm-referenced formal tests are appropriate; to guide next week's instruction, daily informal checks or exit tickets work far better. Because each type has blind spots, a good unit plan includes at least one formal, one informal and one performance-based component, such as a presentation or lab.

About the Educational Psychology course

How many college credits is Educational Psychology?
Educational Psychology (Psychology 120) carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
How much does Educational Psychology cost and what is included?
$250, paid once, with lifetime access: all 100 video lessons, a practice quiz after each, the graded work and final exam, and an official transcript when you finish. Students who want several courses choose UPI Study PRO instead.
Which universities accept UPI Study credits?
UPI Study has signed partner agreements with universities such as Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Charter Oak State College, and works with universities such as Penn State, SNHU and SUNY. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Use "Find my college" on this page to check yours.
How long does Educational Psychology take?
It is self-paced with no deadlines. The 100 lessons total about 15 hours of video; most students add reading and practice time and finish in a few weeks to a few months, on their own schedule.
How are the exams done?
Quizzes and assignments are online in the course. The final exam is taken online with proctoring; a person on the UPI Study team checks assignments, usually within two days.
How do my credits reach my college?
When the course shows 100% complete, request the official transcript from your dashboard. It is sent to the college you name, and you can send it to more than one. Check your college first with "Find my college" on this page, or ask Athena.

Ready for the full course? Earn 3 credits in Educational Psychology.

100 video lessons, a quiz after each one, and the graded work that earns the credit. Recommended for credit by NCCRS.

Enroll in Educational Psychology →Download the syllabusEvery course with PRO →
Educational Psychology
3 credits · NCCRSEnroll →