Using Your Tests to Teach: Formative Summative Assessment

Abstract

Two studies supported the efficacy of a structured method for providing students with feedback on exams and means of using the teaching potential of exams, collectively referred to as formative summative assessment (FSA). In the first study, students responded positively to the method. In the second study, students enrolled in 2 sections of educational psychology taught by the same instructor received either the FSA method or their exams to look over in class. Students retook the exam 1 week later. The FSA method resulted in an improvement of comprehension of 10%, significantly more than the control group, whose scores improved by only 2%. I also present other benefits of this method and suggestions for variations of the method as well as future research ideas.