Assessment in medical education
During medical education, a student must be continuously assessed regarding their progress. Summative assessment is a formal, obligatory type of evaluation. It’s goal is to evaluate students’ knowledge at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.3,4 Another form is formative assessment which focuses on recognizing and responding to students’ learning regularly to enable and enhance it. It has gained popularity as more and more research reaffirms, that assessment is as powerful in encouraging learning as it is in measuring worth.5 It provides ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors in order to improve their teaching methods and by students to improve their learning.5,6 It informs students on required levels of learning and the gaps in their knowledge. By providing feedback it guides them in acquiring a style of learning and improves retention of gained knowledge. Ideally, formative assessments should occur in a non-threatening environment, where students are able to use the opportunities effectively and recognize where they need to develop their learning or skills.7