Formative assessments are commonly being mixed up with summative assessments which provide feedback. The ambiguity leads to a loss of distinction between the two. This blending is in direct contrast to the best practice of education, which advocates clarity of formative and summative function as a precursor to a quality assessment. In this commentary, we emphasise the non-credit bearing as the discriminatory feature, which illuminates the formative purpose of an assessment. We begin by revisiting the history from the time of the founding scholars who conceptualised formative and summative ideas. Subsequently, we compare it with the contemporary practice of assessment. Then we elucidate the philosophical underpinning of formative assessment and how the future of education relies on education, which move away from a pure exam-oriented focus of the curriculum. Finally, we relate the revolutionary concept of formative assessment with personalised education as the key curriculum design of tomorrow’s education.
A review of Catching the knowledge wave? The knowledge society and the future of education
