Abstract

This article attempts to analyse the importance of classroom assessment in learning and how Formative assessment is superior (as integrated assessment) to other classroom assessments used in schools now. The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Assessment that supports student learning has a variety of purposes and specific terms to explain those purposes. Assessment is the process of gathering information that reflects how well a student is learning the curriculum expectations of a grade or course. When teachers use this information to adjust their instruction, select appropriate resources and provide feedback that supports learning, they are engaged in assessment for learning practices. When students use this information to monitor their own growth, set individual goals for improvement and provide feedback to their classmates, they are engaged in assessment as learning practices. When students submit their work to be judged by their teacher against the achievement chart, the teachers are engaged in assessment of learning.

Recent developments in educational practices have influenced many areas including educational testing and assessment. Assessment can be one of the most difficult aspects of teaching. The educational, emotional, and formative ramifications of judging a pupil’s work can weigh heavily on the mind of a teacher. But in spite of the anxiety it poses, knowing how to assess students in order to improve instruction is a core principle of effective teaching. One cause for assessment anxiety is confusion about what assessment means and about its purpose. In the minds of many teachers and parents, assessment means test. For students, assessment often is perceived as a means of competing with classmates for the highest grade instead of as a mile marker on the journey to increased knowledge and understanding. Nowadays formative assessment in classroom teaching gains acceptance among educational practitioners. Formative assessment involves the teacher providing constructive review, confirmation and/or correction to students in order to promote their learning without any formal cost (e.g., losing points, being graded) connected to the learning event. Here the teachers use an integrated approach instead of independent approach in classroom assessment which proves to be more effective.