One and Done, or a Bundle and Stumble? An Exploration of Assessment Methods in Undergraduate Science Curricula

Abstract Introduction: Assessment, historically, has been done in a summative manner in post-secondary education (HE). Whilst useful for the purposes of grading and assessment of competency, there is also increasing pressure from post-secondary education institutions to meet certain standards in terms of education quality and graduate numbers, putting pressure on teachers to produce evidence of students’ level of understanding and thus putting a greater emphasis on the use of summative assessments. The formative assessment approach for student learning is preferable in some fields, but how useful is this format for the science subjects? Purpose: To discuss the utility of either summative assessments or formative assessments (or both) in science teaching at university level. Methods: Exploration of the literature involving teaching science in university undergraduate courses (i.e., no formal search criteria). Conclusions: A new category of assessment is needed - the integration of formative and summative assessment.