Which term refers to the review of course structure, content and methodology at the end of a course to inform improvements for future courses?

Which term refers to the review of course structure, content and methodology at the end of a course to inform improvements for future courses?

• A. Summative evaluation
• B. Continuous assessment
• C. Formative evaluation
• D. Diagnostic evaluation

Answer: (A)

Focusing on evaluating a course after it ends to inform improvements for future offerings points to summative evaluation. This type of review sums up overall outcomes and how the course functioned—its structure, content, and teaching methods—so decisions can be made about redesigns for next time. It’s about the final snapshot of effectiveness, not about learning happening during the course. In contrast, continuous assessment and formative evaluation occur during the course to adjust instruction and support learning as it happens, and diagnostic evaluation is used before or at the start to identify learners’ starting points. So the end-of-course review aimed at guiding future improvements best fits summative evaluation.

Focusing on evaluating a course after it ends to inform improvements for future offerings points to summative evaluation. This type of review sums up overall outcomes and how the course functioned—its structure, content, and teaching methods—so decisions can be made about redesigns for next time. It’s about the final snapshot of effectiveness, not about learning happening during the course. In contrast, continuous assessment and formative evaluation occur during the course to adjust instruction and support learning as it happens, and diagnostic evaluation is used before or at the start to identify learners’ starting points. So the end-of-course review aimed at guiding future improvements best fits summative evaluation.