The main difference between assignment and assessment is that assignments refer to the allocation of a task or set of tasks that are marked and graded while assessment refers to methods for establishing if students have achieved a learning outcome, or are on their way toward a learning objective.
Assignments and assessment are two important concepts in modern education. Although these two words are similar, they have different meanings. Assignments are the pieces of coursework or homework students are expected to complete. Assessment, on the other hand, refer to the method of assessing the progress of students. Sometimes, assignments can act as tools of assessment.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is an Assignment
– Definition, Goals, Characteristics
2. What is an Assessment
– Definition, Characteristics
3. Difference Between Assignment and Assessment
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Assignment, Assessment
What is an Assignment
Assignments are the pieces of coursework or homework given to the students by teachers at school or professors at university. In other words, assignments refer to the allocation of a task or set of tasks that are marked and graded. Assignments are essential components in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
Assignments have several goals, as described below:
– gives students a better understanding of the topic being studied
– develops learning and understanding skills of students
– helps students in self-study
– develops research and analytical skills
– teaches students time management and organization
– clear students’ problems or ambiguities regarding any subject
– enhance the creativity of students
Generally, educators assign such tasks to complete at home and submit to school after a certain period of time. The time period assigned may depend on the nature of the task. Essays, posters, presentation, annotated bibliography, review of a book, summary, charts and graphs are some examples of assignments. Writing assignments develop the writing skills of students while creative assignments like creating posters, graphs and charts and making presentation enhance the creativity of students. Ultimately, assignments help to assess the knowledge and skills, as well as the students’ understanding of the topic.
What is an Assessment
Assessment refers to methods for establishing if students have achieved a learning outcome, or are on their way toward a learning objective. In other words, it is the method of assessing the progress of students. Assessment helps the educators to determine what students are learning and how well they are learning it, especially in relation to the expected learning outcomes of a lesson. Therefore, it helps the educator to understand how the students understand the lesson, and to determine what changes need to be made to the teaching process. Moreover, assessment focuses on both learning as well as teaching and can be termed as an interactive process. Sometimes, assignments can act as tools of assessment.
There are two main types of assessment as formative and summative assessment. Formative assessments occur during the learning process, whereas summative assessments occur at the end of a learning unit. Quizzes, discussions, and making students write summaries of the lesson are examples of formative assessment while end of unit tests, term tests and final projects are examples of summative assessment. Moreover, formative assessments aim to monitor student learning while summative assessments aim to evaluate student learning.
Difference Between Assignment and Assessment
Definition
Assignments refer to the allocation of a task or set of tasks that are marked and graded while assessment refers to methods for establishing if students have achieved a learning outcome, or are on their way toward a learning objective.
Basis
Assignments are the pieces of coursework or homework students have to complete while assessment is the method of assessing the progress of students
Goal
Moreover, assignments aim to give students a more comprehensive understanding of the topic being studied and develop learning and understanding skills of students. However, the main goal of assessment is monitoring and evaluating student learning and progress.
Conclusion
Assignments are the pieces of coursework or homework students have to complete while assessment refers to the method of assessing the progress of students. This is the main difference between assignment and assessment. Sometimes, assignments can also act as tools of assessment.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Focused schoolgirl doing homework and sitting at table” (CC0) via Pexels
2. “Assessment” By Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0) Alpha Stock Images
Leave a Reply