Differences Between Formative and Summative DNP Evaluation
In their 2019 paper, Bilal A. B. and Jeelani, B. collaborate Trumbull and Lash (2013) explanations on the typical dimensions of formative and summative DNP assessments. This perfectly fits Michael Scriven’s table of definition, objectives, differences, and how evaluation categories seek and use evaluation results.
The table below outlines 11 differences between formative and summative DNP evaluation.
| Formative Evaluation | Summative Evaluation |
| Purpose:Scaffolded (with teacher support), brief, process-oriented DNP evaluation for improvement. | Individually performed, extended, product-oriented DNP evaluation to measure outcomes. |
| Feedback:Immediate and continuous feedback, usually provided by peers or the mentor. | Delayed feedback (mostly provided by the professor, a team of lecturers, or assessors) with emphasis on final grades. |
| Focus:Continually helps identify barriers to implementing best practices, leading to improved patient care. | Determines if a healthcare student is ready for DNP certification and accreditation, usually at the end of the course. |
| Impact:Formative assignments help the teacher to identify problems with teaching methodologies (teaching / learning approaches) and to adjust their instruction strategies. | Summative evaluation determines whether a student meets the program’s objectives or the faculty’s graduation criteria. |
| Benefits:Formative evaluation aids instructors to improve student motivation and engagement by closing gaps between current and desired performance. | Summative tests compare the particular school’s DNP program to a global standard, thereby helping institutions to make a judgment about the program’s quality. |
| Resubmission:Formative assessment has opportunities for resubmission of task-based assignments. The instructor shares study or process strategies that a DNP student may use to succeed in a detailed assessment feedback. | Summative evaluation doesn’t allow for resubmission, and the only feedback shared to the DNP student is the final grade that evaluates student success |
| Criteria:Often uses informal marking criteria and is highly subjective in awarding marks. | Uses formal, standardized marking checklists to increase assessor(s) objectivity. |
| Research Methodology:Ideally involves qualitative research methods. | Summative DNP evaluation mostly involves quantitative research methodologies. |
| Control:Spontaneous, teacher-controlled, individual evaluation embedded in lesson plans. | Scheduled, student-initiated, group assessment that measures stand-alone nursing achievements. |
| Frequency:Students are assessed throughout their institute life, the semester, or DNP program. | Summative evaluation is a once-off affair, and is the last activity that closes your DNP course. |
| Examples:Typical forms of formative DNP evaluations are clinical scenario simulations, sit-in exams, and the review of individual DNP courses, and in-person interviews. These may come in physical manifestations such as: One-minute papers, Self-assessment, Exit tickets / slips, Low-stakes group work, Pre-class open-ended questions, Dipsticks, 3x Summarization, and Think-Pair-Share tests. | Examples include final exams, capstone papers, final essays / presentetions, and graded final project reports (portfolios). Standardized tests like Standardized Assessment Tests (SATs) and Medical College Admissions Tests (MCATs) are summative assessments. |
Table 1.1: The differences between formative and summative healthcare assignments.
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