Topic 6: Using Assessment in Counseling {by 7/10}
Based on the text reading and lecture recording due this week consider the following discussion point: (1) What is the difference between formative assessment and summative assessment? What are the benefits of formative assessment?
Your original post should be posted by 7/10. Post your two replies no later than 7/12. *Please remember to click the “reply” button when posting a reply. This makes it easier for the reader to follow the blog postings.
***Remember: Before class on 7/10, please complete the assessments for suicidality and substance abuse. You are also more than welcome to move forward depression as well. Reviewing assessments in class will be our main focus for the rest of the semester.
Dr. Adam M Volungis 
Jul 07, 2025 @ 19:45:10
Formative assessments are tests that are intended to examine progress overtime by taking evaluations multiple times throughout the process of learning. In a class this is similar to quizzes that occur several times throughout a semester to assess how well each chapter was understood. Summative assessments are cumulative tests that occur at the end of the process to see how well the individual performs overall. This is similar to a final exam in a course that covers the entire semesters material. Formative assessments are beneficial because they can show areas that need improvement before moving onto the next topic, allowing for individuals to keep pace with the material before moving on in the process. They also put less emphasis on any singular quiz when grading as opposed to a summative assessment that is decided entirely on one performance. This benefits individuals who struggle with memorization and tests or have problems understanding one or two topics of the overall course.
Jul 08, 2025 @ 14:34:38
Hi Kiera,
The description of formative assessment being mini quizzes and summative assessment being a final exam is a perfect example of these two assessments and the major difference between the two. Emphasizing that formative assessments are beneficial for the client because it shows areas that need more improvement is important. It helps the client adjust and meet their goals. It’s also beneficial for the clinician because it helps them keep track of their client’s progress and make specific adjustments based on the client’s performance.
Jul 08, 2025 @ 21:06:33
Hi Kiera,
I really like how you used examples to explain the two concepts. They were very good examples and if I didn’t know what the concepts meant I would understand on based off your examples.
Jul 08, 2025 @ 14:06:55
With formative assessments, there are multiple assessments delivered throughout the process of instruction. These assessments are given to track the progress of the individual along a specific process. This is beneficial not only to the client or student, but also the provider. The test taker gains insight into how well they understand the material at hand, and learns about potential areas for improvement. Likewise, for the provider, they have a more accurate perspective on how the individual is performing currently and how they may perform in the future. These assessments are delivered throughout the learning or therapeutic process to track progress and the process plays out. An example could be regular behavioral observations to track instances of problem behavior in the classroom. Another example could be weekly feedback forms on how they thought their sessions were going. In both instances, the provider is able to track progress or changes and adjust as needed for continuing treatment.
In summative assessments, instead of tracking progress, we want to evaluate how well an individual achieved their goal. This type of assessment is done at the end of the learning or therapeutic process with the goal of evaluating the outcomes of the desired process. By doing this, the provider can gain insight into how effective their lessons or guidance was and the test taker can see how well they can perform what they set out to perform. An example of a summative assessment could be an end of course evaluation that a student submits for a professor. It could also be in the form of a therapeutic evaluation when you are leaving therapy and are giving and receiving feedback on your experience in therapy.
The benefit of using a formative assessment could be that the tracking of the progress allows for adjustment along the way instead of finding out in the end of the process that you missed something. As I mentioned before, it can be beneficial for both the test taker and the provider. The provider can adjust and optimize the delivery of the information to make it more absorbable for the test taker. Making adjustments as the process continues allows the test taker multiple opportunities to demonstrate their proficiency compared to a summative assessment which all weighs on one opportunity, which can be misleading if the performance doesn’t actually demonstrate the individuals full potential. A formative assessment introduces a more collaborative process because both sides are continuously receiving feedback from the ongoing assessments.
Jul 08, 2025 @ 14:07:13
Formative assessment takes place during the process of growth or change. It helps track progress and provides feedback that can guide adjustments along the way. For example, regularly checking in on goals, using short questionnaires, or discussing recent challenges can help identify what’s working and what might need to change. This type of assessment supports improvement over time.
Summative assessment happens at the end of a process. It focuses on the overall outcome and helps determine whether goals were met and what progress was made. It might include a final review, a summary of changes, or a post-treatment evaluation. The benefit of formative assessment is that it helps keep progress on track. It allows for early changes, encourages collaboration, and gives clear feedback that supports learning and growth before reaching the final stage.
Jul 08, 2025 @ 14:31:58
Hi Madelyn,
I agree that formative assessment can help make changes early on in their progress. It can help identify specific areas that need more help or need to be adjusted. You explained both formative and summative assessment accurately and using specific examples like short questionnaires is extremely helpful. I also agree that formative assessment is both beneficial for the client and the clinician as they both keep track of the progress while the client receives feedback and the clinician gives adjustments to better fit the client.
Jul 09, 2025 @ 20:40:01
Hi Maddie,
I thought your explanation about how formative evaluation could be used to track progress overtime. I think that’s a really important benefit to that type of assessment.
Jul 09, 2025 @ 20:45:47
Hi Maddie,
I thought your explanation about how formative evaluation could be used to track progress overtime was very good. I think that’s a really important benefit to that type of assessment.
Jul 08, 2025 @ 14:29:25
Formative assessment takes place over time and looks for changes during the process. This tracks the individuals process and notices any changes that occur over time. This will help provide feedback based on those changes in the individual and give specific feedback based on those changes. This benefits the client and the provider as they both will benefit from noticing the changes and giving/receiving specific feedback and help notice the progress being made. Summative assessment occurs at the end of the process to see the overall progress the individual has made over time. This assessment focuses on the overall outcome and regards what goals were met. The major difference between the two is in formative assessment, the individual’s changes are being tracked while summative assessment occurs only at the end of the process to see what progress had been made and what goals had been met.
Formative assessment is beneficial because for the client, it shows what areas need improvement and they are given specific feedback for adjustments to be made. For the clinician, it helps keep track of their clients progress and helps identify what adjustments need to be put in place for their client. It also helps notice what works and what doesn’t. This assessment keeps track of the progress made from the client and helps the clinician adjust their progress in specific areas where it’s needed.
Jul 08, 2025 @ 21:08:09
Hi Sydney,
I agree with your response and I said something similar. I agree that it is important so you can see if what you are doing is helpful to the client.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 10:59:52
Hi Syd,
I thought you did job of discussing the benefits of formative assessments. I liked how you mentioned that they can lend themselves to gaining insight on not only how the client is making progress but also areas in which the client can improve. It is important to know what areas the client does well in so we can be more confident in what they might do well with in the future, but it is also important to know what areas to improve upon so we can supplement those areas that may need extra attention.
Jul 11, 2025 @ 19:52:46
Hi Syd,
You did a great job explaining the difference between formative and summative assessments. I liked how you pointed out that formative assessment helps track a person’s progress over time and gives specific feedback as changes happen. It really shows how helpful it can be for both the client and the clinician in making adjustments when needed. I also thought it was important that you mentioned how this type of assessment helps identify what is working and what is not. That kind of insight can make a big difference in supporting the client’s growth.
Jul 08, 2025 @ 21:03:45
Formative evaluation is a continuous procedure that searches for changes. This monitors the person’s progress and identifies any alterations over time. At the conclusion of the process, a summative assessment is conducted to determine the overall progress the person has made over time. This evaluation considers what objectives were achieved and concentrates on the final result. The primary distinction between the two is that formative assessment tracks the changes of the individual, whereas summative assessment only takes place at the conclusion of the process to determine whether goals have been fulfilled and progress has been made. The client benefits from formative assessment since it highlights areas that require work and provides targeted feedback for necessary improvements. It assists the clinician in monitoring the progress of their clients and determining what modifications should be made for them. Seeing what works and what doesn’t is also beneficial. This assessment monitors the client’s progress and assists the clinician in making necessary adjustments to the client’s progress in particular areas.
Jul 09, 2025 @ 20:45:11
Hi Alexis,
I liked how you explained that formative assessments are intended to show change very well. I also liked how you compared that to the way summative assessments only show end results.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 11:04:16
Hi Alexis,
I liked how you mentioned the formative assessments being beneficial to both client and provider. The client gains understanding on their performance to know what areas need improvement. The provider gains information on how to optimize the treatment for maximum progress.
Jul 10, 2025 @ 15:31:14
Hello everyone,
Formative evaluation and Summative evaluation are two major types of evaluation. Formative evaluation is an ongoing evaluation typically performed to examine the process. Example: During therapy, the ABA therapist tracks how often a child uses words to request items each day. If the child is not improving after one week, the therapist changes the way they teach the skill (e.g., using more visual prompts or reinforcement).
Summative evaluation is cumulative and focuses on final results, so it can be seen as a product of the learning process. Example for ABA therapy: After 3 months of therapy, the therapist reviews all the data to see if the child met the goal of making 10 independent requests per session.
Benefits of Formative assessments are support active learning, and improve long-term outcomes by focusing on growth rather than just final results
Jul 11, 2025 @ 19:54:26
Hi Xhesika,
I really liked how you used specific examples from ABA therapy to explain both formative and summative evaluations. It helped make the differences between the two much easier to understand. Your example about tracking a child’s use of words during therapy shows how formative assessment can guide real-time changes, which is such a key part of effective treatment. I also agree that focusing on growth through formative assessment can lead to stronger long-term outcomes. Great job making the concepts clear and showing how they work in practice.