Understanding Types of Educational Evaluation

Educational evaluation is a crucial part of the teaching and learning process. Different types of evaluation serve distinct purposes, often determined by when they are administered and what information they aim to gather.

Evaluation Used During Instruction

The question asks about the type of evaluation used to monitor progress during instruction. Let's look at the options provided and understand what each type involves:

• Diagnostic evaluation: This type of evaluation is typically conducted before instruction begins. Its purpose is to identify a student's strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills to understand their readiness for new learning or to diagnose difficulties.
• Formative evaluation: This evaluation is conducted during the instructional process. Its primary goal is to monitor student learning, provide ongoing feedback to both students and teachers, and identify areas where students are struggling so that instruction can be adjusted. It helps in tracking progress and making improvements while learning is happening.
• Placement evaluation: This evaluation is used before instruction to place students appropriately. It assesses prior knowledge and skills to determine the most suitable learning group or level for a student.
• Summative evaluation: This evaluation is conducted after instruction has been completed. Its purpose is to measure student learning at the end of a unit, course, or program and to assign grades or certify mastery. Examples include final exams and term papers.

Based on the descriptions above, the type of evaluation specifically designed to monitor progress during instruction is Formative evaluation. It provides continuous feedback that helps shape and improve the ongoing teaching and learning.

Therefore, Formative evaluation is the correct answer as it serves the purpose of monitoring progress and providing feedback throughout the instructional period.