New Trends in Formative-Summative Evaluations for Adult Education

Abstract

The aim of this article was to review the different evaluation approaches for adult learners and the effect on promoting the quality of teaching and learning. This study aimed to identify new trends in adult education formative-summative evaluations. Data were collected from multiple peer-reviewed sources in a comprehensive literature review covering the period from January 2014 to March 2019. A total of 22 peer-reviewed studies were included in this study. Results were systematically analyzed to answer three questions as follows: what are the new trends in the summative and formative evaluations of adult learners? What are the new trends in the summative and formative evaluations of adult learners engaged in distance learning? And what are the outcomes/drawbacks in the summative and formative evaluations of adult learners? An analysis of the existing literature indicated that those who instruct adults must use a wide variety of pre- and post-assessment tools to match students’ differences with their needs. It also highlighted the importance of “assessment for learning” rather than “assessment of learning” and “learning-oriented assessment” (LOA) for lifelong learning, thus preparing adult learners for future responsibilities and decision making. It also indicated the importance of reflection and immediate feedback for the adult learner. Assessment of mental phenomena such as creativity should have defined terms. The findings of this article supported the argument for more attention to be paid to new trends in evaluations used in adult education. One important result of this kind of evaluation is its facilitation of self-confidence within the adult learning setting.