What type of assessment occurs at the end of an instructional period?

The correct response is summative assessment, which is designed to evaluate student learning at the conclusion of an instructional period. This type of assessment measures the extent to which learners have achieved the educational objectives laid out for the course or program.

Summative assessments typically include final exams, projects, or presentations that reflect what students have learned over a specific timeframe. The purpose is to assess the cumulative knowledge and skills acquired, allowing instructors to gauge the effectiveness of their teaching and the depth of student understanding. This evaluation can help determine final grades and inform decisions regarding the progression of students to subsequent levels of education or training.

In contrast, formative assessments occur during the instructional period and are used to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback to improve teaching and student performance. Norm-referenced assessments compare a student's performance to a group, while criterion-referenced assessments measure a student's performance against a fixed set of criteria or learning standards. Each of these assessment types serves different educational purposes but does not primarily focus on evaluating the overall achievement at the end of an instructional period like summative assessments do.