It appears that this is a reoccurring theme in my evaluation exploration…

What is the difference between formative feedback and formative evaluation?

And to me it is clear: the difference is who is receiving the attention and when you give it.

I’ll elaborate. As I am a student and because all of my formal studies have suggested I do so, I will explain this from the perspective of the learner.

Formative Feedback – represents information communicated to the learner by the instructor while applying new information that is intended to modify the learner’s thinking or behavior for the purpose of improving his/her understanding.

Conversely….

Formative Evaluation- represents information communicated to the instructor by the learner after a lesson ends that is intended to modify the instructor’s approach of teaching the material.

So while sounding very similar these terms apply to separate audiences for very different purposes.  Hopefully this helps to cement your understanding – but if it doesn’t please provide me with some (choose one: FEEDBACK or EVALUATION) to help me modify my explanation. 🙂