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Assesment can be used within science education as a tool for science educators to be able to understand their students more. However it should not be used as a weapon, to indimidate students into science. As standard assessment can instill fear into students it is an educators job to integrate assessment in a more calming and effective way. For example the article titled ' 'A' is for Assessment' states 'One on One conversations with teachers are an opportunity for students to simply tell the teacher what they know.' Formal assessment can often hinder students with different educational abilites to be able to produce scores that accurately represent their knowledge. Just as students have different methods of which they enjoy learning they also have different ways in which they are able to express their knowledge, some may like to dramatize and explain, others may enjoy drawing pictures and some might even enjoy a formal assessment with questions and answers.
But no two children are the same, each have their own unique likes and should be able to express their knowledge in the ways that work for them.
According to 'Turning the Lights On: What Preassessments Can Do', .'..students' innate development and simple exposure to material will naturally cause
some growth in a student's achievement over time, even if no instructional intervention takes place.' Many students will learn more in depth if they are exposed to the content various times before being tested on it. A simple lesson and memorization tactics will not allow a student to grasp a concept entirely. However pre-assessment may allow them to become familar with the concepts in a formal manner.
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