Intelligent Mobile Learning Effort

2.3 Diagnostic Assessment
Although some authors delineate diagnostic assessment as a component of
formative assessment, most of them consider it a distinct form of measurement [Kellough & Kellough 1999], [McMillan 2000]. In practice, the purpose of diagnostic assessment is to ascertain, prior to
instruction, each student’s strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills. Establishing these permits the
instructor to remediate students and adjust the curriculum to meet each student’s unique needs. It
provides an indicator of a learner’s aptitude for a program of study and identifies possible learning
problems.

2.4 Formative Assessment
It is designed to provide users with feedback on progress and informs
development but does not contribute to a student’s final grades. According to the National Centre for
Fair and Open Testing (NCFOT) [NCFOT 1999] formative assessment "occurs when teachers feed
information back to the students in ways that enable the student to learn better, or when students can
engage in a similar, self-reflective process". Formative tests are not graded and are used as an ongoing
diagnostic tool; hence, the instructor employs the results of formative assessment solely to modify and
adjust his or her teaching practices to reflect the needs and progress of his or her students. …