Page 277 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

the correct information. Avoid saying such things as “No, that’s wrong.” “Can’t you ever get things right?”
“Won’t you ever learn?” Positive, not negative, feedback should be given. Approach the problem specifically
by saying, for example, “You identified some of the foods that are high in sodium, which is very good. Now
let’s look a second time for others.”

Summative Evaluation
Summative evaluation has a different purpose and time frame from that of formative evaluation. Summative
evaluation is considered final, and it is used at the end of a term, course, or learning activity. The purpose of
summative evaluation is to appraise results, quality, outcomes, or worth using quantitative approaches. It may
include grading, certification, or evaluation of progress, and the evaluation distinguishes those who excel from
those who do not. Judgment is made about the learner, teacher, program, or curriculum with regard to the
effectiveness of learning or instruction for the target population. This judgment aspect creates the anxiety and
defensiveness often associated with evaluation.

Evaluation should be a continual process that is preplanned along with educational sessions. Evaluation
preassessment determines the individual’s abilities before the educational program, and progress should be
evaluated continually during and immediately after the educational program. Follow-up evaluation at regular
intervals may measure the degree to which the person has forgotten information or has fallen back to previous
behaviors.26

Norm- and Criterion-Referenced Methods

Besides formative and summative evaluation, there are norm- and criterion-referenced interpretations. In
norm-referenced results, the group that has taken a test provides the norms for determining the meaning of
each person’s score. A norm is like the typical performance of a group. One can then see how the individual
compares with the results of the group, whether above or below the norm. In criterion-referenced results, a
standard is used as a basis for the level of proficiency required. Instead of comparing learners with each other,
the instructor compares each individual with a predefined, objective standard of performance of what the
learner is expected to know or to be able to do after instruction is complete. A criterion-referenced
measurement ascertains the person’s status in respect to a defined objective or standard, and test items, if tests
are used, correspond to the objectives. If the learner can perform what is called for in the objective, he or she
has been successful. If not, criterion-referenced testing, which tends to be more diagnostic, indicates what the
learner can and cannot do, and more learning can be planned.

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