Historically, educational assessments have mostly been summative. Their orientation has been retrospective and judgmental. This is assessment of learning. Formative assessment, by contrast, is assessment for learning. It happens during the learning process and its frame of reference is prospective and constructive.

There are a number of canonical ways to collect evidence of learning. Many learning management systems - Scholar as well, not that it's really a learning management system - support the following modes of collection of data providing evidence-of-learning:

• Participation in discussion
• Rubric-based peer, admin and self-review
• Surveys: Knowledge surveys (e.g. item-based and short answer tests) or information surveys (without right or wrong answers)
• Big data engagement and natural language processing analyses

Here's a quick primer of assessment theory:

Kalantzis and Cope, New Learning, Cambridge University Press, 2012

Comment: To what extent do emerging educational technologies maintain or transform traditional assessment practices?

Make an Update: Take one traditional mode of assessment. Describe its processes and rules. How are these extended or changed in computer-mediated learning? How can traditionally summative modes and methods also be oriented to provide formative feedback for learners? How have you translated these ideas into practice in your learning module?