The effectiveness of traditional tests versus science lab reports as summative assessments

Abstract

There are a number of different ways students can be assessed over a unit. The most common way is through traditional tests. This study was conducted to determine if scientific lab reports are more effective assessments to gauge what a student knows. To analyze this topic, students took traditional tests and wrote science lab reports, and the scores were compared. The results of the study found that students can express more of what they know in lab reports than in traditional tests.