The teaching evaluation is the process of collection, synthesis and analysis of information, is the process of understanding the student's skill development level and developmental potential。 It helps teachers understand each students' learning and need to make appropriate decisions and improve efficiency in the classroom by collecting students' daily learning, teaching and classroom learning environment。 In teaching practice, The tests and quiz with which we are very familiar are just a way of teaching evaluation。

2。2 What is formative evaluation?

     Formative evaluation was firstly put forward by G。F。 Scriven in 1967 in his the methodology of assessment。 Scriven gave a clear description of formative evaluation and summative evaluation, “When the cook tastes the soup, it is formative evaluation; when the guest tastes the soup, it is summative evaluation。” (Scriven 38)。 It means that formative evaluation emphasizes the process, while summative evaluation stresses the result, and they have the different emphasis on evaluating the learning process。

     Gipps defined formative evaluation as the process of which teachers evaluate, appraise or judge students’ work or performance, and used it to shape and enhance learners’ competence。

     Airasin pointed out that “it is used to improve teaching and learning which involves collecting, synthesizing and interpreting data for the purpose of providing information to students and teachers。” (Airasin 402)。

     Cowie and Bell defined formative evaluation as the process of which teachers and students recognize and respond to students in order to improve learning (Cowie and Bell 48)。

     Hege defined formative evaluation as a process of “keeping track of the students’ progress as if happens and identifying way of helping it along。” 

     James Bellanca defined formative evaluation as to give both teachers and students feedback for their present understanding and skill’s development to decide the forward way (James 67)。

     These are definitions from different scholars of foreign countries。 While in China, Lo gave the definition of formative evaluation as “a range of formal and informal evaluation procedures (ie。 the monitoring of students’ writing development, observations) undertaken by teachers in the classroom as an integral part of the normal teaching and learning process in order to modify, guide, and enhance learning and understanding。” (Lo 129)。文献综述

     Different scholars have different expressions and items to describe the same concept。 There are also some similarities among them。 It can be concluded that formative evaluation is one kind of evaluation types which uses different tools to evaluate students’ learning process。

2。3The comparison among three types of teaching evaluation 

     According to the different roles the evaluation plays in different teaching activities, teaching evaluation can be pided into three types, they are: diagnostic evaluation, formative evaluation and summative evaluation。 Here is the comparison among three types of evaluation in table format:

the Comparison among Three Types of Evaluations

Diagnostic evaluation Formative evaluation Summative evaluation

Function To know their learning preparation and find out their shortcoming。 To make feedback about students’ progress。 To assess student’s academic performance

purpose To arrange students reasonably and teach students in accordance of their aptitude。