I have been learning about assessment for, as, or of learning. Assessment is not the same as evaluation. Assessment is about getting information on how a student is doing and what they can do to improve, while evaluation is an alphanumeric grade on how a student is doing at a point in time.

Assessment for learning generally occurs at the beginning of the year. It is a diagnostic style assessment which aims to see what students know at the beginning of the year/lesson. It helps you prepare for the term and find what point your students are starting at.

Assessment as learning happens throughout the year. This assessment is most often student-directed. This can be self-assessment, peer-assessment, or teacher-directed. Either way, it does not result in an alphanumeric grade for the student. It is mostly used to see where the student is at and how they can improve. It occurs as the students are learning and helps them refine their learning.

Assessment of learning occurs at the end of a unit/term. This is closest to evaluations as it most often results in a letter grade. An example of this could be a test or a project. This lets the teacher assess how the student is doing at that particular time. It is an assessment of how the student has understood/retained the material.