Which of the following describes the focus of summative assessment?

The focus of summative assessment centers on documenting learning outcomes and evaluating the overall effectiveness of a course after instruction has taken place. This type of assessment takes place at the end of a learning cycle and is designed to measure what learners have achieved in relation to the course objectives. It provides a summary of learning, making it useful for determining whether the educational goals have been met and how students are performing overall in relation to those goals.

In contrast, providing feedback during the learning process pertains more to formative assessment, which is meant to enhance learning and development as it occurs. Assessing prior knowledge before instruction is also not relevant to summative assessment, as it relates to gauging what students already know to inform teaching strategies. Creating a lesson plan is a preparatory step in the teaching process and does not relate directly to the assessment of learning outcomes or effectiveness after instruction has occurred.