Exploring the effectiveness of continuous online summative assessment in a vocational stem course

Abstract

There is limited research on continuous summative assessment and its benefits for students and teachers. The development of online tools that reduce teacher workload has enabled further research that can be conducted in real educational settings. The findings presented in this paper are intended to help expand understanding of the positive impact of intensive continuous online summative assessments on students. Design-based research (DBR) was used as the methodology for the research presented. The parameters of the experiment were modified during the experiment according to the DBR approach and were based on the feedback received from students and teachers during the experiment. Three successive generations of vocational undergraduate students participated in the experiment (88 students in total). The results of the experiment show that the introduced intensive continuous online summative assessment motivated students during the semester and consequently led to more students achieving learning outcomes. It can be concluded that intensive continuous summative assessment, when implemented online, can have positive effects on the process of achieving learning outcomes. If implemented properly, it can help teachers and students continuously adjust their activities during the semester to meet the specific needs of the teaching and learning process.