Formative assessment and academic achievement in pre-graduate students of health sciences

Abstract

Although educational experts recommend the use of formative assessment, there is a dearth of empirical studies on its impact on academic achievement. In this research the authors analyse to what extent participation and performance in formative assessment are associated with positive academic outcomes of pre-graduate students of health sciences. A total of 548 students from three health science degrees (Medicine, Psychology and Biology) from four Spanish universities were involved in this study. The students who carried out mid-term formative assessment got better marks and had higher success rates in final summative assessment that the students who did not participate. In addition, success in formative assessment tests was associated with better summative marks. Interestingly, participation in formative assessment was a better predictor of final outcome than success in formative assessment, a result that supports the key role of feedback in formative assessment. Students who took the mid-term examination, irrespective of their success, obtained feedback about their achievement and probably this determined their greater involvement in the learning process. Although causal relationships between formative and summative assessment cannot be established from this research, the generalized benefits of formative assessments found here encourage the practice of them in health sciences education.

Making Sense of Assessment Feedback in Higher Education

“…Peer feedback can be a positive experience for students (De Grez, Valcke, & Berings, 2010;Fund, 2010), leading to enhanced performance (Carillo-de-la-Pena et al, 2009;Sluijsmans et al, 2002). However, the majority of these studies also report the variable impact of peer feedback on student performance (Ballantyne et al, 2002;Bloxham & West, 2004).…”

The Impact of Lecture Attendance on Exams for Novice Programming Students

“…Formative assessment tasks influence student academic achievement. Students who participate in formative assessments perform significantly better in the final exam than those who do not [43]. For example, homework is one of the ongoing formative assessment tasks used by educators to evaluate student learning performance.…”

Does academic and social self-concept and motivation explain the effect of grading on students’ achievement?

“…However, even high-ability students have been shown to be affected negatively by high-stake assessment regimes (Carrillo-de-la-Peña et al 2009;Cilliers et al 2010;Trotter 2006) and are favored by less summative assessments and being assessed after learning has taken place. Another possible explanation for the negative grading effect may be that students' non-cognitive or affective skills such as self-concept and motivation are affected by summative assessment regimes (Wentzel et al 2010) and thus affect their learning and achievement in school (Harlen and Deakin Crick 2002).…”