Paths from Formative Assessment to Learning Outcomes: A Between-Course Approach Study of Undergraduate Freshmen in Two

Abstract

This study considers the relationship between formative assessment and learning outcomes by comparing students’ responses on courses with and without formative assessment. Path analysis of 220 courses reveals that (1) the relevance of formative assessment to course objectives has a larger effect on learning outcomes than experience or feedback of the assessment; (2) time distribution has a greater impact on learning outcomes than the length of independent learning; and (3) the type of formative assessment causes a variation in terms of the paths to the length and distribution of learning time.