2025 Theses Doctoral

Examining Student Performance and Reception towards Interactive Feedback in Formative Assessments

Chowdhury, Ishaq

Formative assessments are indispensable tools utilized to evaluate student learning trajectories, facilitate continuous improvement, and deepen comprehension. Central to the efficacy of formative assessments is the provision of feedback, which serves as a catalyst for students' progression towards mastery of the subject matter. However, not all feedback is equally effective in improving learning goals and performance on assessments. Additionally, the effectiveness of certain feedback types might not consistently align with the preferences students have when engaging with feedback. The main purpose of this dissertation is to examine how interactive and non-interactive feedback influence student performance on online formative assessments. It also investigates how students engage and respond to feedback, along with what type of learner characteristics might influence student feedback-seeking behavior.

This study uses a Pre Test, an assessment with feedback based on the condition, and a Post Test to measure student performance and test duration, while using questionnaire surveys to measure learner characteristics and reception to the feedback. Results from the study indicate that interactive feedback can have a greater impact on improving student scores and reducing their ratings of cognitive strain. Although it does not reduce the duration to complete assessments and requires more time investment to use the feedback, student who were exposed to the interactive feedback also reported it to be more helpful than those who were exposed to the non-interactive feedback.