The impact of frequency and stakes of formative assessment on student achievement in higher education: A learning analytics study

Abstract Background Research shows that how formative assessments are operationalized plays a crucial role in shaping their engagement with formative assessments, thereby impacting their effectiveness in predicting academic achievement. Mandatory assessments can ensure consistent student participation, leading to better tracking of learning progress. Optional assessments may encourage voluntary engagement, potentially leading to a more genuine reflection of student understanding. Also, frequent assessments provide continuous opportunities for feedback and adjustment, which can keep students actively engaged in the learning process. Objectives This study aims to investigate two crucial facets of formative assessments: frequency and the level of stakes involved (mandatory vs. optional). We examine how modifying the frequency of formative assessments affects students' course performance. Additionally, we evaluate the impact of mandatory versus optional formative assessments on students' course performance in higher education. Methods The sample of this study consisted of undergraduate students ( n = 336) enrolled in three sections of a large asynchronous course at a Canadian university. We extracted features associated with online formative assessments (e.g., the number of attempts and average scores) from the learning management system. Next, we used these features to predict students' performance in summative assessments (two midterms and a final exam). Results and Conclusions Our findings indicated that increasing the frequency of online formative assessments did not consistently improve student performance. Also, participation frequency in online formative assessments seemed to vary depending on assessment stakes (i.e., optional vs. mandatory). We recommend that instructors examine what conditions can maximize the contribution of formative assessments to students' academic achievement before building predictive models.