Formative vs summative quizzes as regular feedback on Moodle in computer science courses: Which do students prefer?

Abstract

Deferred feedback on summative assessments can demotivate students and affect their overall learning performance, and it can change their study routines. The aim of this study is to compare and analyse students’ perceptions about summative and formative regular feedback: whether they are better motivated by being given marks, or by regular feedback without any marks. All participants were students from a Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) degree at a New Zealand tertiary institute. Three courses were selected across three different levels of the BCS, and the sample group included 272 students from five different semesters. Summative (with marks) and formative (with feedback only) weekly quizzes were introduced in 2017, with the aim of providing early, regular feedback to students. Participants in the study were divided into two groups: students who were doing formative, and those who were doing summative quizzes.