Formative Assessments Co-created with Students (FACCtS)

This project made two key contributions.

First, it enhanced the learning experience of students by developing and integrating highly interactive formative assessment questions that provided immediate feedback. As a result:

1. Over 350 FACCtS were co-created by students and the module coordinator, encompassing multiple question types such as MCQ, True/False, Matching, Fill-in-the-Blank, Drag-and-Drop, and Flip Cards. These assessments covered all seven microcurricula within the module.

2. The FACCtS were implemented on the module’s Loop page using the interactive H5P tool and presented as optional self-assessment activities at the end of each microcurriculum, enabling students to check their readiness for the final assessment.

3. In the 2024/25 academic year, the questions were made available to more than 2,190 students. Although participation was voluntary, up to 25% of students completed the activities, which correlated with improved summative assessment performance among those participants.
 

Second, the project created opportunities for students and the module coordinator to collaboratively shape the future of the module. Key insights included:

1. The active involvement of former students in designing future learning experiences proved highly valuable. Consistent with constructivist learning theory, engaging students in curriculum design fosters deeper learning through meaningful interaction with content, peers, and instructors.
 

2. Designing interactive, UDL-compliant modules for large online asynchronous cohorts is challenging; however, involving students in the alignment process enhanced the module’s relevance and learning impact.

3. In contexts where providing timely feedback is difficult—particularly in asynchronous environments—FACCtS effectively addressed this gap by offering high-quality, immediate feedback that supports self-regulated learning.

Based on a mixed-method study investigating the implementation of FACCtS, several key impacts were observed:

1. Improved Student Performance:
Quantitative analyses revealed that FACCtS enhanced student performance in five of the seven microcurricula, with statistically significant improvements observed in two.
 

2. Increased Student Engagement:
FACCtS boosted engagement across all seven microcurricula, with a statistically significant increase in four. Students who engaged with the formative assessments were more likely to make additional attempts at the summative assessments, demonstrating deeper involvement and persistence.
 

3. Enhanced Active Learning:
FACCtS transformed the online learning environment into a more interactive and motivating experience. Through diverse question formats—such as MCQ, True/False, Drag-and-Drop, and Flip-Card activities—students actively participated in knowledge construction and sustained engagement across multiple learning tasks.
 

4. Development of Metacognitive Skills:
FACCtS supported students’ metacognitive learning by encouraging reflection on their understanding and learning strategies. Students reported becoming more aware of their knowledge gaps and progress, enabling them to adjust study strategies and assess readiness for summative assessments.
 

5. Strengthened Applied Learning:
FACCtS helped bridge the gap between theory and practice by encouraging students to apply theoretical concepts to real-world contexts. Many students reported using insights from FACCtS in assignments, projects, and subsequent courses—demonstrating effective knowledge transfer and integration within the broader Data Literacy and Analytics (DLA) module.

Key learning
1. Maintain the Co-Creation Approach: The strong appreciation for FACCtS indicates that the co-creation model should be sustained and expanded. Involving additional students in future cycles will preserve the authenticity and peer relevance that make these assessments engaging and effective.

2. Enhance Feedback Mechanisms: Immediate feedback was a major driver of learning gains. Students recommended features such as links to relevant content for incorrect answers. Integrating such adaptive feedback systems—potentially through automated tools—could strengthen learning loops and promote targeted revision.

3. Support Greater Personalisation: The flexible, self-paced design effectively supported self-regulated learning. Maintaining this flexibility, while providing optional scaffolds for students who prefer structured guidance, could optimise outcomes. Features such as expedited learning paths for advanced learners would also enhance efficiency.

4. Manage Cognitive Load: Some students noted challenges related to content volume and text-heavy materials, particularly when engaging with content close to deadlines. Incorporating multimedia elements and encouraging early engagement could reduce cognitive overload and sustain motivation throughout the semester.

5. Refine Progressive Complexity: Students recognised increasing difficulty levels as beneficial for learning progression. Continued calibration of question complexity will ensure an optimal balance between challenge and accessibility throughout the learning sequence.

Future Work and Evaluation
As part of a follow-up SATLE funding, this approach is expanded to cover the remaining microcurricula. Current work is underway to co-design Python and R routes to provide similar opportunities for students who opt for Python and R. A comparative analysis using
mixed methods research has been completed to assess the impacts of FACCtS on the learning experience of students.
The lessons learned from this project and the currently ongoing implementation indicated that there are still questions that have not yet been answered by the current research. Future research will consider the role of students in shaping their peers’ learning experience and developing better strategies to increase the participation of students in completing FACCtS.
Programs that plan to adopt online asynchronous delivery of their modules will benefit from the educational strategy used to create FACCtS. The methodology allows module coordinators to invite high-achieving students to share their experiences in the form of
questions, peer-learning activities, and module summaries. Furthermore, the evaluation offers a rigorous method to assess the impact of FACCtS on the learning experience of students.