The benefits of formative assessments in improving student performance are well understood; however, little is known about the effect of Traditional Formative Assessments (TFAs) combined with Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) on student learning outcomes in college chemistry. Using the formative assessment cycle framework and quasi-experimental study design, we addressed the following research questions: 1) Are there significant differences in performance between students exposed to TFAs coupled with the muddiest point CAT (Treatment group) and their counterparts exposed to the TFAs alone (Comparison group) in a General Chemistry 1 course? (2) Are there significant interactions between the formative assessment method and participants’ demographics, such as gender, race, and first-generation status, after controlling for ACT math scores? Results indicated statistically significant differences (p &lt;.05) in performance between the two groups on three midterm exams, with better performance associated with the treatment group. Similarly, the treatment group showed higher mean scores in the final cumulative exam than the comparison group, but the mean difference was not statistically significant (p &gt; .05). Descriptive statistics revealed ABC letter grades were more by 18%, 8%, and 4%, whereas DFs were lower by 17.3%, 8%, and 5% in the treatment group over the comparison group in midterm exams 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Results from the 2 x 2 ANOVA showed no statistically significant interactions between the formative assessment method and the measured demographic variables on performance in the averaged midterms and the final exam scores, after controlling for ACT math scores. Although the effect sizes on the noted significant mean differences in performance were small (adjusted Cohen, <i>d</i> = 0.3 to 0.4), these results imply that blending CATs with TFAs can have a positive effect on student performance in General Chemistry I course. Detailed results and implications of the findings for practice will be discussed.

Blending traditional formative assessments with classroom assessment techniques in a General Chemistry 1 course: Does it make any difference?

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.