The effects of formative assessment on students’

attitude towards learning and design skills:

Perspective from a Senior-level Electrical Engineering design-based course
Muhammad Zilany, Iqra Mohammed Yakub, Syed Umer Ahmed
Electrical and Computer Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha, Qatar

INTRODUCTION RESULTS DISCUSSION

In the realm of education, assessment plays a pivotal role, An initial examination of data obtained from two modules
serving as a fundamental tool employed by both educators Preliminary analysis of the data from modules with formative assessment shows positive impacts of applying incorporating formative assessments reveals favorable outcomes
and students. . It functions as a means to provide essential linked to the utilization of these assessments in terms of students'
formative assessments toward students’ learning and design skills. Since formative assessment gives the
feedback that guides the ongoing learning process, enabling learning and their development of design skills. The incorporation
instructors to tailor their teaching methods to achieve the
teacher the ability to provide continuous feedback to their students, the students become part of the learning of formative assessments empowers instructors to offer continuous
planned educational objectives (Robinowitz, 2010; Black, environment and improve self-assessment strategies that will help with the understanding of their own thinking feedback to their students, thereby engaging students more actively
2005). Formative assessment, a concept central to this study, processes. in the learning process and cultivating self-assessment strategies,
entails the frequent evaluation of students' development and which are invaluable for comprehending their own cognitive
comprehension, with the primary aim of identifying their specific Displayed below are five bar graphs, each dedicated to visualizing responses for specific survey questions. processes.
needs and adjusting instructional strategies accordingly The blue bars represent data from Module 1, while the orange bars pertain to Module 2. In the realm of electrical engineering, the key to proficient
(Bennett, 2011; Alahmadi et al., 2019). The questions have been grouped into three categories, each giving valuable insights into the perspectives of formative assessment lies in the provision of timely and
Traditionally, assessments are often perceived as tools for the participants: constructive feedback. This feedback not only steers students'
measuring learning outcomes, conducted at the culmination learning trajectories but also aids in the establishment of a robust
of lessons or units. However, their potential as teaching 1. Learning Experience foundation in the subject matter. It empowers educators to adapt
instruments often remains underutilized, as educators can 2. Design Skills their instructional approaches and materials in accordance with the
leverage assessments to diagnose student misconceptions evolving needs and progress of their students, thereby elevating the
3. Active Engagement
and bridge learning gaps through meaningful feedback (Dixson learning experience within this specialized discipline. Consequently,
& Worrell, 2016). The study by Black et al. (2004) underscores it is strongly encouraged that instructors incorporate formative
The figures depicting the learning experience illustrates a positive impact of formative assessments on overall assessments into their teaching methodologies to aid students in
the importance of employing formative tests for their intended
purpose, enhancing classroom practices by encouraging
learning experience. Additionally, the graphs based on design skills shows that formative assessments helped enhancing their design skills in relevant courses.
students to actively and reflectively engage with course content. them in applying theoretical concepts to their design skills. Furthermore, most students expressed that they
In essence, formative assessment is fundamentally concerned are more likely to seek assistance with challenging design tasks. It is also evident that students agreed that
with nurturing students' learning and development (Buyukkarci formative assessments helped them with active engagement.
& Sahinkarakas, 2021), rendering it a vital component in the
fusion of assessment and teaching (Ozan & Kıncal, 2018; Irons,
2008).

Brown (2003) describes the formative assessment as the

evaluation of learners in the process of "forming" their skills
and competencies, facilitating their continuous growth. It
REFERENCES
encompasses all activities conducted by instructors and
learners alike, supplying information that can be harnessed 1. Bennett, R. E. (2011). Formative assessment: A critical review.
as feedback to refine ongoing learning and teaching practices.
Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 18(1),
Importantly, this definition underscores the active involvement
5–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2010.513678
of both students and teachers, making formative assessment an
integral component for enhancing students' performance. 2. Black, P. (2005). Formative assessment: Views through different
lenses. The Curriculum Journal, 16(2), 133–135.
Student attitudes toward learning encompass both positive and http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585170500135889
negative dimensions (Johnson, 2016). Positive attitudes have 3. Irons, A. (2008). Enhancing learning through formative
the potential to enhance learning experiences, while negative assessment and feedback. New York, NY: Routledge.
attitudes can serve as impediments, often arising from learning 4. Johnson, A. (2016). The implementation and evaluation of
difficulties or perceived boredom with course. This research formative feedback on students’ attitudes and perceptions on
aims to explore the effects of incorporating formative their learning: An action research (Doctoral dissertation).
assessments within an electrical engineering design-based Available from ProOuest Dissertations and Theses database.
course on students’ academic motivation, attitudes towards (UMI No. 10006523)
learning, and the development of design skills. 5. Robinowitz, A. (2010). From principles to practice: An embedded
assessment system. Applied Measurement in Education, 13(2),
181–208.
6. Alahmadi, N., Alrahaili, M., & Alshraideh, D. (2019). The impact
of the formative assessment in speaking test on Saudi students’
performance. Arab World English Journal, 10(1), 259–270.
7. Buyukkarci, K., & Sahinkarakas, S. (2021). The impact of
formative assessment on students’ assessment preferences.

METHODOLOGY The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 21(1), 142–

161.
8. Dixson, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and summative
assessment in the classroom. Theory into practice, 55(2), 153–
159.
Participants are students enrolled in an Electrical and Computer
9. Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D.
Engineering senior-level course (ECEN 489: special topic in
(2004). Assessment for learning: Putting it into practice. Open
Medical Instrumentation: Application and Design). The course
University Press.
which spans 14 weeks is divided into four different modules,
10. Ozan, C., & Kıncal, R. Y. (2018). The effects of formative
and each module takes 3-4 weeks to complete. Out of four
assessment on academic achievement, attitudes toward the
modules, two modules undergo through extensive formative
lesson, and self-regulation skills. Educational Sciences: Theory
assessment practices such as active class activities in group, in
and Practice, 18, 85–118.
class quizzes and polls, homework assignments, lab activities,
11. Brown, H. D. (2003). Language assessment principles and
peer assessment. When students are required to write reports
classroom practices. Oxford university press.
or design circuits, instructors provide formative feedback on
early drafts to help students improve their understanding of the
subject matter. Also, a software tool and relevant simulations
specific to medical instrumentation circuit design were used for
formative assessment. Students can interact with virtual circuits
or design simulations to practice and receive feedback.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
After each module, students are asked to fill out self-assessed
learning skill scales and some observation forms. The survey This work was supported by the 2023 Transformative Educational
encompassed five specific questions aimed at gathering Experiences Grant, funded by the center for teaching and
feedback from the participants. The survey results are learning at TAMUQ.
presented in the next section.