Effects of digital formative assessment tools on teaching quality and student achievement

Abstract

In this dissertation the effects of digital formative assessment tools on teaching quality and student achievement was investigated. An increasing number of schools use a digital system to process, organize, summarize, and analyze student assessment data. Such digital systems might support teachers in the process of translating student assessment data into informed instructional decisions. In this dissertation the term digital formative assessment tool refers to a digital tool that supports teachers during instruction planning by providing feedback to teachers based on student assessment data. The dissertation consist of three studies. In the first study a randomized experimental design was used to examine the effects of a digital formative assessment tool on mathematics achievement and motivation (n schools = 79, n students = 1808), and on spelling achievement (n schools = 69, n students = 1605) in grade three primary education. In the second study the relationship between differentiated instruction and student achievement was examined. Classroom observations (n = 144) were used to measure teachers’ differentiated instruction practices and to predict the mathematical achievement of second and fifth grade students (n = 953). In the third study the effect of digital formative assessment tools have been examined through a meta-analysis of the results of relevant experimental studies (n = 14). The results of the first study and of the third study show that digital formative assessment tools can have an effect on teaching quality and student achievement. However, the results of the second study and of the third study show that effects can not always be shown. Important characteristics of a DFAT for their effectiveness seem to be frequent and immediate teacher feedback, detailed and concrete teacher feedback and easily accessible and easy to interpret feedback to teachers. These characteristics may make a digital formative assessment tool suitable for improving teachers’ daily instructional planning and make it easier to integrate into teachers’ teaching practices.