Formative assessment benefits summative assessment performance in neuroanatomy regardless of prior academic performance: A retrospective study

Abstract

Through retrospective analysis, the relationship between formative assessment (FA) and summative assessment (SA) scores in neuroanatomy for doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students ( n  = 121) was investigated. The study examined if previous academic difficulty impacted the relationship between FA and SA by grouping students with no history of academic challenges into Group 1 ( n  = 80) and students who experienced previous academic difficulty in coursework into Group 2 ( n  = 41). The distinction for academic difficulty was defined by programmatic guidelines. Eleven multiple‐choice FAs were administered to support preparation for three separate unit SAs. A 1 × 2 multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) explored the relationship among student groups, FAs, and SAs for Units 2 and 3. Significant relationships were observed between both FA covariates and related SA scores for students in both groups. No significant interaction of student grouping on the relationship between FA and SA scores was observed, thus no differentiated impact of FA scores on SA outcomes between the groups existed. On average, a one‐point increase on FA scores was associated with a 2.41‐point increase on SA scores in Unit 2 and a one‐point increase on FA scores was associated with a 2.54‐point increase on SA scores in Unit 3. The study showed FA can benefit all students, positively impacting SA scores regardless of whether students have experienced prior academic challenges. Thus, FA is a valuable instructional tool that can be applied broadly and benefit SA performance for students who experience academic difficulty and those who do not.