Impacts of quiz format on student learning and experience in a flipped technical writing course for engineers

While both in-class and out-of-class assessments have identified advantages and disadvantages, there is no clear consensus in the literature regarding which format best supports student outcomes and engagement with content in a flipped classroom. To explore the impacts of quiz format in a flipped technical writing course, students were assigned to take quizzes covering pre-class work in either in-class (ICQ) or out-of-class (OCQ) format. Quiz scores, material retention, study habits, and student perspectives and behaviors were compared between groups to assess effects on student performance and course engagement. While quiz performance was slightly improved in the OCQ group, no statistically significant differences were detected between groups in performance on an end-of-semester retention assessment, suggesting that neither format compromised students’ ability to recall and apply their knowledge in new contexts. Students did report altered engagement with the course, however, with students in the ICQ group reporting a higher motivation to attend class than students in the OCQ group. In particular, female students and students from groups often underrepresented in engineering in the ICQ group reported increased attendance motivation compared to the OCQ group; this difference was not observed in their peers. In spite of this attendance motivation benefit, more students preferred the OCQ format to the ICQ format. This study did not detect statistically significant differences in material retention between quiz formats, so instructors may weigh student preferences for flexible assessment against the attendance motivation and engagement benefits reported by students who took in-class quizzes.