Scaffolded Formative Assessment: Fit for Purpose?

The existing assessment literature has a large consensus on the benefits of two key pedagogical approaches: formative assessment and scaffolding in assessment. This practical case study focuses on combining these approaches in a quantitative economics module, presenting the implementation of a scaffolded formative assessment. A key aspect of our study involves highlighting the disparity in structure between formative and summative assessments and emphasising the need to explain this contrast to students. The findings suggest that this practice of scaffolded formative assessment is a useful pedagogical tool for both theoretical and practical reasons. Our implementation produced positive student outcomes, improving their feelings of support and engagement, as well as their perceived knowledge and overall learning experience. Furthermore, we find that providing clear and explicit guidance is vital to enhance students’ assessment literacy and for them to see the links between the different stages of their learning journey. This formative scaffolded approach has the potential for scalability and applicability in other quantitative and qualitative modules.