Anticipated and Unanticipated Effects of Formative Assessment in First-Year University Mathematics

This study examines the implementation of the paid version of Socrative platform as a formative assessment (FA) tool in first-year mathematics courses. A key feature of the software is that it provides immediate, individualized feedback designed to support student engagement and learning. Employing a convergent mixed-method design, the study employed statistical analysis to compare assessment outcomes between control and experimental groups. Additionally, we conducted qualitative analyses of selected assessment items to gain deeper insight into students’ learning processes. Findings reveal both anticipated and unanticipated effects of formative assessment on student performance. The quantitative data did not show any significant effect of FA on students’ achievement. The qualitative data revealed multiple levels of influence on learning, ranging from no to substantial improvement, as well as instances of inconsistent outcomes. In this article, we will discuss the outcomes in relation to pedagogical implications, and we will provide some recommendations for future research.