Steady feedback in a course gave slightly better marks; drive went untested

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   300 women in their third year at one university in Saudi Arabia. All took the same course on starting a business. The researchers also talked to 20 teachers.

2. 02

   What they did

   Both groups took the same hands-on course and watched recorded talks before class. One group got feedback all the way through. They rated their own work and each other's, set goals, looked back on their work and could redo it. The other group got a grade only at the end of each unit.

3. 03

   What happened

   Students who got steady feedback had slightly higher test marks. They also rated their drive and how much they took part a bit higher. But the paper never checked if these small gaps were real. The paper's summary claims more than its results show, and parts of its text are garbled.

What the study found

1. HelpedGoals

   Students who got ongoing feedback and chances to revise scored slightly higher than those graded only at each unit's end.

   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Randomised trial of 300 female university students in Saudi Arabia · vs the same course, graded only at each unit's end · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable

2. No differenceMotivation

   Steady feedback did not clearly beat grades at the end of each unit for how keen or involved students felt.

   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Randomised trial of 300 female university students in Saudi Arabia · vs the same course, graded only at each unit's end · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable

Source