PURPOSE
Formative assessment is a valuable tool for students developing skills as
self-regulated learners. This study sought to evaluate the utility of weekly,
mandatory, web-based, asynchronous quizzes as a method of formative
assessment in a newly redesigned pre-clerkship medical school curriculum,
reveal patterns of student behavior in their engagement with this formative
assessment, and?identify attitudes and beliefs underlying that behavior.
 
METHODS
Three semi-structured focus group sessions were conducted with first-year
pre-clerkship medical students at the University of Central Florida College
of Medicine to discuss their experiences with the formative quizzes embedded
into their curriculum. Each focus group session had six to seven
participants, with a total of twenty participants across the three sessions.
The sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed with an
inductive thematic approach.
 
RESULTS
Analysis revealed salient, interacting themes shaping student engagement
with the formative quizzes. Factors found to be primary determinants include
perceived alignment with summative assessment, utility of feedback, impact of
the informal curriculum, student utilization of artificial intelligence and
other digital resources, and logistical challenges and frustrations.
 
CONCLUSIONS
While students generally expressed approval of this method of formative
assessment, their feedback underscores the importance of organizational
alignment with course content and summative assessment, clarity and
consistency of feedback, consideration of the broader ecosystem of digital
learning tools, and implementation of flexible completion deadlines in the
strategic design of formative quizzes. We suggest that by considering these
factors in developing formative quizzes, educators can better support
consistent student engagement and maximize the value of this powerful
educational tool.