Assessment Preferences of Saudi Undergraduate EFL Students: Formative Feedback through Summative Lecture-Based Assessment

Abstract

Class participation and assignments are considered important parts since they contribute to students’ deep learning. Although positive correlations were found in a number of studies (Sly, 1999; Sly & Rennie, 1999) between formative assessment and subsequent performance on summative assessment tasks, they were confined to computerised practice tests. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate the experiences and perceptions of 14 tertiary undergraduate male English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students majoring in Linguistics and Literature, and enrolled in a Translation course. Specifically, the study aims to 1) identify the participants’ experiences and perception about the benefits of formative feedback through summative lecture-based feedback in the form of weekly assignments, class discussions and students’ presentations, 2) explore whether the participants believe that the course reflected the learning outcomes and the communication skills set out in the curriculum, and 3) elicit EFL students’ views of the course and their assessment preferences. Data was collected through a questionnaire and unstructured interviews in order to receive further clarifications. The findings of the study revealed that the summative lecture-based assessment was effective in terms of the learning outcomes, which included improving the EFL students’ translation interpersonal and intellectual abilities and the use of corpus concordances. The implications of these findings are discussed.