How Automated Feedback is Delivered Matters: Formative Feedback and Knowledge Transfer

This Full Research Paper investigated the correlations of automated formative feedback and student knowledge transfer in an advanced-level network course. A microservice of automated formative feedback was designed and implemented. The automated feedback was set up to address correctness and coding style along a series of milestones in finishing each of the assigned programming projects. 36 students participated in this study. Different from the concerns of prior studies that automated formative feedback may encourage trial & error and harm learning, this study identified a link between the automated formative feedback and student knowledge transfer. The results of this study confirmed positive findings from other fields on formative feedback, and call for more research on formative feedback in computing education.