Linking Formative and Summative Performance in an online L2 module: Insights from Learning Analytics

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic created a unique teaching and learning situation for South African universities with a sudden migration to the online platform. This exploratory study reports on Basic IsiZulu, a compulsory second-language module at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The focus is on student summative performance. Extracting data from the Moodle Activity logs the study investigates the impact of four variables, academic discipline, age, gender and year of study on formative engagement and summative performance. Findings from the learning analytics data indicate that higher formative assessment scores have a small but highly significant impact on the module's final summative assessment scores. Correlation tests indicate a weak relationship between academic discipline, age and year of study with engagement in formative activity, and the gender variable indicates that male students display lower levels of engagement with formative activities.