Self-assessing a test with a possible bonus enhances low performers’ academic performance

Students tend not to review test feedback or process it cognitively. We examined whether and how self-assessment enhanced engineering students' engagement in test feedback and academic performance, and whether and how the impact differed for high and low performers. We also investigated whether peer assessment and bonus points added to the impact of self-assessment. Engineering students in the three experimental groups received different interventions: self-assessing their test (SA), self-assessing their test with a bonus (SAI), and assessing their own and peer's test with a bonus (PSAI). A video detailing the solutions and how to grade each test was provided to guide students in assessing tests. There were no statistically significant differences between the control and experimental groups in students' engagement and academic performance, but low-performing SAI's score change from Test 2 to the final exam was bigger than that of low performers in the control group. Reflections suggested that one possible reason for why high performers did not benefit as much as the low performers was the ceiling effect. That is, high performers already understood the concepts before the self-assessment.Students liked self-assessing tests, thought that it was of value, and thought about why they lost points. Our study contributes to the literature on how to improve the effectiveness of test feedback and the literature indicating that providing differentiated feedback based on students' prior knowledge can be beneficial. It also shows that video feedback can be helpful for students taking pen-and-paper tests.