Students ignore their mistakes: Elaborated error feedback processing in a digital learning system

Abstract

Digital learning systems widely used in secondary schools frequently utilize formative mastery assessments to evaluate prior knowledge and provide elaborated feedback with recommendations for subsequent learning steps. While elaborated feedback is often considered beneficial for low-achieving students, research indicates that these students may overlook such feedback in digital learning environments. This study examines the interplay between student aptitude (school type, grade, and prior knowledge), task complexity, response certitude, and various facets of elaborated error feedback processing after formative mastery assessments: error feedback seeking, error feedback comprehension, and error feedback appraisal (perceived usefulness).

We analyzed 20,058 formative assessment cases from an adaptive German grammar app implemented in 182 secondary classrooms, encompassing 2,826 students. The key findings are: (1) Students in higher grades and academic-track secondary schools are more likely to seek elaborated error feedback but are more critical of its usefulness. (2) Task complexity (course content and level) significantly influences error feedback processing behaviors. (3) Low formative assessment scores, indicating low prior knowledge, are strongly associated with reduced error feedback seeking and error feedback comprehension, as well as a more critical perspective on error feedback usefulness. (4) Response certitude, particularly in cases of failing formative assessments, is positively linked to error feedback seeking and perceived error feedback usefulness.

These findings contribute to advancing feedback processing models by highlighting the importance of contextual factors in digital learning environments. Future research should focus on system-specific influences such as content complexity, error feedback structure, and options to choose or disregard error feedback.