MEASURING THE PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INTEGRATION OF TOPIC-BASED MODULES AND FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ONLINE LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY STUDENTS
Abstract
Topic-based modules and formative assessment are important sources in the provision of academic knowledge to students. Topic-based modules break down the subjects into smaller and more manageable sections. This approach helps the students to focus on the related concepts on the topic in a short and convenient time, and it also enriches the focus of the students. Secondly, to evaluate and judge the students’ learning through topicbased modules, formative assessments provide continuing feedback to students to know their conceptual progress and help to identify their areas for improvement. The blend of both instructional strategies creates effective and interactive learning sources and improves the perceived academic performance of learners in online learning mode. So, the basic aim of the study was to determine the significant effectiveness of topicbased modules and formative assessment of the perceived academic performance of the students’ learning process in online learning mode. An online survey was conducted among students of sociology enrolled in the Spring 2025 semester of the Virtual University of Pakistan. For data analysis purposes, descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and regression analysis were applied. Findings of the study illustrate TBMs and FA as strong predictors of the perceived academic performance of the students, particularly sociology students, emphasizing the integration of new strategies for effective online learning.
Keywords
Topic-based modules, formative assessment, perceived effectiveness, instructional strategies, academic performance, online learning
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