The design of formative blended assessments in tertiary EFL programs

A case study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Despite a rise of blended learning approaches in foreign language education programs, little research has examined how such integration of technologies in the classroom affects assessment designs. Any 'electric dreams' that technologies will improve learning remains unproven without clear assessment designs. In this paper, we undertake a qualitative study of formative blended assessments within an English language program at a major Saudi university. Data was gathered through observations, semi-structured interviews and Participatory Design (PD) sessions. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in four emergent themes: definitions, approaches, alignment and requirements. After setting out and discussing the four themes, we conclude our paper with suggestions for further research.