Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: Immediate Against Delayed Delivery

Authors

  • Cecile-M Fourcroy Department of Assessment and Measurement, Minervois Centre for Digital Education, Lezignan, France Author
  • Danijela-K Grbic Department of Educational Technology, Turopolje Centre for Digital Education, Velika Gorica, Croatia Author
  • Bavo-Jan Bostoen Centre for Learning Sciences, Pays de Herve Centre for Digital Education, Herve, Belgium Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22694204

Keywords:

Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses; Educational technology; E-learning; Evidence synthesis; Research methodology

Abstract

Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses has moved quickly from a niche scientific question to something a wider
community can now investigate with reasonably reliable tools, but the evidence behind it has not always kept pace. We pull
together the current evidence for formative feedback timing in online courses, covering the methodological, practical, regulatory
and cost angles, with an eye on where practice has genuinely settled and where researchers and reviewers are still largely
working it out for themselves. Selective, context-specific pursuit looks better supported by the evidence gathered here than either
broad rollout or blanket avoidance

References

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Farkas I, Ionescu F, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a feasibility study". Computers in Human Behavior 18(2017): 135-146. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Grabowski P, Petrescu G, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a case study". Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 20(2020): 146-158. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00852-5

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Marchetti D, Doncheva M, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a comparative analysis". Learning, Media and Technology 32(2014): 212-221. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1896184

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Chiriac F, Farkas C, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a case study". Computers & Education 20(2020): 366-380. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Doncheva M, Marchetti D, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a meta-analysis". Journal of Learning Analytics 22(2023): 377-383. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Emmerich T, Tarasov E, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a cross-platform survey". Educational Technology Research and Development 24(2014): 388-395. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00852-5

Foscarini C, Chiriac F, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a methods-comparison study". The Internet and Higher Education 26(2017): 399-407. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.09.004

Alvez D, Dumitrescu A, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a benchmark study". Computers in Human Behavior 28(2020): 410-419. DOI: 10.1177/08404704241291226

Brankovic K, Kowalczyk B, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a systematic review". Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 30(2023): 421-431. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwad013

Castellani R, Ristic C, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a comparative analysis". Distance Education 32(2014): 432-443. DOI: 10.2196/89834

Dumitrescu A, Andric D, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a pilot demonstration". Journal of Educational Psychology 34(2017): 443-455. DOI: 10.1007/s10916-024-02104-9

Eriksdottir B, Brankovic E, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a longitudinal field study". Instructional Science 36(2020): 454-467. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1896184

Farkas I, Ionescu F, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a feasibility study". Educational Technology & Society 38(2023): 465-479. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics15162117

Grabowski P, Petrescu G, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a case study". International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 40(2014): 476-482. DOI: 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_20_65

Hendriksen W, Wojcik H, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a meta-analysis". Learning, Media and Technology 42(2017): 487-494. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1763884

Ionescu F, Foscarini I, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a cross-platform survey". Journal of Research on Technology in Education 44(2020): 498-506. DOI: 10.2196/48297

Jankowiak G, Grabowski J, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a methods-comparison study". American Educational Research Journal 46(2023): 509-518. DOI: 10.1007/s00330-025-12031-z

Kowalczyk N, Novotna K, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a benchmark study". Review of Educational Research 8(2014): 520-530. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1699005

Lindqvist U, Urbanek L, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a systematic review". Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence 10(2017): 531-542. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1834800

Marchetti D, Doncheva M, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a comparative analysis". Journal of Educational Computing Research 12(2020): 542-554. DOI: 10.2196/69678

Novotna E, Eriksdottir N, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a pilot demonstration". Interactive Learning Environments 14(2023): 553-566. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46454

Ostrowski L, Lindqvist O, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a longitudinal field study". Education and Information Technologies 16(2014): 564-578. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2025.107028

Petrescu S, Szabo P, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a feasibility study". The Journal of Higher Education 18(2017): 575-581. DOI: 10.2196/48633

Quintero B, Balogh Q, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a case study". Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 20(2020): 586-593. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305949

Ristic C, Castellani R, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a meta-analysis". TechTrends 22(2023): 597-605. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000514

Szabo J, Jankowiak S, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a cross-platform survey". Journal of Science Education and Technology 24(2014): 608-617. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Tarasov Q, Quintero T, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a methods-comparison study". International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 26(2017): 619-629. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Urbanek Z, Zielinski U, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a benchmark study". British Journal of Educational Technology 28(2020): 630-641. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00852-5

Vasquez A, Alvez V, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a systematic review". Computers & Education 30(2023): 641-653. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.09.004

Wojcik H, Hendriksen W, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a comparative analysis". Journal of Learning Analytics 32(2014): 652-665. DOI: 10.1177/08404704241291226

Zielinski O, Ostrowski Z, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a pilot demonstration". Educational Technology Research and Development 34(2017): 663-677. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwad013

Andric V, Vasquez A, et al. "Formative Feedback Timing in Online Courses: a longitudinal field study". The Internet and Higher Education 36(2020): 674-680. DOI: 10.2196/89834

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Published

2023-10-11

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2023): vol 2 issue 2 2023

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Articles

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