Who Can Benefit More From More or Less Elaborated Feedback in a Computer-Based Assessment? Dominant Goal Orientation Matters

Although learner characteristics have been identified as important moderator variables for feedback effectiveness, the question of why learners benefit differently from feedback has only received limited attention. In this study, we investigated: (1) whether learners’ dominant goal orientation moderated the effects of computer-based elaborated feedback on learning; and (2) whether learners’ feedback perception and learning motivation mediated the relationship between elaborated feedback and learning performance. To answer these questions, 101 undergraduates with dominant learning or performance goals were randomly exposed to cue feedback or explanation feedback while working on psychological statistics tasks in a computer-based assessment. Results revealed the moderation role of dominant goal orientation in the relations between elaborated feedback and learning. Specifically, elaborated feedback had more positive effects on dominant learning-oriented learners, but no effects on dominant performance-oriented learners. In addition, feedback perception mediated the moderating effect of dominant goal orientation on the relationship between elaborated feedback and transfer performance. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of goal orientations in feedback learning.