Abstract:

The paper describes an educational practice developed at the University of Florence within the PRIN project Active Online Assessment in Higher Education and financed by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. This practice aimed at experimenting innovative methods to formative assessment in higher education, within blended learning environments. One of the courses selected for the trial focused on developing students’ metacognitive skills by promoting reflection and increasing awareness of individual learning styles, with the goal of supporting the development of effective and personalized study and self-assessment strategies.

Within this framework, the AI tool NotebookLM was implemented to assist students in decoding instructional materials provided by instructors and transforming them into diverse learning resources, including audiovisual content, such as podcasts, mind maps, flashcards, and glossaries. An orientation test was designed to guide students in identifying and adopting strategies aligned with their preferred learning approaches. The test's feedback system provided direct access to a dedicated Moodle section titled 'Personalize your study,' specifically developed by the researchers. Within this custom environment, the students could access tutorials and practical examples designed to facilitate the immediate customization of learning resources according to their individual preferences. Additionally, the AI tool was employed to generate quizzes for automated self-assessment, consisting of multiple-choice questions with immediate feedback on response accuracy.

Post-intervention surveys indicated overall positive perceptions of the experience. In particular, feedback was recognized as a valuable tool for guiding learning and fostering reflection, highlighting its potential for further development in formative assessment practices.

Keywords:

Generative AI, metacognition, learning styles, automated feedback, higher education, blended learning.