Mentimeter: a formative evaluation tool which promotes English as a Foreign Language students’ interaction and participation

The objective of this research was to discover the characteristics of the Mentimeter web application and its advantages as a formative assessment tool in the English as a Foreign Language classes, since it was observed that First Semester students only felt motivated to complete an activity as long as it had a grade or was part of the summative evaluation process. The applied research methodology was educational action research, since it allowed researchers to practice reflective teaching in order to transform the erroneous criteria that students had about formative evaluation in the English classes. Thus, the fundamental goal of this study was to make students aware of the importance of knowledge beyond a grade. For the present study, 150 English students were selected, considering their familiarity with the teacher-researchers, who taught the aforementioned students during the academic period March-August 2021. In order to collect data, a satisfaction survey was applied after the reflection phase; additionally, the four phases of the action research were developed: diagnosis, planning, observation and reflection. The results obtained demonstrated that it is advisable to use activities elaborated in the Mentimeter tool such as: speech bubbles, word web, drag and drop and short tests, as part of the formative evaluation process; given that, these activities are dynamic, interactive and motivate students’ participation. The satisfaction survey presented 80% acceptance regarding the implementation of the Mentimeter web application in English as a Foreign Language classes. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the use of technological tools to motivate student participation and increase the relevance of formative assessment as part of the English teaching-learning process.