Enhancing Engagement and Learning Through Incentivized Low-Stakes Quizzes in Large Engineering Classes

Abstract

Extensive research highlights the benefits of active learning and frequent low-stakes assessment in improving student engagement in STEM education. However, large undergraduate engineering courses often rely on passive lecture delivery, limiting opportunities for meaningful participation and peer interaction. This study explores whether integrating brief, collaborative, in-class quizzes accompanied by a modest collective incentive (1% bonus if the class average exceeds 80%) can foster greater student engagement in a large-enrollment second-year engineering course (ECE 250). Grounded in Bloom’s taxonomy and the ICAP framework (Interactive–Constructive–Active–Passive), this practice was implemented over a full academic term. Quiz participation and performance data, student feedback surveys, and teaching assistants (TAs) classroom observations were analyzed to assess impact. The results indicate increased classroom participation, peer discussion, and the frequency of student-initiated questions, along with positive student perceptions of engagement and motivation. These findings suggest that structured, incentive-based, low-stakes quizzes offer a scalable pedagogical approach for enhancing engagement in large lecture environments without adding significant grading burden, providing practical value for engineering educators seeking sustainable strategies to support active participation.