Using game-based learning strategies, such as quiz-style PowerPoint games as an e-learning and teaching pedagogy can make a positive impact on how students learn, how they process and retain information, and how they interact with digital media. However, little is known about their impact on students' information literacy development. This quantitative comparative research study examined differences among online freshman students' posttest information literacy (IL) summative scores comparing information literacy (IL) pedagogies (traditional versus quiz-style PowerPoint game) and response to the online formative assessment using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation model combined with the application of the framework as grounded in the behavioral and cognitive learning theories of Bloom's Taxonomy and Sweller's CLT. A comparative analysis using a non-parametric analysis of variance for both hypothesis 1 and 2 indicated no significant difference in IL summative scores between the traditional pedagogy and the quiz-style pedagogy groups (p>0.05), and a significant difference between IL summative scores based on student response for hypothesis 2 (p<0.05). Two recommendations for practice for higher education leadership were (a) to encourage active learning strategies, such as quiz-style PowerPoint games or other game-based pedagogies for teaching and learning for online first-year writing courses, and (b) to encourage college faculty to use online formative assessments in their classrooms to help increase student participation, interaction, and most of all, course performance.