Case studies in the use of electronic feedback

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Case studies in the use of electronic feedback

• Simon Sweeney
• Head of Programme MA International Studies
• York St John University
• C-SAP 16 January 2009
• s.sweeney_at_yorksj.ac.uk
• www.simonsweeney.net

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3 kinds of electronic feedback

• Electronic feedback (works in progress/drafts)
• Electronic feedback (marking)
• Audio feedback (marking)

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Projects

• Enabling e-Learning (EEL) C4C CETL (York St John
  University)
• Sounds Good 2 JISC
• (Leeds Metropolitan University)

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1 Electronic feedback Works in progress/drafts

• Use of Wimba VLE Live Classroom
• Word with Track changes
• Postgraduate DL (distance/blended learning)
  students, various undergraduate inc. University
  of York BA Educational Studies
• EXAMPLE

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2 Electronic feedback - Marking

• Electronic submission (email or Drop Box inside
  Blackboard)
• Practical experience
• Advantages and disadvantages
• EXAMPLE

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3 Electronic feedback (Audio)

• Sounds Good 2
• Equipment (Edirol R-09HR)
• Set up at MP3 64Kb/sec
• Unidirectional microphone (optional)
• EXAMPLES

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Advantages

• Eventuallymay be time saving?
• More detailed feedback
• More personal style of delivery
• Students more likely to get the feedback
  (compared with purely paper based approach)
• Positive student feedback
• Students adapt well to this approach

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Getting feedback to students

• CONVENTIONAL RETURN OF MARKED ESSAYS/PAPER
  COMMENTS Weaker assignments generally require
  more feedback but weaker students often least
  likely to collect returned work or read feedback
  so markers time wasted, student gets only the
  mark and no guidance
• Audio feedback more likely to be picked up
• Emailing audio feedback - probably waste of time
• Use drop box inside VLE/Blackboard

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Disadvantages

• Learning curve for all / establishing habit
• Inconsistency between tutor practice
• Some aversion to on-screen reading of assignments
  (where process is 100 electronic)
• Moderation / second marking complications
• File size

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Students responses

• Easy to access
• Very detailed
• More personal clear that the tutor is actually
  reading the work
• Easy to listen a second time
• It's good because you know the lecturer hasn't
  just copied and pasted the same comments on to
  everyone's work. It's more individual. Often when
  you read feedback, things can get misunderstood
  or meant in a different way. I felt this way was
  very clear.

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Tutors comments

• Once the habit is established its easier and
  quicker
• Students are more likely to receive the feedback
  this way
• It takes a bit of time to get used to the
  organisation of audio files but its actually not
  difficult
• Its the only way I use now. I wouldnt want to
  go back to typing out feedback

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Other benefits of audio feedback

• Helps students with particular needs e.g.
  dyslexia.
• Especially useful to non-native speakers of
  English

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Bob Rotheram (Sounds Good Project Leader, Leeds
Metropolitan)

• Some 90 of the students said they preferred
  audio to written feedback. They can tell whether
  the lecturer is serious or not and whether they
  care. Feedback has been richer and more detailed

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Conclusion

• For guidance on assignment outlines and drafts /
  electronic tutorials / Track Changes with
  two-tone approach 1) text edits and 2) ADVICE IN
  CAPS
• Audio feedback presents significant opportunities
  to improve service provision

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Websites

• http//www.yorksj.ac.uk/learnteach/eel/team.html
• http//www.guardian.co.uk/digitalstudent/spoken-wo
  rd
• http//sites.google.com/site/soundsgooduk/Home

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Feedback on Virtual Classroom

• Adam I love jennys voice, it was great!
• Jena better understanding on the last few topics
  of the grading criteria.
• Joe Best Thing Since Sliced Bread!
• Andrew_Paine i enjoyed it, its made my xmas
• Sam_Parker Really useful, Helped me with
  assignments last year, Im sure it will be just
  as useful this time. If only other tutors used
  this technology!
• Caroline Very intersting i enjoyed this
• Daniel It was interesting.
• Sarah I don't think its as helpfull as last
  years! But then I don't have as many questions as
  last year!
• jennifer_solera good good
• Robin_Madeley a lot better than i'd thought...
  concerns about home connection speeds and
  hardware requirements aside, i love the
  interactivity and the multiple communication
  formats, talk and text and audio at the same time
  is suprisingly easy to manage and very
  engaging... i'm glad we got to try it. it gives
  SOL some actual meaning other than 'go read it in
  a book' (as some tutors seem to think). i ca
  definately say i've come around to the idea over
  the past hour...

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Case studies in the use of electronic feedback

• Simon Sweeney
• Head of Programme MA International Studies
• York St John University
• C-SAP 16 January 2009
• s.sweeney_at_yorksj.ac.uk
• www.simonsweeney.net