[Sandie]

Hi

I recently submitted an assignment for a level 7 module and was offered the choice of written or audio feedback (inclusive!).  I chose audio because this is the first time I had been given this choice and was keen to experience it at first hand.  (Actually, as I write this, I have a vague memory of another time on another course a long time ago but I am going to continue with my thoughts otherwise I won’t finish this post – that’s what often happens to me – as I’m writing I remember something else then have to go and find that and so miss the moment!)

Anyway, I found the feedback was very detailed and as I was listening to it from the player on my PC, I had the assignment open as well.  I listened to it all and then went back to the beginning, stopping and starting the audio to make notes on my assignment as I went along. So, in a way, I created my own written feedback to myself, which I can refer to in the future (as well as listen to the audio, of course).  I also summarised the feedback/feedforward points made in the audio and emailed my tutor with them to ensure I had correctly surmised the points made.

Because of the way I accessed it i.e. not on a phone/mp3 player, it ‘forced’ me spend more time on it and it allowed me to reflect on my assignment that I could see in front of me and think what I could do to improve.  All in all, I probably spent more time and thought with it then I would have with written feedback (thinking back to my experience when I have had written feedback).

These are all strategies that, I feel, could usefully be suggested to students to facilitate engagement with feedback.

The feedback was from my tutor, Kathryn McFarlane, at Staffordshire University who, with a colleague, wrote a paper about using audio feedback, following their project back in 2009 and is available here:
Using audio feedback for summative purposes
As for audio feedback, I do know of some academics using screencapture tools (Jing; Screencast-o-matic, Screenr, BBFlashback – all available free) to give audio feedback as they scroll through the student’s assignment open on the screen (I was sort of simulating this when I was listening to my feedback).

Sandie

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