Lets hear it for Marian

1
Lets hear it for Marian

• John Little
• Robin Hood University
• bigman_at_rhu.ac.uk

2
Marian Tucks coursework

• Book review
• length, tips
• assessment criteria
• Read it (as John Little)
• Audio feedback
• listen (as Marian Tuck)
• how did it feel?
• other comments?

3
Sounds Good Quicker, better assessment using
audio feedback

• Bob Rotheram
• Leeds Metropolitan University
• www.soundsgood.org.uk

4
5Ws

• Leeds Met, JISC-funded
• Jan-July 2008
• Coursework feedback (x2)
• formative summative
• 15 teachers, 460 students
• various subjects, levels, numbers
• Can everyone benefit?
• students richer feedback?
• staff save time?

5
How

• Digital audio feedback
• MP3 recorders
• Audacity software
• WIMBA voice tools
• Audio files via
• Email
• VLE
• mobile devices

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Early comments

• (Student) Very helpful. It felt like the tutor
  was able to expand more . Often when you read
  feedback, things can get misunderstood or meant
  in a different way. I felt this way was very
  clear.
• (Staff) I think with practice this will get
  quicker as I get more used to things.

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Later comments

• Team member
• Project manager
• (Lecturer, on group feedback) Never have I
  'listened' so intently to others' comments on any
  work I've done. And it sounded better than I
  recalled it from the actual session!

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More audio comments

• Student feedback videos

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Sounds Good 2

• More JISC funding
• Leeds Met 6 old hands each mentoring 2
  newbies
• 3 partner HEIs
• Newman University College, Birmingham
• University of Northampton
• York St John University
• 740 students

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Also

• Widening Stakeholder Engagement
• collaboration with 2 HEA subject centres
• Engineering
• Geography, environmental and earth sciences

11
SG2 experiences

• Educational levels Year 1 to doctoral
• Module numbers 3 to 150
• Feedback
• formative, summative
• individual, group
• Similar findings to SG1

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Findings (1)

• Students like audio feedback!
• personal, detail, careful consideration
• Staff like it - better feedback
• Best chance of saving staff time if
• give lots of feedback
• write slowly but record speech quickly
• comfortable with technology
• easy to send audio feedback

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Findings (2)

• Time to send audio files
• Problem if many students
• Some prefer written feedback
• Should staff oblige?
• Effort to produce, student skimming
• Some want audio written
• Whether/how to do it?

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Practice guidelines

• Dont expect to save time immediately
• Handheld recorder more convenient?
• record direct to MP3 USB port
• Keep files short (lt5 mins?)
• Good enough sound quality (32kbps mono?)
• Get approval for audio use
• See website for more

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Is audio feedback worth it?

• Experienced practitioner
• Better, but may not be quicker
• Give an extended trial
• Worth it for some assessment, esp.
• if detail, personal touch valuable
• to groups
• Other uses of audio!

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For the future

• Staff quicker with practice?
• Better feedback/guidance saves time in
  medium/long term?
• Novelty wears off?
• Tutor-student dialogue via audio?
• Improve practice guidelines
• Electronic submission audio feedback
• Speech-to-text for written feedback
• Automate feedback return

17
Comments, questions

• Well?

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Contact, further info

• Bob b.rotheram_at_leedsmet.ac.uk
• Website www.soundsgood.org.uk