Abstract:

The generation of useful feedback for students is a significant academic investment. However, engagement with the feedback can often be poor. Over the last 4 years, the authors have monitored the impact and the change in student perception of feedback as a result of a shift to using recorded instructor audio dialog with video screen cast. The initial investigation invited students to select a feedback method, from ‘traditional’ online marking, audio comments or synchronised screen cast and audio, and a strong preference for the latter was apparent.

The initial study investigated the impact of this new feedback medium on two summative reports within a third-year engineering unit, where the feedback on the first report should aid the student on the second. Students appeared to consider the feedback as a significantly more personal investment in their work and appreciate the time devoted into the feedback process. Over this period the marking criteria and nature of the coursework set remained constant. However, an increase in attainment of 7% was noted when the screen cast feedback was introduced.

In the most recent extension of this study, the first assignment was changed to formative only, attracting no summative contribution to the student’s grade. Whilst lecturing colleagues were apprehensive regarding the impact on student participation in the activity, student engagement with the formative opportunity remained high with over 80% of the cohort opting in. Students that opted to participate achieved on average a grade 12% higher than those that did not, highlighting the potential learning benefit and engagement with the feedback achieved through this medium. Finally, students suggested that they gave the feedback significantly more attention when the assignment was formative than they would if it had been a traditional summative assessment. Students reported that the only barrier to engagement with formative work was perceived workload.

This impact of these combined interventions was a 30% improvement in the students’ surveyed responses to the opportunity to receive feedback and its usefulness from that of the traditional feedback system.

Keywords:

Assessment, feedback, video cast, audio, formative, summative.