A QUALITATIVE RESPONSE EVALUATION OF THE USE OF AUDIO MP3 FEEDBACK FOR UNSEEN EXAMINATIONS WITH FIRST YEAR UNDERGRADUATE PODIATRY STUDENTS

Objective:
Feedback can have a powerful influence on student learning, but for it to do so it has got to be accessed and acted upon by the student. A number of studies have identified that recorded audio feedback, on both formatively and summatively assessed work, is received positively and acted upon by students. Relevant, meaningful and timely feedback helps to build students confidence and give them a clearer understanding of academic progress, which in turn leads to improved student engagement and retention. The first year of academic study is one which can be fraught with a range of pressures not least validation of knowledge acquisition and appropriate uptake and use of feedback to aid in academic development. Much of the work on audio feedback relates to written assignments or projects with little work looking at its value for feedback on unseen examinations. This report relates to a feedback development undertaken where individual recorded audio feedback using a widely utilised file format (MP3) was provided for Level 1 Podiatry students for unseen examinations.

Design and Method:
A qualitative responsive evaluation of examination feedback with a cohort of 43 Level 1 Podiatry students as well as those staff involved in the delivery of the material under assessment was undertaken. The process of providing developmental feedback was refined and further issues of development and improvement were identified, implemented and evaluated. Results: This form of providing feedback was well received by the students and the process was professionally satisfying from a staff perspective. Students independently identified to members of the organisation outwith the immediate teaching team that this was a form of feedback that felt personalised and engaging and encouraged them to review areas that needed further work more so than written feedback.

Conclusions:
In the light of issues affecting the higher education sector such as student engagement, retention and progression and the importance of the position within league tables for institutions this presentation outlines a method that staff may wish to adopt to provide feedback.