It’s not (just) what you do but the way that you do it – using voice files to enhance the student experience of assessment feedback

David John Laughton

doi:10.7190/seej.v2i2.68

Abstract

Sizeable increases in student numbers have placed traditional pedagogical approaches under strain in terms of delivering a high quality student experience which effectively supports individual learners in their personal educational journey. This article will examine a particular method of providing assessment feedback to students on assessed work – via MP3 voice files – and will explore both the efficiency and effectiveness dimensions of this approach. Previous studies have reviewed the efficiency dimension of voice files in relation to other possible feedback practices, and student satisfaction with receiving feedback on assessed work in this form. In addition to adding further to these insights, this article evaluates student reactions to different forms of assessment feedback on the same assignment in the same module in consecutive years of delivery, thus providing a comparative evaluation of feedback practice involving voice files. The article concludes that the provision of assignment feedback to students using voice files is no less efficient compared to the use of traditional written feedback sheets, but has the capacity to enhance student satisfaction with the feedback their tutors provide.

Highlights

Sizeable increases in student numbers have meant that traditional pedagogical approaches have been under strain in terms of delivering a high quality student experience which effectively supports individual learners in their personal educational journey
This number compares with an average of words for a random sample of assignments marked in the same module in 2010-11 which were provided with written as opposed to audio feedback
It is acknowledged that these word counts are not directly comparable as the language of spoken grammar is less dense and includes fillers such as ‘I think it would have been useful to’, ‘I mean...’, ‘As I’ve mentioned previously’ etc; this expanded communication may be linked to the student experience of and reaction to their feedback which is discussed below

Summary

Introduction

Sizeable increases in student numbers have meant that traditional pedagogical approaches have been under strain in terms of delivering a high quality student experience which effectively supports individual learners in their personal educational journey. The latest HEPI report (2013) indicates that two thirds of class contact hours are taught in group sizes of sixteen and above, and there are significant variations across institutions in the number of class contact hours even within the same discipline These developments present educators with a challenge to find ways to maintain the personal dimension of learning within a mass higher education system. The result has often been significant dissatisfaction of students with the assessment feedback process – for example, in England, questions relating to ‘assessment’ in the National Student Survey receive the lowest satisfaction scores compared to all other categories of questions

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion