Electronic feedback: Staff and student perceptions and the search for an ideal. Liam O Hare Masum Patwary Tim James

Transcription

1 Electronic feedback: Staff and student perceptions and the search for an ideal Liam O Hare Masum Patwary Tim James

2 Abstract This paper reports an evaluation of staff and student experiences following an institutional initiative to promote electronic submission and feedback but with a particular focus on feedback. The term e-feedback is considered here to encompass any oral, typed, hand written or other form of feedback made available to students through the web. Participants were selected from within the School of Science and Engineering (SSE) at Teesside University using purposive sampling based on authoritative selection criteria. The participating students and staff indicated that they are enthusiastic about e-feedback. Most of the positive comments were associated with convenience or cost benefits, while fewer indicated any real pedagogical gains. Students were slightly more likely to see the possibilities associated with automatic feedback and the wider range of on-line activities, while staff were much more likely to discuss e-feedback in more conservative terms, thinking either of a digital version of traditional written feedback or comparing it (always unfavourably) with face-to-face feedback. Very few comments indicated that staff were actually looking for more innovative ways of using technology to provide feedback. Students made few suggestions for improvement. There were calls from staff for simplicity, better hardware and more training. Among staff who were unenthusiastic about e-feedback, the main concerns were lack of time (seen as more time consuming than written feedback) and its perceived inferiority to oral feedback. Some staff perceived face-to-face oral feedback as more advantageous than recorded aural feedback, but few of the strategies suggested, apart from the use of virtual worlds, seemed to retain the real advantages of immediacy, negotiation, explanation and two way interaction offered by oral feedback. Interestingly, students were much less likely to mention oral feedback as ideal, and more likely to see the potential for automatic feedback on a wider range of assessed activities. These findings suggest that, in the short term, continued staff and student development alongside the development of user friendly mechanisms and investment in improved hardware will enhance the efficiency of e-feedback. In the medium term, there should be increased emphasis on exploring the potential of IT to provide new forms of feedback and/or assessment; such as feedback that can be instant, automatic, negotiated and rich. However, in order to justify such investment in today s climate it is necessary not just to value any pedagogical gains but also to fully realise potential cost savings.

3 ...to do things better......or to do better things?

4 The Initiative Encourage all staff to: Collect student assignments electronically Return grades and feedback electronically Where electronically is intended to mean using the VLE (Bb)

5 The term e-feedback any oral, typed, hand written or other form... of feedback made available to students through the VLE.

6 Details Blackboard Learn Release With additional in house batch feedback tool Allows staff to upload a batch of annotated scripts or feedback sheets and automatically deals with returning the right feedback to the right student Slightly modified view of my grades More from staff view than student view

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9 The Study -Students Volunteer students (n=13) took part in focus groups areas from within the school (SSE) that had already been active in providing electronic feedback (by whatever means) UK and overseas interested in feedback no special knowledge of computer technology Focus groups led by non-teaching researcher (MP)

10 The Study - Staff Individual semi-structured interviews A. Staff from the same subject groups (n=8) B. A similar number of staff in subject areas less active in provision of electronic feedback was interviewed to elucidate reasons for non-adoption (n=5). Interviews conducted by non-teaching researcher (MP)

11 What e-feedback is Seen by most as an electronic version of something previously done on paper *like+ a paper document...just done in an electronic format. (student) You write comments on electronically. (staff) I think it s a soft copy of feedback. (staff)

12 What e-feedback is ummmm.well, it means some digital information that s given to the learner...if I write on a hard copy because sometimes I prefer to do that and then I scan that and give that to the students electronically and now it s also in electronic form....could be a digitized version of something or could be manual but later converted into electronic format and sent to the students. (staff)

13 What it isn t non paper-based non face-to-face Similar phrases used by many staff

14 Additionality and Distance View more common among staff than students. Found in both staff groups. Doesn t this create work rather than save it? Does it offer any gain in quality of feedback? Puts a distance between staff and student, almost as if the recipient was an impersonal computer user rather than a real student.

15 Additionality and Distance Providing feedback essentially by means of computers rather than giving it to students. (staff) I think its just a waste of time and duplication of data (staff)

16 Benefits from the students perspective

17 Fun it did enhance our learning experience fun and enjoyable more interesting and interactive

18 Non specific preference for digital I always prefer computer technology I prefer to see my feedback [electronically]

19 Convenience If I can get access from my home, why should I come to the University for only one purpose? I am not keen to come to the University if I haven t a lot of work Electronic feedback is less costly in terms of travel Sometimes they [teaching staff] are not available, but electronically they are more available

20 Quality improvement over other forms I can t read other people s hand writing Supported by many comments from staff acknowledging the same problem [oral feedback] is very difficult for me to understand because of [staff member s] accent...this is not [staff member s] problem - it is my problem as English is not my first language Taking timely as a quality improvement...coming through straight away in Blackboard

21 Some unexpected benefits I like to keep my privacy my friends are not interested to sit down with the tutors physically, or any kind of face-toface feedback system as this is not religious. But non-face-to-face system like electronic is more preferable for them, it allows to maintain their religious culture These were minority or individual views

22 Drawbacks from the students perspective

23 Too Complicated difficult if people are not good at computer technology and new software pointless and time consuming a lot of effort for little return These were minority views

24 Comparison with other feedback I prefer... conversation as it is more interactive. I can understand more Many commented on how much they valued feedback during practical sessions

25 Benefits from staff perspective

26 Efficiency electronic assessment is often thought of as a means by which we can improve the efficiency of feedback returning work to students with comments and annotations... electronically rather then using paper...because its easier better for students and better for staff.

27 Efficiency...I prefer writing on the screen, which is more effective. It is straight forward, but principally it is quicker there are difficulties in returning work to the student which are not found electronically. [electronic submission] is much easier... [when] you are second marking you can both do the same document [at the same time].

28 Plagiarism...if students submit their piece of work [electronically], it is easy to check using these [plagiarism detection] tools... important for the learning process.

29 Audit Trail But if it is done by electronically they will at least receive the feedback and...we can at least say that we send them feedback because it s difficult to lose anything electronically electronic feedback [produces a] clear record... none of the scripts [can be] lost.

30 Quality..or at least quantity You can write more [on electronically submitted coursework]... simply because it s easier to mark and clearly type [on electronically submitted coursework] Many staff commented on benefits of annotating scripts and putting comments in the specific context

31 Drawbacks from staff perspective

32 Too Complicated Common staff view I find very difficult to use... because it s too complicated I haven t got enough time...to sit around and for somebody to show me how to upload the comments Because it s more technical, people need to be trained.

33 Technology and Keyboard Skills for people who are not good at typing it will take ages. I am not good at technology. Nor are some of my colleagues I have examples that have taken double the time.... not necessarily paid to be a typist.

34 Limited by the Technology You can t mark work...at home or outside in nice weather if you don t have your own laptop If we all going to move to electronic feedback, we all need some equipment It s better to use a tablet system The university should provide [tablets] to members of staff [I don t want to] pay for my own equipment, as [colleague] does

35 Staff Expectations of Student Preferences

36 Oral Feedback...the need is for verbal feedback at the spot You can communicate more verbally...your body language is relevant The best communication is verbal - [written feedback] is valuable - but we need to keep talking at the same time. The best way, absolutely the best of all - sit down with the student and discuss it rather than writing on a paper and giving it back to the student. But the concern is about time.

37 Oral Feedback [students] come and see me and [get] feedback physically which they would prefer Not really supported by many student comments other than about practicals

38 Audio Feedback Some staff experimenting with recorded feedback You can record audio comments easily in Word...[audio feedback] would be a good idea, much easier than currently But a number of staff commented on difficulties they had experienced in practice....when you record it may not be clear... and you have to do it again.

39 Audio Feedback More a replacement for written feedback than oral feedback No negotiation No face-to-face contact

40 What Else is There?...I have done feedback in the Virtual World [Second Life]...with my students, all of it in electronic format. Does allow negotiation without requiring faceto-face contact Not mentioned by any students

41 What Else is There? Automatic instant feedback on quizzes Comments on Wikis and Blogs Moderation of discussion boards Structured electronic activities and simulations None of these there mentioned by any student or staff

42 What is the Ideal Feedback? Private Accessible remotely Not generic or formulaic Detailed Instant Produces clear audit trail Secure Comments in context Not additional Not distant Negotiated Easy for staff to deliver

43 What is the Ideal Feedback?