breakdown of fast-e
DESCRIPTION
This is the Round-up for the Fast-E Project Bobbie & I have been doing.TRANSCRIPT
Dr Bobbie Fletcher & Nia Wearn
Games Technology Group
Breakdown of Fast-E Rapid innovation in the use of emerging technologies to enhance
educational practice 2009-10
FCET Staff Away Days
Initial issues, Aim & objectives
Big filesLots of studentsCorruptible media (cd's / dvd's)Lots of wasteConsistency issues with markingStudents not picking up feedback, then complaining
Why games is a good example Big assignments Lots of different, complex hand ins
Initial Case study (1st Semester)
Digital Marking 1A – 2 lecturers, 107 assignments each Via Dropbox & Excel Used the digital copy they hand in anyway e-mailed feedback Crude by effective
The Digital Marking was easier & quicker then normal method of marking
Also used Forums & Nings (for the first time for Assessment)
-Mixed Results
Fast-EFeedback, Assessment and Submission Totally-Electronically
Aims1. Create a process by which the Games Technology
assessments are assessed and feedback received by the students electronically, eliminating any paper process.
2. Speed up the process of marking and deliver feedback in a timely and consistent manner
3. Reduce the environmental impact of assessments and feedback
Submission Elected to use existing Blackboard methods of submission Integrated System - students familiar with them Assessment & Marking Digital only Devices to combat the HCI issues of marking digitally (biggest complaint when discussion digital marking) Feedback Blackboard via MyGrades or E-mail
Fast-e Breakdown
Submission
Dropbox Crude but: No limits on file size, or file type No link to Grademark No Receipt - does bug out 2 Part Submission confuses our students Can Bug out with large files Assignment Not 100% dependable Takes more file types, technically no limit on file sizes but does bug out with big ones Slightly convoluted but does work with Grade mark No Receipt Turn it in Great for text (Pdf or Doc, not Docx) Needs at least 20 written words Great if lots of people are marking the same assignment- rubrics etc are lovely Gives a receipt but limited usage in Games.
Assessment
Rubrics on Turn it in or Building spreadsheets in Grade Center or Sharing a Excel Spreadsheet between x amount of people
Marking Devices
Sony E-Reader pdf & docx - least amount of faff No video but does do Mps3 No other types of files Very nice to read Annotations are a lie Amazon Kindle pdfs work properly after an upgrade (previously needed converting to a e-book) Nice to read Needs an Amazon account to work No annotation
Marking Devices Cont
32GB Ipod Touch was stolen from our office =((wasn't all that useful anyway) IPad Needs an ITunes account to even switch on works well with pdfs but they need to be downloaded via stanaza app's Nice to read from but doesn't do docs Can do video & audio –
but very funny on codecs and overall not that useful
Marking Devices roundup
Nothing we found could do annotations that were useful Netbooks are nice for portability but small screens don't
help with HCI issues. One method to have 2 devices
One for reading One connected to GradeCenter for Feedback & Marks
I suspect in between writing this and presenting it a firmware
update somewhere will have changed everything.
Everything exists on vague vapors from the future.
Assessment
Needs to think differently in some cases: How will they break it (and they will) What could go wrong (and it will) Other issues Data Protection Copyright Issues Plagiarism
Big complex multi-part files are always going to be an issue.(Text is super easy)
We'd love to have our own version of YouTube or something
stable for assessment/
Feedback
Grade Center = My GradesComments on each section appear as feedbackEnable it for students to view at your leisure
Build Spreadsheets into BlackBoard Grade Center - No one gets lost - Great for consistency - Easy to send (download and e-mail) Complex marking structures, percentages etc = handy to have a
PhD in Mathematical Modeling TurnItIn - they pick up comments – (not tried the new version)
No one has complained so far about not getting feedbackOn average they're getting better feedback, and more of it.
Other Digital marking stuff
Not strictly part of Fast-E but highlights other methods we're doing: 3D work marked on Forums & Nings (not any more - too expensive and hard to control) Works great – and under uni control Fosters competition (and complaints) Time Consuming Needs a lot of supervision Some students really seem to like it
Works well in combination with a spreadsheet Grade Center (but doesn't everything)
Submission Cock-Up - Assignment =( - Turn it in =)
Too large, sometimesBugged people out
No second attempts (locked out tutors too)
Marking - none of the devices fit for purpose - brightness & text size issues (some fixed now)
Setting up Grade Center like excel =)
Using Grade Center for Feedback (My Grades Tool Button) =)
Case Study for Intro to Games Audio Engines
Things we have learnt
We did have some tiny admin issues with the External
GradeCenter & Blackboard are ace - and we can use them a lot more - does take time to set up, but once it's there it's there.
Wonderful ways of keeping consistency - as we lean on part
time lecturers more and more then this is key
Students can, and will, break everything - they are the best people to test these kinds of things
Nothing is perfect, there is no easy solution, Don't believe
the hype
The Serene Calm of C160 Now