using audio feedback: what, why how

Originally developed in collaboration with Queen Margaret University

Audio Feedback

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What is it?

“Audio feedback can be defined as formative messages, recorded and distributed as digital audio to individual students or student groups in response to both ongoing and submitted work, allowing each student to develop their knowledge and the way they learn.” (Middleton, A. 2008)

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Student Voices

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Audio clip of student views of feedback is here http://mashe.hawksey.info/2009/05/student-audio-feedback-what-why-and-how/

There are five possible models*

Personal tutor monologue Personal feedback conversations (1 to 1) Broadcast feedback (podcast) Peer audio feedback (student to student) Tutor conversations (many to many)

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* Drawn from interviews from work by Andrew Middleton at Sheffield Hallam University

http://www.herts.ac.uk/fms/documents/teaching-and-learning/blu/conference2008/Andrew-Middleton-2008.pdf

Personal Tutor Monologue Model

Tutor assesses submitted work for large cohort

– Challenge:• quantity, making meaningful, legible comments, and assigning

fair marks• feeding back before students have 'moved on'

– Solution:• 1 or 2 significant points are identified for each student• 2-5 minutes long audio recording• accompanying feedback annotations in student work

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Activity - Discussions

From what you have heard so far:

– Advantages & disadvantages?– Which subject areas might be suitable?– Formative or summative?– What level of student would most benefit?

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Lessons from the ‘Sounds Good’ Project

1. (Without reducing the amount of feedback) in what circumstances can using digital audio save assessors’ time?

The most favourable circumstances would appear to be:

– The assessor is comfortable with the technology.

– The assessor writes or types slowly but records their speech quickly.

– A substantial amount of feedback is given.

– A quick and easy method of delivering the audio file to the student is available.

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Early in the project it was agreed with JISC that five key questions would be explored. Four of these relate to good practice. Here they are, along with the answers:


2. Does digital audio feedback improve students’ learning experience?

– Students were overwhelmingly positive about receiving audio feedback on their coursework. They frequently remarked approvingly about its personal nature and the detail provided, evidence that the lecturer had carefully considered their work. On the other hand, a small minority of students said they preferred written feedback; a few asked for both audio and written comments on their work.

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3. What do assessors think of digital audio as a medium for providing feedback to students?

– The Sounds Good staff team were strongly in favour of audio feedback; most have clearly said that they intend to continue using it. Even if they didn’t manage to save time, several members of the team commented that they were able to give more, and higher-quality, feedback using audio, which they felt was worthwhile.

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4. What recommendations are there for improved practice? Practice guidelines have been produced about using digital audio for

feedback on students’ work. They are grouped under four headings: saving time; technical matters; administration; feedback structure. The main points are:

– How much time you eventually save will depend on various factors, including how much feedback you give and how quickly you write, type and speak.

– Consider accepting a longer pay-back period. Experiment with spending more time in the short term, using audio to give your students more extensive advice and richer feedback. It may save you and your colleagues work in the long term.

– Make your audio files as small as possible, so they can be sent quickly and stored economically.

– Aim for the minimum acceptable sound quality for the particular purpose.– Keep the files short i.e. don’t ‘overdo it’. Only go beyond five minutes if there is a

good reason.– Make sure key administrative and quality-assurance staff accept that you are

giving an audio extension to written feedback.

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Feedback Procedure*

1. Have the assignment details and assessment criteria with you.2. Read the assignment, making written comments on it as you go along. If it’s

on paper, jot things in the margin. If it’s in an electronic format (e.g. Word), I use the ‘Track changes’ facility to annotate the document.

3. Read it again, more quickly this time, perhaps making a few more comments along the way.

4. Jot down (on scrap paper) the main summary points you wish to make. (See next slide for a general structure.)

5. Start the MP3 recorder.6. Build the feedback in chunks, making frequent use of the pause button.7. Don’t bother to erase and re-record ‘misspeaks’; just correct them

immediately, as in conversation.8. When complete, review the recording. Is it clear and easy to follow? Do you

sound approachable?

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* Bob Rotherham – Sounds Good Project

General Structure of Feedback*

1. Introduce yourself to the student in a friendly manner.

2. Say which assignment you’re giving feedback on.

3. Outline the main elements of the comments which you’ll be giving (see below).

4. Work steadily through the assignment, amplifying and explaining notes you’ve put in the margins and, especially at the end, making more general points.

5. Refer to the assessment criteria.

6. Explain your thought processes as you move towards allocating a mark or potential grade.

7. Give the mark (perhaps).

8. Offer a few, reasonably attainable, suggestions for improvement, even if the work is excellent.

9. Invite comments back from the student, including on the method of giving feedback.

10. Round things off in a friendly way.

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* Bob Rotherham – Sounds Good Project

Recording/Distributing Audio Files

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Digital sound recorders

Mobile devices (phones/cameras)

Portable software Audacity/Wavesaurous

Online tools (Sceenr.com screenjelly.com)

Using Acrobat Pro audiofeedbackpdf.pdf

Uploading to VLE/Email/Portfolio/Cloud Storage

Other models*

Personal tutor monologue Personal feedback conversations (1 to 1) Broadcast feedback (podcast) Peer audio feedback (student to student) Tutor conversations (many to many)

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* Drawn from interviews from work by Andrew Middleton at Sheffield Hallam University

http://www.herts.ac.uk/fms/documents/teaching-and-learning/blu/conference2008/Andrew-Middleton-2008.pdf

Finally - hints and tips*

Spoken feedback on individual pieces of work does not need to be supplemented by written feedback. It is sufficient to indicate verbally the points in the text to which the comments refer.

Spoken feedback should not be presented in an excessively formal way. Students appreciate a more personal caring approach.

Spoken feedback should not be rushed. Students may want to replay it anyway.

Give examples of how the work might be changed in order to circumvent any general deficiencies that are noted. Suggesting a paper or a section of a textbook that can be read may also be helpful.

Always try to be positive and give praise for good aspects of the work.

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* Students’ Attitudes to and Usage of Academic Feedback Provided Via Audio Files Stephen Merry and Paul Orsmond Faculty of Sciences, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent

References/Further Reading

‘Students’ Attitudes to and Usage of Academic Feedback Provided Via Audio Files’ Stephen Merry and Paul Orsmond, Staffordshire University, UK [on-line] http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/journal/vol11/beej-11-3.aspx

‘Educational podcasts for teaching and learning’ Russell Educational Consultancy and Productions, UK [on-line] http://recap.ltd.uk/podcasting/index.php

‘Does providing academic feedback to students via mp3 audio files enhance learning?’ Stephen Merry, Staffordshire University, UK [on-line] http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/projects/merry.aspx

‘Sounds Good: Quicker, better assessment using audio feedback’ Bob Rotheram, Project Manager, Sounds Good Project, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK [on-line] http://sites.google.com/site/soundsgooduk/Home

‘A three year case study of using audio to blend the engineer’s learning environment’ Anne Nortcliffe and Andrew Middleton , Sheffield Hallam University, UK. [on-line] http://www.engsc.ac.uk/journal/index.php/ee/article/view/110/146

‘Audio Feedback - timely media interventions’ Andrew Middleton, Sheffield Hallam University, UK [on-line] http://www.herts.ac.uk/fms/documents/teaching-and-learning/blu/conference2008/Andrew-Middleton-2008.pdf

‘Audio Feedback design: principles and emerging practice’ Andrew Middleton and Anne Nortcliffe, Sheffield Hallam University, UK. (available at http://www.qmu.ac.uk/cap/audiofeedbackdesign.pdf)

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