Using Sulis to Manage Assessment and Feedback Amanda Haynes, Department of Sociology

Context 1 st year sociology modules 200+ students (including Erasmus and study abroad) My goals in using Sulis for the submission of assignments and the provision of feedback:  More efficient record keeping (submission)  Better access to students (feedback)

Using Sulis to Receive Papers All papers submitted to Sulis Transparent record of (non)submission Transparent record of date and time of submission

Additional benefits of electronic submission Compatibility of electronic form with turnitin.com An end to the storage of bulky papers Easy for other faculty to navigate if you are away during recheck or appeals

Setting a closing date The program provides for separate due dates and closing dates Facilitates a lag to accommodate extensions and general lateness Leaving submission open for a period after the due date requires:  clear statement of penalties associated with lateness  clear statement of date after which submissions will not be accepted

Supporting student to successfully submit to Sulis Clear step by step instructions are essential to a positive experience Screenshots are a useful addition Require that students print and retain a receipt I also offer face-to-face assistance with submission

Further tips Identify for students the file types which you will accept,  e.g. Microsoft Word 2003 or earlier or Rich text format. Specify how you would like students to label their files:  SO May07.doc  Helps prevent them submitting the wrong file

Challenges in generating and delivering feedback Generating individual feedback for large numbers of students is laborious but essential Delivering feedback in groups can lead to peer pressure to disclose Delivering feedback individually can be difficult for large classes Those with most room to improve are often least likely to collect their feedback

Using Sulis to provide feedback A sheet of frequently used qualitative comments can be individualised through editing in MS word Feedback can uploaded or inputted on line Many of the challenges of delivery are addressed:  Convenience of access anytime anywhere  Can be accessed in the absence of other students  Can be accessed in the absence of the lecturer  Providing grades only through the feedback sheet incentivises collection Students can still be invited for further face-to-face feedback/support

Students comments  “it allowed for feedback which is always useful”  “it is a lot more convenient to submit assignments online”  “so good not to have to print off assignments and drop them in, submitting them electronically is a much better method of submission.”  “you can submit assignments anytime of day or night!” Vast majority of students comments on electronic submission were positive