1. Lets hear it for Marian John Little Robin Hood University bigman@rhu.ac.uk

2. Marian Tucks coursework Book review length, tips assessment criteria Read it (as John Little) Audio feedback listen (as Marian Tuck) listen how did it feel? other comments?

3. Sounds Good: Quicker, better assessment using audio feedback Bob Rotheram Leeds Metropolitan University www.soundsgood.org.uk

4. 5Ws Leeds Met, JISC-funded Jan-July 2008 Coursework feedback (x2) formative + summative ~15 teachers, 460 students various subjects, levels, numbers Can everyone benefit? students: richer feedback? staff: save time?

5. How Digital audio feedback MP3 recorders Audacity software WIMBA voice tools Audio files via: Email VLE mobile devices

6. Early comments (Student) Very helpful. It felt like the tutor was able to expand more…. Often when you read feedback, things can get misunderstood or meant in a different way. I felt this way was very clear. (Staff) I think with practice this will get quicker as I get more used to things.

7. Later comments Team member Project manager (Lecturer, on group feedback) Never have I 'listened' so intently to others' comments on any work I've done. … And it sounded better than I recalled it from the actual session!

8. More audio comments Student feedback videos

9. Sounds Good 2 More JISC funding Leeds Met: 6 old hands each mentoring 2 newbies 3 partner HEIs: Newman University College, Birmingham University of Northampton York St John University ~740 students

10. Also Widening Stakeholder Engagement collaboration with 2 HEA subject centres Engineering Geography, environmental and earth sciences

11. SG2 experiences Educational levels: Year 1 to doctoral Module numbers: 3 to 150 Feedback: formative, summative individual, group Similar findings to SG1…

12. Findings (1) Students like audio feedback! personal, detail, careful consideration Staff like it - better feedback Best chance of saving staff time if: give lots of feedback write slowly but record speech quickly comfortable with technology easy to send audio feedback

13. Findings (2) Time to send audio files Problem if many students Some prefer written feedback Should staff oblige? Effort to produce, student skimming… Some want audio + written Whether/how to do it?

14. Practice guidelines Dont expect to save time immediately Handheld recorder more convenient? record direct to MP3; USB port Keep files short (<5 mins?) Good enough sound quality (32kbps mono?) Get approval for audio use See website for morewebsite

15. Is audio feedback worth it? Experienced practitioner Better, but may not be quicker Give an extended trial Worth it for some assessment, esp. if detail, personal touch valuable to groups Other uses of audio!

16. For the future Staff quicker with practice? Better feedback/guidance saves time in medium/long term? Novelty wears off? Tutor-student dialogue via audio? Improve practice guidelines Electronic submission + audio feedback Speech-to-text for written feedback Automate feedback return

17. Comments, questions Well?

18. Contact, further info Bob: b.rotheram@leedsmet.ac.ukb.rotheram@leedsmet.ac.uk Website: www.soundsgood.org.ukwww.soundsgood.org.uk