Sounds Good:reflections, challenges

Bob RotheramE:

b.rotheram@leedsmet.ac.uk

Sounds Good ‘Quicker, better assessment using

audio feedback’ Coursework:

formative, summative, individual, group Leeds Met Leeds Met, Newman, Northampton,

York St John [Subject centres: Engineering, GEES]

Some numbers

£35k + £15k (JISC) 4 HEIs 38 lecturers 1200+ students Cohort sizes: 3 to 151 Levels: 1 to doctoral 34 presentations!

Tools, techniques

Digital audio feedback MP3 recorders ‘Audacity’ software ‘WIMBA’ voice tools

Audio files via: Email VLE

Student opinions

Students like audio feedback! personal, detail, careful consideration

“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.”

On the other hand…

Some students prefer written feedback Should staff oblige?

Effort to produce, student ‘skimming’…

Some want audio + written Whether/how to do it?

Staff opinions Staff like audio feedback:

Quality, quantity… “I was able to give … more detailed

and pertinent feedback … [It] became almost an online tutorial.”

“An ideal medium to assist in the development of skills and confidence of students.”

Project manager

From the PGCHE…

(New 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!”

Time saving? Don’t expect to save time

immediately Time to send audio files

Problem if many students 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

Practice guidelines 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 www.soundsgood.org.uk

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!

Success factors(Rotheram, 2009)

Simple idea Sharp focus Everyone benefits Kit easy to use Capable

enthusiasts

Favourable climate Money no problem Catchy title Me?

It wasn’t me, guv!

(Comments, questions)

Successful, but… Will ‘they’ use it? Worrying precedents

TEL projects die, leaving little trace Previous flop of audio feedback

JISC countermeasures: ‘sustainability’, ‘embedding’,

‘widening stakeholder engagement’… ‘critical friend’

Change: 3-step process(Collis & Moonen, 2001)

Initiation Implementation Institutionalisation

5-year process?

Gartner ‘hype cycle’

Pioneer to mainstream(Collis & Moonen)

Often: Pioneers not high on influence ladder Pioneers seen as a liability, excluded Scaling-up given to central L&T group New stakeholders, lacking experience Reinvention of wheels Frustrated pioneers

‘4-E model’(Collis and Moonen)

Environment institutional context

Educational effectiveness perceived or expected

Ease of use Engagement

personal response to ICT and change

Pioneers and the 4 Es

High expectation of educational gain

Good fit to own setting Engagement high

able to override negative ‘ease of use’

‘Mainstream’ not like this!

Environment Your institution and TEL:

Vision, leadership, support, level of use, readiness to change??

Collis & Moonen: Key figures to recognise, fund, use ICT Implementation strategy to respect

teachers’ concerns, practice, constraints…

Appoint, fund strong, credible, ICT-using leader, able to make own appointments

Educational effectiveness

Audio feedback is rich. Effectiveness?

Collis & Moonen: Be clear on benefits for teachers Be clear on institutional benefits Reward participation

Ease of use

Handheld MP3 recorders: simple to use

Headsets + Audacity: not difficult Where to record? Collis & Moonen:

Fund enough support staff Adequate, readily-available kit Subsidise home and office ICT use

Engagement

First phase staff engaged, but then… Collis & Moonen:

Limitations of short courses, workshops: Staff development better if:

Meaningful context (teacher’s own class…) Opportunity for practice Just-in-time

Some questions

Validity of analysis? How to overcome obstacles? What next?

References Collis, B and Moonen, J (2001) Flexible

Learning in a digital world, London, Kogan Page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle Rotheram, B (2009) ‘It wasn’t me, guv!’

Educational Developments, Issue 10.1 http://sites.google.com/site/soundsgooduk/downloads/It_wasnt_me_guv.pdf