SHOULD AUDIO FEEDBACK BE USED BECAUSE IT IS EASILY

AVAILABLE OR FOR REASONS OF PEDAGOGY?

Shirley Hunter-Barnett and Sue Murrin-Bailey

The Business School, Edge Hill University, Ormksirk, Lancashire, U.K.

Keywords: Pedagogy, Audio, Feedback, Embed, Assessment, MP3, Digital, Recorded.

Abstract: This study explores student responsiveness to the use of audio feedback through the embedding of sound-

files into word processed documents. It reviews the creation and use of a tutor’s formative feedback on

assignment work within a taught module.

1 INTRODUCTION

With the appearance of social software and Web 2.0

technologies, students today work in a digital age,

and although in the past accessibility to technology

for students has been considered problematic, this is

not currently the case. Therefore, how technology

can be harnessed to promote students’ learning and

whether it is used just because it is available or for

reasons of pedagogy, is nowadays often under

debate. One such technology is the use of digital

audio recordings, as previous studies have found that

students learning can benefit from its use. Results

from National Student Surveys show that although

students are on the whole, happy with their

experience in higher education, they are not satisfied

with the assessment and feedback process. To help

alleviate this problem, the Higher Education

Academy has identified a series of practices to

enhance students’ feedback on their assessed work.

One such suggestion is the delivery of feedback in

an alternative format.

2 CONTEXT

Following the work of IMPALA (2008), the Sounds

Good Project at Leeds Metropolitan University

(2008/9) and other similar research projects, this

study sort to examine how digitally recorded audio

comments, could be used as an alternative method of

feedback to students currently studying within

higher education. It explored tutor and student

responsiveness to its use as a feedback tool and the

pedagogical impact it had on the student learning

experience. Although there has been a substantial

amount of research conducted into the use of audio

feedback, the embedding of sound files within

electronically submitted course work is not so well

documented. Therefore, the purpose of the study was

to evaluate the effectiveness and the effects of

embedding digital audio feedback within a Word

document whilst ascertaining what impact it would

have on pedagogy.

Assessment should be a positive process, where

students receive feedback that will assist their

further learning and acknowledge their

achievements, and it was hoped that the outcomes of

this study would begin to progressively change

approaches to the assessment and feedback process

by encouraging other tutors to engage with audio

feedback, helping to deepen and enrich students’

learning.

3 DESIGN AND METHOD

For the purposes of this study, a flexible design, with

an outcome and process evaluative research

approach was followed to evaluate the effectiveness

and the effects of digital audio feedback. A multiple

research methodology that incorporated techniques

from qualitative and quantitative methods was used

for empirical data collection.

Participants were students from Edge Hill

University in Ormskirk, West Lancashire, enrolled

in the second semester of the academic year

2008/2009 and studying a range of subjects, at levels

three, four and six. Tutor participants had a wide

variety of teaching experience and taught various

Hunter-Barnett S. and Murrin-Bailey S. (2010).

SHOULD AUDIO FEEDBACK BE USED BECAUSE IT IS EASILY AVAILABLE OR FOR REASONS OF PEDAGOGY?.

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education, pages 60-64

DOI: 10.5220/0002801500600064

 SciTePress

subjects, at all levels.

Although outcomes had been predicted based on

other case studies, the uniqueness of this study

meant there was a need to determine if the

technology chosen to deliver the audio feedback was

pedagogically sound and could be used to enhance

students learning.

Therefore the research questions needed to

determine both tutor and student views, and answers

to the following questions were sought:

1. Will using audio enable greater flexibility in

the feedback process?

2. Can feedback be enhanced using audio?

The study was broken down into six individual

phases and a multi-method strategy used to examine

the relation between students, tutors and the use of

audio as a feedback tool. Analysis and interpretation

of the data collected was iterative and employed

throughout the length of the study. This ensured

that, if further questions arose, additional enquiries

could be completed.

Qualitative data was transcribed whenever

completed and two levels of coding employed to

ease information retrieval. An electronic self-

completion, questionnaire was made available to all

student participants and respondents were offered a

choice of alternative answers and open-ended

questions. Unsolicited qualitative feedback was

received and added to the data set as it gave

significant insight into students’ thoughts and

perceptions of audio feedback, several weeks after

receiving it and after completing the course. As

more than one method of data collection was used,

triangulation was implemented to check whether

differing sets of evidence supported and

complemented, or contradicted each other.

4 LIMITATIONS

Given the short time frame for this project, a

longitudinal study could not be completed.

Therefore although the gathering of information

regarding the impact audio feedback had on student

achievement could have been a data rich source, for

the purpose of this study it was not deemed

practical. Likewise, the novelty effect of audio

feedback, could have implications for the validity of

the findings and further research would be needed to

clarify whether or not this was the case.

5 THE USE OF AUDIO

The use of audio feedback encourages self-

reflection, can be given to large classes without the

need for face-to-face contact and is an alternative

technology whose purpose is to “affect learning

rather than to transmit knowledge” (Bradley et al,

cited in Nortcliffe & Middleton, 2008, p.48). This is

because more information can be obtained from

recorded comments, including tone of voice (Rust,

2001). It is therefore seen to have good pedagogical

underpinning (Salmon, 2004). Participants in a study

conducted by Jelfs & Whitelock (2000) felt that the

use of audio created a feeling of tutor attendance,

which substantiated research conducted by Reeves

& Nass (1998) who concluded that the human voice

increases social presence. Using audio to deliver

feedback helps students to conceptualise it more as a

dialogue, even though this form of delivery is a one-

way communication and not interactive (Corbell &

Valdes-Corbeil, 2007). Yet results of research

conducted into students’ learning experiences and

their impressions of audio feedback have shown that

although it can be more time-consuming to receive

feedback in an auditory format (Ice et al, 2007)

some students prefer feedback to be given this way

and understand the advantages of it (Ice et al, 2007;

Nortcliffe & Middleton, 2008; Rotherham, 2009).

This is not true for all students, though, as some

have reservations about receiving audio feedback,

whilst others indicate a preference for both audio

and written comments (Still, 2006; Nortcliffe, 2007;

Salmon & Edirisingha, 2008; Rotheram, 2009). It

may be argued that other external factors have

influenced this preference, the main contributors

being the time the feedback was received (Gibbs &

Simpson, 2005; Nicol & Macfarland-Dick, 2006;

Hramiak, 2007; Rotheram, 2009) and the novelty

factor of audio in the feedback process (Oomen-

Early et al., 2008; Rotheram, 2009).

6 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Statistics have been produced based on 28

questionnaires returned from a sample of 33 students

studying at Edge Hill University in the year

2008/2009, semester 2. The modal respondent was

male (78.6%). Statistics produced for the 17 tutor

respondents show the modal respondent was female.

SHOULD AUDIO FEEDBACK BE USED BECAUSE IT IS EASILY AVAILABLE OR FOR REASONS OF

PEDAGOGY?

Gender

BSc/Ba

Business

BSc

Computing

Fast

Forward

Totals

Male 9 (75%)

(85%)

(50%)

Female 3 (25%)

(15%)

(50%)

Totals

12 14 2 28

Figure 1: Gender.

7 DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE

LEARNING

The students’ response to the development of their

future learning was good, with 26 students saying

they would either definitely or possibly listen to the

feedback more than once.

This was emphasised by some of the comments

made by the students regarding the use of audio

feedback. One student found:

PS6:“it interesting to hear the feedback again”

whilst others thought: PS14:“it was good to listen

through the feedback again” and PS6:“Its an

excellent way of reflecting back rather than just

notes”.

Figure 2: Listen again.

Another student found it quite strange to listen to

feedback in an audio format at first. However, they

recognised the importance of listening to it again as

did other respondents. PU2:“Audio feedback you

can assess this and improve your work rapidly”

These findings demonstrated how digital audio can

be used to help student’s process information, whilst

encouraging them to become reflective about their

own learning (Crook et al., 2008).

In addition to this, students looking towards

furthering their learning stated that:

PS12:“I think this is the future”

PS14:“I think anything new that can help

develop our leraning should be used!”

This shows that whilst students are still looking for

“traditional approaches” (JISC, 2009, p.8) they are

willing to adapt and shape their personal

development by utilising the “best tools for the job”

(ibid).

As learning is both active and passive for a

student to become an active learner they must make

use of feedback obtained during the assessment

process (Burns & Sinfield, 2006). Comments from

one tutor confirm that the use of audio feedback has

encouraged students to become active in their

learning through the utilisation of feedback obtained.

PT17:“I believe it gave them the motivation to

actually go and do what I asked them to do far more

than a written comment…”

“Theoretically they should have been ones they were

looking at anyway within their lit review, if they

had’nt done it they certainly had for their final piece

of work”

The tutor later goes on to say:

“They have got quotes from that article within their

work and their final draft. So I could track, cos I’ve

still got the audio files, I could track if I said I want

you to go away and look at article I could see quotes

from it, and it’s in the bibliography that is some sort

of measureable”.

This was further evidence that students are able

to coordinate their own learning, if feedback is

received in a way which aids their progression.

However, what was not clear was whether it was the

provision of feedback in an alternative form, the

novelty factor of audio feedback or the precise

prescriptive comments received from the tutor that

increased the effectiveness of the feedback.

The novelty factor surrounding the use of audio is a

concern raised by Rotherham (2009) who suggests

that his significantly positive results about audio

feedback could be due to its novelty. Unsolicited

comments made by two students show these

concerns to be realistic.

PU1:“The method of feedback was a sound file

which was unique to other modules”

PU3:“The audio feedback was a first for me and

was actually quite a nice change”

Although the novelty factor of audio feedback

clearly requires further research, the above findings

strongly indicate that the use of embedded audio

feedback can facilitate greater flexibility in the

feedback process.

8 QUALITY OF FEEDBACK

In addition to listening to their audio feedback more

than once further analysis was carried out to assess if

digital audio could enhance the quality of feedback.

CSEDU 2010 - 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education

Students were asked whether they thought

embedding a verbal commentary within the marked

text had been useful and if it had helped them

develop a better insight into what was required to

progress their learning in the future. Participants

responded positively to this with 25 students

agreeing or strongly agreeing that it had been useful.

Although the findings in this study imply that most

students and tutors showed an overwhelming

preference for the use of audio, despite it being a

one-way communication tool, some respondents still

felt a need for some sort of synchronous interaction

between student and tutor, which according to the

key findings of JISC (2009) is the traditional,

personal elements of study, which students still

require. Furthermore, these results contradict the

findings of Still (2006 p.18) who concludes there

were “no negative perceptions of the technique”.

9 SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Throughout this study, evidence has suggested that

there is the potential to embed digital audio feedback

within a Word document and that it seems to enable

greater flexibility in the feedback process. It is also a

method that tutors in higher education appear to be

prepared to use. This does not seem to be subject-

specific as there was no apparent relationship

between subject and tutor attitudes towards the use

of digital audio feedback. Students responded

favourably to the use of audio feedback, whatever

the discipline studied, and showed a preference for

the use of embedded audio comments as a feedback

mechanism as they thought its use enhanced the

feedback process. It is worth considering, however,

that students had not received audio feedback before

and this could account for the overwhelming

preference for its use. In fact several students

referred to its uniqueness, and what is cause for

concern, due to the limitations of the study, is

whether the novelty of audio feedback impacted on

student responsiveness.

10 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Although this was a single case study of restricted

scope, it suggests a number of points that

professionals should consider before embarking on

the delivery of audio feedback:

• Follow normal principles of feedback practice -

audio should not replace but enhance;

• Ascertain what communication tool students are

using to receive the feedback as not all PC

operating systems allow an embedded sound file

to be opened;

• Ensure students know where to access the sound

file;

• Become familiar with the hand held device and

embedding a sound file prior to delivery

• Check the quality of the sound;

• Check that the method of delivery is suitable;

And finally:

• Do not use audio feedback just because it is

available – it should be used for reasons of

pedagogy, and thought must be given as to the

suitability of the feedback for certain students and

whether they would benefit from verbal, written or

both written and verbal commentary.

11 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER

RESEARCH

Although this study has achieved its aims, it has also

highlighted a need for further exploration. A clearer

understanding is needed of how students use audio

feedback and what part of the feedback increases

student learning. Furthermore, the majority of the

students said they would listen to feedback again;

additional research is needed to ascertain whether or

not this is really the case, or if the novelty factor

surrounding the use of audio has led to this

hypothesis. What impact audio feedback has on

students’ progression and learning should also be

further researched as should whether or not the lack

of interactivity in digital audio feedback has any

negative consequences. In addition, more research

is needed to determine which technologies students

are prepared to use to receive digital audio feedback

and whether they are suitable to retrieve embedded

sound files in word-processed documents.

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CSEDU 2010 - 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education