Description
Session Description
This session is located in the Creativity across the Curriculum strand and addresses how use of digital feedback practices can foster creativity in a domain – giving of feedback to students – which can lack creativity.
This session is based on findings and interventions emerging from a 12-month project commissioned by the University of Lincoln’s Digital Education Transformation Programme (University of Lincoln, 2019). The multi-stage project, Technologies for e-Marking, is part of the ‘Digitally Enhanced Assessment and Feedback’ initiative, consisting of an escalating series of steps designed to upscale and embed creativity in marking and feedback practices. The vision is to create new transformative ways of marking through context-specific research-informed interventions, aimed to increase feedback quality. Enabling staff to engage with feedback in efficient ways, delivering feedback through different modes, whilst also enabling student to engage with their feedback in innovative and impactful ways.
Stage One comprised of a situational analysis of the current e-marking situation at Lincoln. Academic staff were surveyed with the survey garnering a good response rate and some surprising findings that helped inform a series of four pedagogically-informed interventions. The survey aimed to allow central services to understand and problematize the status quo and encourage staff to reflect on their normative practices and also recruit participants for Stage Two.
Stage Two comprised of the design and roll-out of four interventions based around the idea that creatively changing the status quo by introducing four new scenarios of new technologies for e-marking could enhance the assessment environment. The hardware introduction scenarios were:
1- Introduction of large iPad Pro with stylus to enable video feedback, audio feedback, annotating images, annotating video, free movement, stylus-enhanced feedback in iOS environment.
2- Introduction of two large high definition screens to enable more comparison of student work, comparison to criteria, separation of student work and feedback.
3- Introduction of Microsoft Surface with stylus: enables video feedback, audio feedback, annotating images, annotating video, free movement, stylus-enhanced feedback in Windows 10 environment.
4- Introduction of microphone and additional wireless setup to enable audio feedback
Stage Three (in progress) comprises of making recommendations to the University that would change the default equipment given to academic staff from the limited Windows 7 PC to a setup that enables new possibilities that enable multi-modal feedback.
Stage Four will be comprised of the creation of a Community of Practice that will be staff-led but centrally supported, and aims to drive forward this agenda at Lincoln.
In terms of results, Lincoln has seen novel applications, in particular, of video feedback and resources that have enabled students to engage with their feedback in an innovative and impactful way. A second presentation proposal submitted for ALT-C 2019 looks at the practical outputs of these creative practices.
Reflection will be substantiated through presentation of ‘lessons learned’. Evaluation of the interventions – the strengths and weaknesses– will also be incorporated. Those attending will gain practical know-how on making interventions that succeed, as well as missteps to avoid via the lessons learned section.
References
Lincoln Academy of Teaching and Learning (2019). Digital Education Transformation Programme [online]. Available at: https://lalt.lincoln.ac.uk/project-tags/digital-education-transformation-programme/ [Accessed 13 Mar. 2019].