"Written feedback doesn't make sense": Enhancing assessment feedback using technologies

Research reveals that effective assessment feedback is clear, specific, and sensitive to the individual. In practice, comments on assessment tasks are commonly provided in a text-based format, which can be perceived by students as ambiguous and impersonal. Digitally recorded comments, in the form of audio, video, or screencast recordings, may present a clearer and more personal alternative to text-based feedback. However, at this stage, research tends to be restrained to the higher education setting. This paper builds upon previous research by examining perceptions of digitally recorded assessment feedback in an Australian Catholic girls’ secondary school. Thirteen teachers from eight broad subject areas (English, Math, Science, IT, Languages, Psychology, Music, and PE/Health) provided recorded comments to students in Years 7-12. To gauge perceptions of the digitally recorded assessment feedback, 262 students completed an anonymous online survey. In support of previous research, the majority of students preferred digitally recorded feedback to text-based feedback, reporting that it was more individualised, detailed, clear, useful, and caring. Several advantages and challenges also emerged from open-ended responses. Further research should aim to examine the relationship between the affordances of the media itself, the instructional content and its structure, and the ecology of the individual classes.