Presentation given to SIAST Psychiatric Nursing facuty to introduce the use of asynchronous audio feedback.

1. Using asynchronous audio feedback Denise Nelson, Instructional Designer, Virtual Campus

2. Plan How it works Advantages Disadvantages Cost to the Program ...faculty and student perspectives ...

3. How Audio Commenting Works Technical Process Convert student document to pdf (can do several docs with one command). Ensure that Adobe Acrobat Professional is configured for comment and mark-up tools. Use Adobe Acrobat Pro, microphone/headset and Microsoft Sound Recorder to embed comments. Listen to recording to ensure clarity Inform students to double-click sound icon to listen to audio comments. Provide upfront note to students to contact faculty if difficulty in accessing audio

4. How Audio Commenting Works Feedback Process Give feedback informally as though you were sitting face-to-face with the students and discussing their coursework. Use audio feedback to elaborate details, summarize, give examples and references. Integrate and situate audio and text comments so students clearly understand their meaning and relevance. Do not repeat the written word in audio feedback. Some faculty situate mark in audio comment to increase possibility that student listens to it.

5. Feedback Process ... Use text mark-up for specific grammar, punctuation etc. Use mark-up tools such as customized stamps, highlighting, sticky notes, callout, arrows... Can insert attachments into student coursework (e.g., APA checklist) Consider including rubrics in pdf

6. Mark-Up Example

7. Advantages Students regard feedback as an extension of their faculty, much like a face-face encounter with the faculty commenting on their assignment as they read it Associated with perceptions of increased involvement and enhanced interaction with faculty members regarded as caring individuals Students find oral feedback more understandable and motivational Some students retained verbal feedback better than reading alone

8. Advantages ... Personalized support and thorough explanations facilitate students’ engagement in learning All faculty involved in SIAST research project see value in and recommend the use of audio feedback to enhance social, cognitive, and teaching presence Especially useful for more complex student coursework (e.g., case studies, papers) Focus on learning (suggest some assignments with no marks attached) Important considerations: use feedback to “feed forward” – students improve what they do next

9. Disadvantages Requires equipment: Adobe Acrobat Pro, headset/microphone Learning curve to get started: set up equipment, learn technique More time required to listen and/or provide audio comments Quality of audio dependent on various factors: audio settings, equipment, background noise

10. Cost Orientation time Instructor time to provide meaningful feedback Equipment: USB noise cancelling headset & microphone (e.g., Dynex~$53.) Now available Adobe Acrobat X Pro - $56. Considerations: Consider installing software on laptop for portability – providing feedback anywhere

11. Faculty Experienced With Audio Feedback VoiceThread conversation

12. Possibilities Summary & weaving of discussion posts Examination review commentary Use software for interactive pdfs (e.g., students may complete form fields and submit; documenting nurse’s notes)

13. Research Findings - Students Overall Positive Comments “I liked the audio because this instructor said more than ‘good job’.” “This is my first experience with audio feedback and I think it is AWESOME. The insertion of text is also beneficial.” “Certainly tone of voice and inflection help to distinguish intended meaning more accurately than written text.” “Listening to feedback as you went through a paper was very helpful, almost like a one on one with the instructor to hear their thoughts as they progressed through reading the paper.” “more personal, negative comments seen as more constructive. Increased perception of teacher engagement.” “option was easy to access”

14. Research Findings - Students Negative feedback “It seemed the instructor was trying to sound neutral in the audio feedback which left a feeling of apathy.” “The auditory feedback didn’t always work; couldn’t rely on it as a resource.” “Audio feedback was annoying, a true conversation or written comments would be better.”

15. Research Findings - Faculty Affords elaboration of instructor comments (used for summation and/or specific feedback) Personalizes feedback (expression, inflection, humour) Easier to express oneself than formalized written comments (“feel freer to expand on comments”) Technical glitches when starting (audio setup; eliminate background noise) More valuable with complex assignments, research papers, critiques large than small class size All faculty would recommend use of audio commenting to other faculty

16. Faculty Example Example of student paper Example of student paper with audio and text-based commenting

17. Thank you for Listening http://programs.siast.sk.ca/nelson/