Exploratory Evaluation of Audio Email Technology in Formative Assessment Feedback

• Published in: Research in learning technology Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 39 - 59
• Main Authors: Macgregor, George, Spiers, Alex, Taylor, Chris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jarfalla Co-Action Publishing 01.01.2011; Association for Learning Technology
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement Gains; audio feedback; audio technology; Audiovisual Communications; Business Administration Education; Comparative Analysis; Computer Mediated Communication; Computer Uses in Education; Control Groups; Electronic Mail; Feedback; Feedback (Response); Foreign Countries; formative assessment; Formative Evaluation; Handheld Devices; Information Management; Instructional Effectiveness; Internet; Interviews; Learning; Learning Experience; Quasiexperimental Design; Student Improvement; Student Surveys; Students; Undergraduate Students; United Kingdom; voice email; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 2156-7069; 2156-7077
• DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v19i1.17119

Formative assessment generates feedback on students' performance, thereby accelerating and improving student learning. Anecdotal evidence gathered by a number of evaluations has hypothesised that audio feedback may be capable of enhancing student learning more than other approaches. In this paper we report on the preliminary findings of a quasi-experimental study employing qualitative techniques for triangulation, conducted to evaluate the efficacy of formative audio feedback on student learning. We focus on the delivery of "voice emails" to undergraduate students (n = 24) and evaluate the efficacy of such feedback in formative assessment and ergo students' learning, as well as achieving a better understanding of students' feedback behaviour post-delivery. The results indicate that audio feedback better conforms to existing models of "quality" formative feedback, can enhance the student learning experience and can be more efficient in feedback delivery. Despite this, and high levels of feedback re-use by student participants, the audio treatment group underperformed in learning tasks when compared with the control group. Differences between the groups were not statistically significant and analyses of individual and mean learning gains across the treatment group provide little indication of improvements in learning. (Contains 9 tables and 3 figures.)