Dr. Elena Polisca
Italian Studies
The University of Manchester

• Background information (Italian Studies)
• Research questions
• The Hear IT! project
• Project evaluation

• Italian Studies: ‘smaller’ discipline within
School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures
• Recruited well in 2010-2011
• ITAL10200 and ITAL30200 teach students how to write in Italian
• Students write on a weekly (ITAL10200) and fortnightly basis (ITAL30200)
• Marking load is incredibly high

• Is there a way in which tutor marking time can be reduced?
• Do students really engage with the feedback received?
• Is there a way in which we can engage students with feedback further?

• 2 control groups and 1 test group for both
ITAL30200 and ITAL10200
• Tutor marks compositions on paper for all students
• Control groups receive feedback on conventional School’s feedback forms
• Test groups receive audio feedback (MP3s recordings) on Blackboard

• Students received marked work without
Feedback sheet
• Students have to look for audio-recordings in Bb to get comments and mark
• Students have to fill in their own Feedback sheet according to audio-comments
• Students put ‘their’ feedback sheet in marked portfolio (for ITAL10200 only)

• Audio-feedback examples:
– ITAL10200
– ITAL30200
– And one example from the students themselves

• Did Hear IT! cut down tutor feedback time?
– Recordings between 3-5 mins long
– More interactive
– I enjoyed doing them
– (better than writing forms!)
– Speaking faster than writing / printing / stapling
– MP3s on Video Library Service + link in Bb
– Overall, audio feedback is probably faster, but this is down to the individual (e.g. what if you make a mistake? Are you happy with your recording?)

Respondents

How would you rate the quality of feedback received?
Written
Excellent Good
Audio 8%
Excellent Good
41%
59%
92%
Written
Excellent Good No answer
15%
8%
77%
Audio
Excellent Good
31%
69%

Project evaluation (test groups): the feedback sheet ITAL10200
• Did you complete the feedback sheet?
Yes: 100%
• Did you enjoy doing it?
15%
Yes No
• Did you find it useful?
Yes: 100%
85%

Project evaluation (test groups): the feedback sheet ITAL10200
• Why didn’t you enjoy completing it?
– Not actual work, just admin
– Only to appease guidelines
• Why did you find it useful?
– Helped me understand the different components needed for a successful piece of work
– Helped me see my mistakes more clearly
– Helped reiterate feedback
– Good to reflect on strengths / weaknesses
– Made me more aware of marking scheme

Project evaluation (test groups): the feedback sheet ITAL30200
• Did you complete the feedback sheet?
Yes No
54%
46%
• Did you enjoy doing it?
Yes No
15%
85%
• Did you find it useful?
Yes No
38%
62%

Project evaluation (test groups): the feedback sheet ITAL30200
• Why didn’t you complete it?
– I forgot
– It was time-consuming
– Dull
– Didn’t feel it was necessary
• Why did you find it useful?
– Makes you think about mistakes more
– Wrong points easier to remember
– Listened to it more than once and understood it better

• Did you feel engaged with the feedback process overall?
ITAL10200 and ITAL30200
Yes
100%

Project evaluation (test group ITAL10200)
• In what way did the feedback given make you feel engaged with the feedback process?
– Audio feedback more personal (x5)
– I had to think about feedback much more than usual (on audio feedback)
– You are more involved with the marking process
(x2)
– It showed me my mistakes, which is vital to learning

Project evaluation (test group ITAL30200)
• In what way did the feedback given make you feel engaged with the feedback process?
– It makes you think about your mistakes
– I was very curious about the feedback and treated it very seriously
– Audio feedback more personal and feels like a one-to-one with the tutor (x5)
– I really like getting feedback so was always engaged
– Allows you to improve

Which feedback format did you prefer to receive?
ITAL10200
Audio Written Both
15%
8%
77%
8%
ITAL30200
Audio Written Both No answer
15%
39%
38%

• Students seem to engage with the feedback received, regardless of format (… but 100% audio)
• Is it really necessary to engage finalist students with feedback further?
• It makes sense to use audio feedback with 1 st year students to:
– Make them feel like they own their work
– Help them understand what we look for
– Help them familiarise with key feedback vocabulary

Dr. Elena Polisca
Italian Studies
School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures
The University of Manchester
Oxford Rd.
Manchester, M13 9PL
Elena.polisca@manchester.ac.uk