Using Screencasts to Enhance Assessment Feedback: Students’ Perceptions and Preferences

Abstract

In the UK, assessment and feedback have been regularly highlighted by the National Student Survey as critical aspects that require improvement. An innovative approach to delivering feedback that has proved successful in non-business-related disciplines is the delivery of audio and visual feedback using screencast technology. The feedback on assessments can be recorded into a digital video, together with audio narration, which provides students with personalised comments in an easy-to-follow and comprehensible way. This paper reports the results of an investigation carried out in a UK university, using a mixed-method approach, into whether this type of feedback can be applied in a business and accounting context and whether the students’ perceptions of screencast technology are as positive as those reported in other studies. The findings reveal that students are very positive about the introduction of audio and visual feedback. The implications and limitations of the study and areas for further research are also discussed.

Keywords:

• Screencast feedback
• innovative assessment
• technology-assisted learning

Notes

Dr Marriott is the Guest Editor of this issue, and also an author of this paper. Consequently, the referees were selected independently by AE's Editor, Professor Alan Sangster, all correspondence with them was conducted through him, and the decision to accept the paper was taken by him.

For information only, the NSS questions are provided in the Appendix.

The term ‘module’ is synonymous with the term ‘course’.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education is responsible for upholding the quality and standards in UK universities and colleges. They guide and check the quality of teaching, learning, and assessment.

Alternative methods of uploading files are available, such as the use of a video dropbox, see Crook et al., 2012.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pru Marriott

This paper was edited and accepted by Richard M. S. Wilson.

Lim Keong Teoh

This paper was edited and accepted by Richard M. S. Wilson.