Screencasting as a means of providing timely, general feedback on assessment

Abstract

Feedback has been highlighted as a key area for improvement in teaching in higher education following recent National Student Survey results. While feedback may be provided in a variety of forms, both general and specific to individual students, there is often a need to provide general feedback to a whole class without consuming valuable and limited contact time.
Screencasting involves recording a short video clip of a computer screen with narration. It can be used to demonstrate various computer programmes, how to perform data analysis and to provide feedback on assessment, both individually and to the class as a whole. Camtasia or other screencast facilities were used to produce short videos of solutions to problem based assessments, incorporating general feedback and addressing misconceptions that had arisen. The resulting video files can be made available through virtual learning environments or on external websites giving the students round the clock access to a „mini lecture‟ enabling them to use the feedback at a time and place of their choosing. We have experimented with screencast feedback in a number of chemistry modules, focussing on feedback for in-class tests and problem-solving activities.
In this communication we will look at screencasting as a means of providing efficient and effective whole class feedback, highlighting the strengths and challenges of this technology. We will discuss the experiences of both students who receive screencast feedback and tutors who provide it, and finish with our suggestions for best practice in the area.