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TAP - Tablet Assessment Programme

The Undergraduate Department of The School of Education and Lifelong Learning provides for degree courses in Childhood Studies (Single Honours) and Education (Joint Honours). Numbers on these courses have dramatically risen over the last three years, and thus the School is continually seeking ways of improving the provision and feedback given, particularly with regard to assessed work. There are current procedures in place where students are provided with formative feedback on assignments, and marked, annotated scripts can be accessed if desired. This later option is rarely taken up.

The essential aim of this project is to hold a trial into how to improve the quality of feedback given to students on written, assessed work through the use of digital technologies, specifically tablet PCs, and substantially increase the engagement of the students with their feedback, in the long term improving their understanding, the quality of their work and their achievement.

Selected module tutors (Years 1, 2 and 3) marked and annotated specific assessed assignment scripts in electronic PDF format. The feedback was completed on tablet PCs using ezPDF, which enables staff to type their traditional typed feedback, but also to annotate the scripts, ensuring that the staff have flexibility in the marking process, and that students have more rounded, focused and relevant feedback. The annotated scripts, as well as the current feedback sheets, were returned to students, who were found to be more likely to read and digest the content and feedback. Following School guidelines, the feedback was returned prior to the submission of the next assessments for each module, thus enabling the feedback to be formatively used, resulting in better application of feedback in the next assessments and better performance.

Students views and practices were analysed prior to and after the project so that the effectiveness of the procedures were considered. The staff perspective was also considered.

Conclusions

Students

• The clear conclusion from a learner perspective is that electronic feedback and assignment scripts are clearly desirable and lead to increased levels of engagement with the feedback.
• It may be implied that just by increasing the numbers of students looking at their marked work, there is a significant possibility that their achievement may be improved, although we acknowledge that determining this with certainty is beyond the scope of this pilot
• The time line of this study did not allow the actual increase in achievement to be measured, and this is something that may be revisited.

Staff

• Staff felt that the trial using tablet PCs for marking was successful and wish to continue using this method in future.
• There were portability and logistical advantages to having all scripts on one, mobile device –in terms of transfer of scripts and marking of assignments.
• There were advantages of flexibility in terms of when and where marking could take place.
• The staff involved, two of whom are not technological experts, adapted easily and comfortably to the use of the devices.
• All staff were happy with the methods used to annotate scripts electronically, and although there were some minor issues, they were not significant enough to disrupt the process.
• The piloted method  was perceived  by staff to be less demanding and fatiguing  than  marking hard copies
• It also provided increased impetus to give useful and helpful formative feedback in the knowledge that a higher number of students were likely to engage with the feedback sheets, and would relate the feedback to the annotations on the marked script.  This made the feedback process far more purposeful and focused.

We conclude that tablet PCs can be used to increase the engagement of students in the formative assessment process, and this trial has therefore important implications for Higher Education institutions who wish to ensure the engagement and development of their students.

Recommendations

• That annotated assignment marking becomes embedded in the undergraduate branch of the School of Education and Lifelong Learning.
• That the trial be rolled out to other staff within the undergraduate team to ensure that the benefits are employed within every taught module.
• That the potential for use be discussed and developed in the other branches of the School of Education and Lifelong Learning, evaluating how they could be best used for the enhancement of learners’ achievements. 
• That Aberystwyth University consider the potential and possibilities within the use of tablets for annotation, and that this be developed on an University wide basis for the enhancement of students’ experience and achievement.
• That the method be further trialled to gauge any improvement in l student achievement and progression gained by students who engage with this method.