‘Hello, this is your tutor speaking’: How voice comments can remediate the feedback practices of a HE online course team. Katharine Stapleford

Audio feedback on student work in Higher Education is claimed to be more efficient and engaging than written comments. The potential of audio feedback to promote social presence between students and tutors is of particular relevance in online education. This paper presents an action research study which investigates how using voice comments remediates the feedback practices of an online course team. The project is underpinned by activity theory which enables a cultural historical analysis of the impact of a new cultural tool on collective activity within a social system. Qualitative data in the form of critical reflections were gathered and analysed using an activity theory framework. Findings suggest that using audio comments remediates tutors' feedback practices by providing an alternative channel of communication with students and having a reciprocal effect on the quality of written feedback. Using an activity theoretical lens highlighted the external factors impacting on feedback practices and how the use of audio feedback can bridge these systemic contradictions. Recorded at the Centre for Research in Digital Education research symposium (May 2019). For more information, see: https://crde.leeds.ac.uk/

Katharine Stapleford

5/16/2019 12:22:56 PM