Giving Adult Learners Quality Feedback: Oh the (Technology) Possibilities!
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CDLT PreConference Symposium: Best Practices in Distance Learning or Technology for Adult Learners
Presentation Format Requested
CDLT PreConference Only: Concurrent (20 to 45 minutes)
Session Abstract
Feedback on written academic projects remains a critical part of an adult learner’s journey to success. However, educators are often challenged with how cumbersome and time consuming giving substantive feedback can appear to be. This presentation explores online/audio feedback tools, potential benefits for the instructor and impact on student learning.
Target Audience
My target audience is adult educators in formal and informal settings, who might need to provide written feedback on student projects—or provide students models for peer to peer feedback as part of their classes. These settings could range from GED to community college and other post secondary education settings.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending the session, learners will be able to
1. Describe the benefits and challenges of using audio/video recording tools as alternatives or supplements to written feedback
2. Identify and examine how three easy to use technologies might be used to provide practical and quality feedback (audio, video, online tool).
3. Create a one-minute audio or video clip, providing feedback for sample student work, and that might be used within or alongside project documents and written assignments.
4. Outline 2 actionable steps they can take to implement or enhance the audio feedback process in their context
Session Description
Written feedback remains a critical part of an adult learner’s journey to success and achievement. It is provided both by instructors for their students—and peer to peer, in a bid to foster growth and improvement concerning projects, but it remains a challenge. First, many adult educators (and students’ peers if required), are challenged with the issue of time for writing detailed/substantive feedback, given their own responsibilities and tasks. Second, communicating the right tone when giving written feedback can be tricky. This presentation will examine three possibilities for providing critical feedback verbally, with easy to use audio and video tools. It explores the following questions:
1. What simple technology tools might educators of adults need to consider for use in providing critical feedback via audio and video?
2. What are the potential benefits and challenges of using these tools?
3. How might one create, include and/or embed an audio or video clip in different ways, when giving feedback on diverse assignments and projects?
The presentation will draw on a combination of best practices from literature on using audio recorded technology for feedback, from the presenter's use of audio recordings for project feedback and from student reflections on their experiences with recorded feedback.
Format & Technique
1. Think pair share: What does the written feedback process "look like" for you? (Participants capture the positives and negatives of giving written feedback via dialogue; facilitator brainstorms responses with the large group)
2. Participants review a brief case story of recorded feedback in practice with adult learners in a higher ed context and share responses about perceived benefits and challenges (this would include their own experiences with recorded feedback, if any)
3. Facilitator provides a brief overview of how to prepare and share feedback via three recording tools (to include how this might work in tandem with a good rubric)
4. Using one tool discussed, participants create a one minute feedback clip in response to a sample student project
5. Wrap up, open sharing and Q & A