Good practice – assessment and feedback: digital marking using tablets
School of Chemistry
Paperless marking using tablet devices (iPads) has been introduced for marking all of our Hons lab courses: this has already been extended to more modules than we originally planned to trial, including distance learning modules and assessment of oral presentations.
Students now exclusively submit their lab reports as PDF files via MMS. This ensures that we have a definitive hand system, which can independent of lab or office opening-hours. The use of PDF files ensures that the students’ work can be viewed across multiple platforms and devices, with the markers viewing the files exactly as submitted by the student. The reports are then marked up using iPads with a pen input, in the same way as they would have been on paper, providing rich handwritten comments and diagrams. The marked-up report is saved in a flattened PDF format, where the original submission and the written/drawn feedback are amalgamated into a single document, preventing manipulation of the feedback. The feedback copy of the lap report is then uploaded to MMS via the feedback tool associated with the submission section. We use the comments box of the feedback tool to return the mark for the report, along with an invitation to further discuss the feedback in person or by e-mail. Finally, we ensure that the box to e-mail student is checked, to ensure they know when their feedback has been posted on MMS. As soon as this e-mail has been sent, the student immediately receives their feedback, and can then choose whether they wish to contact the marker to discuss it further.
This digital marking and feedback delivery method has improved feedback times considerably. It allows more consistent format of feedback between different markers on a module, and provides a repository of feedback, which can be audited by the module convenor to track student progress, and can also be accessed readily for our external examiners. Overall we have saved a significant amount of staff time (both academic and technical staff), and can facilitate remote working with this methodology. And finally, as an added benefit, we have also eliminated printing and paper costs for the students, as we no longer require paper submissions.
Further information can be obtained from Dr Neil Keddie, Associate Lecturer (Education Focused) at [email protected]