news
Mark my words
Research finds university students
prefer digital feedback.
C
omments scrawled manually?
Face-to-face dialogue? Or digital
recordings? In a new Monash
University study, thousands of Australian
university students have voted digital as
their preferred feedback mode.
campusreview.com.au
The study asked more than 4500
students from two universities to rate the
level of detail, personalisation and usability
of the feedback comments they had most
recently received.
Digitally recorded feedback scored
highest across all three indicators.
The data also suggested that students
benefit from receiving multiple forms of
feedback – particularly if one is digital.
In other words, students find that
receiving, say, electric annotations on an
essay, along with face-to-face feedback
from a tutor, is more valuable to them than
just one kind of feedback in isolation.
The paper also emphasised that ‘digital’
extends beyond simple Word document
markup. It can encompass video, audio or
screencast recordings.
In the latter, a lecturer provides audio-
visual feedback on a split screen, with
the student’s work or a rubric displayed
alongside it.
Face-to-face feedback is often held up
as a ‘gold standard’, note the researchers.
It enables the student to respond in real
time, giving them the agency to clarify
misunderstandings on the spot and
Coffins and cake
Take a seat at Murdoch University’s
Death Cafe.
F
ancy speaking with a stranger about
your death or theirs over a couple of
crumpets and some chai?
Talking about the end of life isn’t exactly
everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s why two
academics decided to set up the Death Cafe
at Murdoch University’s Perth campus.
6
Dr Margaret Sealey
and Dr Ruth Wei.
Photo: Supplied
People in Australia tend to be death-
phobic, counselling lecturer Dr Margaret
Sealey says.
“Australia has become more of a secular
society where, for many, religion has been
replaced by football, cricket, beer and
shopping,” she adds.
“While there is nothing wrong with this,
it means that some people are not looking
to religion anymore to explain or provide
comfort in death.
become an active participant in making
sense of critique.
Yet, the researchers say face-to-face is
highly susceptible to being misremembered
(or forgotten altogether). Then, there’s the
fact they are incredibly labour-intensive,
making them unsustainable for teachers
commanding large cohorts.
In contrast, digital feedback is an ‘artefact’
that students can return to as many times as
they like. It also has an edge over text-based
feedback, being richer in detail and clarity.
“The paper adds to the growing body
of evidence supporting the effectiveness
of digital recordings for the provision of
assessment feedback,” the paper concludes.
However, the researchers include a
caveat: “Technology is not a silicon bullet.
It is unlikely that the simple implementation
of a different mode of feedback comments
using technology will automatically
guarantee improved feedback.”
The open access article, ‘Feedback
Modes Matter: Comparing Student
Perceptions of Digital and Non-digital
Feedback Modes in Higher Education’, is
available through the British Journal of
Educational Technology. ■
“Our own research and experiences as
practitioners and educators have shown
us that, on the whole, Australians are not
willing to discuss death either.”
To bridge this gap, Sealey and nursing
lecturer Dr Ruth Wei decided to jump
on board the worldwide Death Cafe
movement, which encourages patrons to
talk about things like end-of-life care options
and experiences with after-death requests.
The first Death Cafe took place in London
in 2011, with the late Jon Underwood at
the helm. But the concept stretches back
further than that. In 2004, the Swiss could
get together for one of sociologist Bernard
Crettaz’s cafés mortels.
Since then, the idea has spread, with
Death Cafes cropping up across several
continents, including Australia – Western
Australia has played host to several so far.
Wei wants the movement to raise
awareness of the issues and options related
to death, and the relevant health services
available for patients and families.
She and Sealey hope the Murdoch Death
Cafe will attract not only students and staff
but also people from the wider community.
Information on upcoming events can be
found at deathcafe.com. ■