In this case study, the module leader in an Engineering module used a peer-feedback activity to encourage students to self-reflect and make use of the feedback provided by their peers to improve the quality of their placement job applications. The approach developed the students’ employability skills and engagement with assessment criteria. Although the activity was…
In this case study, a tutor in a final year Research Methods module provided an audio recording for each individual student as feedback on a formative piece of work. Recordings were created using a simple recording device that could be plugged in to the computer or free-standing, and then uploaded to the module’s Blackboard site…
Some staff members have said they want more resources to help them support their students in Blackboard. Often staff also want to see what the student experience of using Blackboard features is like, particularly around the assessment process. To help with this, we have compiled a list of screencasts we have created that you can use…
re: Search is a new self-paced tutorial to guide and teach students about searching for information for their university work. re: Search recognises that students now come to university with a wealth of searching experience. It emphasises that searching for academic material is different to their previous searching experiences and guides students through the information…
This journal article by Sheffield Hallam academics is a literature review of the past decade’s research into technology’s role in encouraging student engagement with feedback. This includes where technology releases feedback to students quickly, generates feedback automatically, and encourages action based on that feedback. This literature review was initially created as part of the HEA-funded Technology,…
Last year we highlighted research we did into why staff chose to engage with e-learning. One motivating influence which had a strong effect in overriding personal preferences was where there was a local culture of e-learning. This meant that it was part of the practice of the group and not an optional extra. Students expected an…
Recently we had a roundtable discussion on the topic of alternative assessment formats besides traditional essays. The academics who came had a lively discussion around assessment practices and different forms of assessments. As an outcome of this discussion, we have created a briefing document about essays and other approaches.
This journal article by Sheffield Hallam academics looks at the implementation of online peer feedback programme for two cohorts of students. Students provided peer feedback for each other using discussion boards, in order to give them more opportunities to improve their work before final marking. The research was evaluated using focus groups from the two cohorts.…
Recently some of the team members had a journal article published which focuses on an innovative, cross-disciplinary teaching experience at the University. Students in computing designed prototype educational games based on the needs of students in other subjects. Participants were interviewed to understand the pros and cons of this approach. Given the recent discussions around encouraging employability…
Last month we had a blog post which discussed some draft guidelines for staff about the use of externally provided tools, such as social media websites, for teaching purposes. As mentioned in the previous article, there can be advantages to using the newest and most up to date tools for teaching and learning purposes, but…