Students Prefer Video Feedback: But is it efficient and effective?

Dr Tracii Ryan,
Monash University

Ryan, Henderson and Phillips (2019), surveyed 4,514 Australian university students about the feedback they received. Students preferred audio or video comments (which the authors confusingly refer to as "digital recording"), to text. Students also preferred multiple modes to single, and were less impressed with rubrics.

However, this study was only of what students preferred, it did not test if the form of feedback was more effective, in terms of improving the quality of their future work. Also no account was taken of the cost of preparing the feedback, or the quantity. Also the study did not address the option of students providing feedback to each other.

I suspect the well know "no significant difference" effect applies to feedback. That is, it is unlikely the format of the feedback makes any difference to the outcome. Students like video content, but this makes no difference to their learning.

What I suggest will make a difference is timely and targeted feedback. As an example, I use the approach of  placing brief text comments next to the student's mark, combining formative feedback with summative assessment (Worthington, 2012).

This week I have been teaching 80 master of computing students in blended mode. The biggest problem is to get them to spend enough time on task. To do that I have devised a series of graduated exercises for them. This includes small amounts of assessment, each of which provides the opportunity to provide feedback the student will notice, because there is a mark next to it. Also the students provide feedback to each other (and get assessed on this). Students really, really, hate providing feedback to each other, but as a student myself I found it very useful.

References

Ryan, T., Henderson, M., & Phillips, M. (2019). Feedback modes matter: Comparing student perceptions of digital and non‐digital feedback modes in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology. URL https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12749

Worthington, T. (2012, July). A Green computing professional education course online: Designing and delivering a course in ICT sustainability using Internet and eBooks. In 2012 7th International Conference on Computer Science & Education (ICCSE) (pp. 263-266). IEEE. URL https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCSE.2012.6295070

Artificial Intelligence will take over most teaching

Professor Neil Selwyn,
Monash University

Professor Neil Selwyn, of Monash University, argues Artificial Intelligence (AI) will never take over from human teachers (2018). I suggest AI will never take over completely from human teachers, but it will supplement their role for many routine tasks. At the Australian Senate Committee hearing on the Future of Work and Workers last week, I was asked what proportion of jobs AI would replace. I suggested more like 40% than 10% but no one really knows.

The teaching profession doesn't "face" an impending change, that change has already started happening. University teaching has already flipped from being campus based to mostly online. However, most university lecturers will not admit this to themselves or to others. The higher levels of school will follow over the next few years. This is without AI, just using decades old e-learning technology.

Much of education can already be reliably provided by machines. This requires fewer, but more highly trained, teachers. What AI will not be able to do, at lest not well, is handle the exceptional situations.

Like human teachers, AI learns (that is why it is called "artificial intelligence"). Software is used to mimic human learning. Unlike a human, AI can learn from millions of cases very quickly. However, the results still need to be checked by a human as they can be unpredictable.

AI can minimc a human very effectively. The ELIZA natural language program of the 1960s was able to mimic a human in a conversation. It does not take much to do this, if the topic is limited to a narrow field, such as a course.

Like human teachers, some AI can explain its chain of reasoning, allowing the student to learn not just what to think, but how to.

AI can use a virtual face and body on screen, but in most cases this is not necessary. Most university students now learn online using text based materials. Where there are videos they watch them at high speed so any person visible is little more than a blur.

This is not to say AI will, or should, replace all human teachers. But AI will be used alongside other tools, such as writing and books, for teaching. It is a long time since anyone argued seriously that students should not write notes as they would then not be able to memorize, or that students should not read books, only listen to the teacher. In a few years time arguments against AI will seem as quaint as those against writing and books.

References

Neil Selwyn  (201, June 12). Six reasons Artificial Intelligence technology will never take over from human teachers, Edu Research Matters (Blog). Australia Association for Research in Education. URL http://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=2948