Long Overdue Update
Trying to analyse the results from my development project raises more questions (which is clearly a positive aspect of the research) but presents issues with completing the write up. Someone once said that ‘research is a messy process’; Bernie Divall agrees with this and says in her blog post “I’ve found that the structure of what I do only becomes apparent in retrospect” (2011). I can empathise with this statement as I feel that I am only really becoming clear about the aims of my dissertation as I’m writing up the results and understanding more clearly what my aims really were and how I’ve been too vague in the objectives.
Also this year has been very challenging – coping with the demands of student support, collaborating with a colleague on the project has been very helpful but has also had its issues such as trying to make opportunities for meeting up to discuss the progress of the project and all the while with the TUPE process hanging over our heads at the Campus which has affected morale and motivation.
OK, excuses over – what stage am I now at ?
Data from the questionnaire, focus group and interview with the tutor have been collected and analysed and as I said above, I realise that I have not been clear in my objectives. These have kept shifting – perhaps I’ve been trying to collect too much information ? I originally wanted to run an experiment where I tested the use of GradeMark with students but this had issues in terms of the approach to the research which seemed to be positivist and at variance with the ethos of action research (I’m sure I could have argued a case for conducting an experiment). As a result, I planned a case study approach using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting data. Whilst this has yielded useful information about how students use GradeMark, the questions I was trying to answer do not seem to have been focused tightly enough. Despite this, I have gained some very practical insights into how students use GradeMark and have also realised that there are many areas for further research, so that does sit well with action research – an iterative and cyclical process (McNiff & Whitehead (2003).
The EBEAM Project
First of all, thanks to Cheryl Reynolds for sending me the link to the project, the findings of which have contributed significantly to my understanding of Electronic Assessment Management (EAM) and is particularly relevant to my research area.
I am aware that formative feedback and assessment are still ‘hot topics’ with the added dimension of understanding how technology can support teaching and learning at the formative stage. The recent findings from the EBEAM Project conducted by Cath Ellis and Cheryl Reynolds between 2011 and 2013 whilst having a wide remit addressing institutional as well as teaching and learning issues, is particularly relevant for how I am evaluating GradeMark and my future engagement with the resource. For example, understanding how students and teachers interact with the technology at a ‘grass roots’ level investigating their preferences for the different features and attempting to evaluate whether GM saves time whilst giving quality feedback as Ellis (2011) suggests.
Whilst I echo some of the findings from the EBEAM Project in terms of finding GM easy to use, is a flexible tool and has the potential for supporting consistent feedback, as an Academic Skills Tutor, I haven’t found it saves time and indeed, this echoes the findings from the project that whilst, EAM does not save time, it does enable more focus time on task. Furthermore, one recommendation arising from my project relates to the selection of specific areas for feedback on assignments rather than trying to ‘blanket cover’ everything and enter blindly into giving feedback without setting the limits and indicating what will and what will not be addressed.
References
Divall, B. (2011) Messy research – by Bernie, October 28th, 2011, PhD Life: A blog about the student PhD experience [online]. Available at: http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/researchexchange/entry/messy_research/ [Accessed 5th August, 2013].
Ellis, C. and Reynolds, C. (2013) EBEAM: Evaluating the Benefits of Electronic Assessment Management, [online]. Available at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning/assessmentandfeedback/ebeam.aspx [Accessed 5th August 2013].
McNiff, J., Lomax, P. and Whitehead, J. (2003) You and Your Action Research Project, 2nd ed. Abingdon: RoutledgeFalmer
The Daley Post 