Josh McCarthy conducted research on the various types of feedback that can be provided to students based on a summative assessment: written, audio, and video. Within the study 77 students from the University of South Australia participated and were provided the various forms of feedback across three separate summative assessments. Each summative assessment provided a different form of feedback to the students within two weeks of the assessment being submitted. McCarthy found that a majority of students preferred the video feedback model as it was more engaging and immersive for the student, though McCarthy does acknowledge that this study was designed for each feedback model that was matched to meet the assessment it was provided for. The overall conclusion of the study identifies feedback as not “one-size-fits-all” but acknowledging that various forms of feedback may be better suited based on the assessment provided. 

Feedback was delivered within two weeks of the assessment due date, as per the policy of the university. The first feedback provided was audio feedback, typically 1-2 minutes of oral feedback regarding the assessment. The second feedback provided was visual in that the instructor provided visual analysis of the assignment of about 3-4 minutes, edited if needed, and returned back to the student. Finally, the last assessment required written feedback in which the students received open-ended comments and feedback based on the rubric criteria. These varying methods while providing similar responses completely alter the modality and are distinct from one another, a strength of the feedback formats provided. Further, the representation of the data is clear and easy for the reader to interpret from, including personal anecdotes from the students who participated in the study. 

One of the aspects of change I have seen post-covid in my personal classroom is the infusion of technology resources to enhance student feedback. However, I had never considered feedback visually on specific assessments and I am curious of the applicability of this research at younger levels. Nonetheless, the use of digital formats is interesting considering when you factor in alternative assessments. Various types of feedback may be better suited for podcasts, presentations, or formal writing pieces. I am curious if aligned correctly would this produce encouraging progression of students’ abilities throughout a semester. In other words, if providing students inclusive options for assessments is then followed upon through appropriate feedback (visual, written, audio) would this produce improved results over time? I think it is certainly an interesting proposition this study outlines in addition to student preference and engagement. 

Source
McCarthy, J. (2015). Evaluating written, audio and video feedback in higher education summative assessment tasks. Issues in Educational Research, 25(2), 153-169. https://cmich.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/evaluating-written-audio-video-feedback-higher/docview/2393121454/se-2