Students and academic reflections of iPhone audio feedback experience

Audio feedback for Engineering and Computing students has been produced for the last five academic years using an iPhone. The feedback has been applied to support their learning about the professional experience to enhance their employability. The benefits of audio feedback have been widely reported by the author and other academic practitioners, however its distribution can be problematic. This case study highlights how iPhone audio feedback production and distribution can be simplified to provide improved and effective high quality feedback to benefit both students and their tutors. iPhone audio feedback was provided to 130+ students in the 2010-211, and 200+ in 2011-2012. This study draws upon the reflections of the two student cohorts between 2010-2012 and considers the potential of the approach for feeding forward into the ongoing learning of students

iPhone supervision and feedback: a case study

The aims of the case study discussed here were to revolutionise project supervision by audio recording student project meetings using an iPhone smartphone and the Recorder Pro app to provide both parties with a record of the meeting. The rationale for this study came through recognition that student’s written notes from supervision meeting do not necessarily reflect what was discussed or do not always contain enough detail. Equally, written notes do not provide the means to clarify information that has been misheard or misunderstood during the supervision meeting. By recording the meetings, a student can review the conversation, thereby reducing their need to seek meetings in addition to those that are scheduled. The recent proliferation of iPhones, and other smartphones, amongst staff and students suggests that their use for recording meetings is increasingly viable. This study therefore reports on how well iPhone audio recording and distribution encourages learner autonomy and the extent to which students listen back to the audio files and apply what they hear to their learning

A journey through audio feedback

In 2006 I had conducted research into the student's appreciation of audio lecture notes and, for me, this highlighted the value of the recorded voice (Fidler et al., 2006). It showed that audio could capture not only what the lecturer said, but the essence of the live lecture experience. Students at the time explained that it enabled them to re-listen to what was said and that it even allowed them to be cognitively transported back to the original experience. They believed they were able to re-engage with their own thought patterns, as well as the actual lecture content. Based on this student appreciation of the audio lecture notes I realised that more could be done: that audio could be used to provide feedback to students. Fidler, A., Middleton, A. and Nortcliffe, A. (2006). Providing added value to lecture materials to an iPod generation. 6th Conference of the International Consortium for Educational Development, Sheffield, U

Considering the Smartphone Learner: developing innovation to investigate the opportunities for students and their interest

Ownership of mobile smartphones amongst the general consumer, professionals and students is growing exponentially. The potential for smartphones in education builds upon experience described in the extensive literature on mobile learning from the previous decade which suggests that the ubiquity, multi-functionality and connectivity of mobile devices offers a new and potentially powerful networked learning environment. This paper reports on a collaborative study conducted by an undergraduate student with the support of two members of academic staff. The research sought to establish the extent to which students are autonomously harnessing smartphone technology to support their learning and the nature of this use. Initial findings were explored through student interviews. The study found that students who own smartphones are largely unaware of their potential to support learning and, in general, do not install smartphone applications for that purpose. They are, however, interested in and open to the potential as they become familiar with the possibilities for a range of purposes. The paper proposes that more consideration needs to be given to smartphones as platforms to support formal, informal and autonomous learner engagement. The study also reflects on its collaborative methodology and the challenges associated with academic innovation

About using iPhones/iTouches for project supervision

The iPhone or iTouch lends itself to capturing tutor-student project supervision conversations. The iPhone/iTouch audio Recorder Pro app is an easy-to-use audio memo application that enables users to record project supervision meetings lasting up to about half an hour. The recordings can be emailed as an attachment to the student using a wireless network, so providing the student with an accessible way to re engage with what was said

How can Blackboard assist in Assessment and Facilitation of Knowledge Exchange?

In the age of Internet, students become acquainted with World Wide Web as an alternative information resource and method of displaying information, opposed to hardcopies of data. This paper examines the use of such an e-learning tool as an alternative approach to traditional support materials and assessment. The e-learning tool used in question is Blackboard. Blackboard is an electronic medium that enables academics to provide a fully and integrated electronic resource locally and remotely for students studying the course. Blackboard can be more than a tool for posting lecture notes and posting announcements. Blackboard has the potential to become an integrated component of a module both in terms of; disseminating and facilitating the learning of course material and theory, an alternative and novel method of assessment. In addition the tool provides the means for the academic to monitor the student learning outside the classroom. This paper presents the results of applying such an e-learning tool over a three academic cohorts to support learning, teaching and assessment of a network programming module. The results include the analysis of the summative results (pass rates) of the assessments and the students’ formative reflection and review of the module and Blackboard. The paper will finally conclude with the academics reflections of Blackboard and how Blackboard can form a pivotal role in a module in terms of learning, outcomes and analysis of academic performance of the students

HE BYOD—ready or not?

This chapter presents the results and analysis of a quantitative study of students and staff at Sheffield Hallam University on how they are using their own smart devices to support student learning and enhance the student experience at Sheffield Hallam University. It also looks at which smart apps staff and students use

Student-driven module: promoting independent learning

Programming courses by their nature can be very dry. The question is can a student driven course provide an opportunity for a higher level of learning. This paper intends to present the results and analysis of such an innovative approach and the student's reactions to taking responsibility for a module in network programming

Embedding professional experiences and employability into Engineering Sandwich Degrees

Employers of graduate and placement engineers require the students to demonstrate a level of competency in key technical and employability skills in their placement/graduate applications. Therefore any employability development learning in any engineering courses needs to be supported by engineering professionals with commercial/professional knowledge and appreciation of organizations/recruitment processes. Also, provide a learning experience and opportunities that enable students to self identify, reflect and articulate their relevant engineering and employability skills required for placement and graduate roles. Is embedding employability into the curriculum design the solution to the problem? If, ‘yes’, how effective is such an approach in providing an authentic and supported employability learning experience? This paper will present an example of an embedded employability curriculum design solution applied to engineering courses. In the first year of implementation the student engagement in the placement process increased by 8-fold, less than 6% of students in 2009-2010 were registered as not engaged, in comparison to the previous year where 50% were not engaged in the voluntary non embedded employability sessions. However, from the student’s perspective can this success be attributed to the embedded curriculum design solution? This paper presents the quantitative and qualitative results of the student perspective and experience of the curriculum design solution and whether it has had a positive contributing factor on their employability

Multi-regional fuzzy control for a pH neutralisation process.

pH control is the process of adding acid or base to opposing solutions aiming to achieve a solution of pH 7, defined as neutral solution. The function of the controller is to achieve a neutral output of the system. This in itself is not an easy problem to solve as pH control of a neutralisation process is a difficult non-linear control problem. This is largely due to the inherent non-linear behavior of pH measurement, and is further complicated by variable time delays in the process. The relationship between pH measurement and volume ratio of acid to base is non-linear and characteristically described as an S-type curve relationship. Therefore the pH control problem can be considered as posing three different regions of sensitivity for control. For this reason alone conventional methods of control provide unsatisfactory control results, as can only truly accommodate one region scenario. This paper presents both simulated and practical results of applying a unique fizzy logic method to control the pH process, utilising the novel concept of mutli-regional PD type fuzzy logic control. Each region of sensitivity is assigned a unique fuzzy logic model and set of rules. The results are placed in context with the results of conventional means and traditional PD type fuzzy logic control combined with a variable transformation technique. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the methods in achieving the objective, that is an output of pH