Play, pause, stop, rewind - Supervising final year projects using audio feedback via the VLE - experiences, reflections and practicalities.

This study aimed to ascertain student and staff attitudes to and perceptions of audio feedback made available via the virtual learning environment (VLE) for formative assessment. Consistent with action research and reflective practice this paper identifies best practice, highlighting issues in relation to implementation with the intention of redesigning activities in light of the findings. It utilises a live case study where audio feedback was provided to students using the Wimba voice email tool within Blackboard Learn+ (BB) for providing formative feedback on final year projects over a 12 week semester. The research was undertaken via staff and student focus groups and the findings indicate that there were clear benefits in terms of student learning and in particular feed-forward learning, as well as benefits for staff in terms of teaching and supporting students. This paper also makes practical recommendations for the implementation of this feedback mechanism, focusing on the most effective use of this digital medium and highlights directions for future research.