We have known for ages that feedback comes across really differently depending on the medium used, which is why in the past I always tried to give at least some of the feedback face-to-face in person, either in groups or to individuals. What excites me about the 'Sounds Good' project is that it gives us a chance to talk to students, conveying via the warmth of our voices that we really are a student-centred university and that our comments are worth taking note of. What I really hate to see is detailed hand-written feedback being given to students who ignore it, only looking at the mark. Perhaps the mark should only be given at the end of the audio file, so students need to listen to it before they find out the grade.

(Posted by Prof Sally Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Assessment, Learning and Teaching),

Leeds Metropolitan University)