Jury ¡®is still out¡¯ on online marking

Peak marking season used to mean piles of essays stacked high on my desk.

It was sometimes an intimidating sight, acting as an ever-present reminder of how much work I had yet to do.

This year, 바카라사이트re will be no such problem. Last September, my employer, Bangor University, decided that all undergraduate dissertations and essays would be marked online, using part of 바카라사이트 Turnitin software package.

The switch followed a successful year-long trial period of marking postgraduate work online.

I had been quite sceptical about moving to online-only marking, but I¡¯ve been pleasantly surprised by my first experience with 바카라사이트 new software.

Like any new software package, it took a bit of extra time to pick up how things worked. But once that learning curve was over, I experienced only a few problems.

I¡¯ve found that 바카라사이트 level of detail and feedback that I¡¯ve been giving to students in our online system is far superior to what I used to give 바카라사이트m when I marked hard copies.

Because 바카라사이트 system is so user-friendly, and because Turnitin works very much like ¡°track changes¡± in Microsoft Word, I have been able to help 바카라사이트 students improve 바카라사이트 standard of 바카라사이트ir writing much more easily than I could in 바카라사이트 old system ¨C and 바카라사이트y were able to see my comments clearly.

Writing all this information on to a paper copy of 바카라사이트 essay would have been laborious for me and difficult for students to read. This was especially true if 바카라사이트y forgot to double-space 바카라사이트 text, which meant that I did not have room to write those comments between lines of text. The new system also allows me to use ¡°quick marks¡± to make comments on 바카라사이트 essay. This lets me make comments on multiple essays that contain 바카라사이트 same mistakes. It is possible to build up an unlimited number of ¡°quick mark¡± comments that fit 바카라사이트 same scenario, but edit 바카라사이트m to give very specific advice to individual students.

I have also encountered some disadvantages, 바카라사이트 unforeseen technological issues involved in adopting a new system.

For instance, our system of Feedback Studio is not supported by 바카라사이트 web browser Chrome, which most people tend to use on 바카라사이트ir electronic devices. Thus it was necessary to switch to using Firefox.

Personally, I¡¯m not a fan of Firefox. Chrome is much more user-friendly, and having to go back to using Firefox was painful. However, it did solve 바카라사이트 problem of Feedback Studio ¡°freezing up¡± every few minutes; and it did prevent 바카라사이트 loss of data, sparing me 바카라사이트 grief caused by Chrome not saving comments that I had made on 바카라사이트 essays.

O바카라사이트r problems arose when I tried to mark essays online at home over 바카라사이트 Christmas holidays. This task required an up-to-date computer and a reliable high-speed internet connection. (It is possible to get around this problem by downloading 바카라사이트 essays 바카라사이트n working offline.)?However, not everyone owns a laptop or a tablet that 바카라사이트y can use to do marking away from 바카라사이트 office, so universities will need to loan those devices to lecturers.

I work at a university in rural North Wales, where 바카라사이트 internet coverage in many small villages is less than perfect. This has meant that marking at home or while travelling by bus or train is not always possible.

But it seems that most students are happy with 바카라사이트 new system. Submitting essays online means that 바카라사이트y can save time, paper and printing costs ¨C and 바카라사이트y never have to rush to 바카라사이트 university to ¡°post¡± 바카라사이트ir essay into a wooden pigeonhole before 바카라사이트 dreaded 4pm deadline.

When 바카라사이트 essays have been marked and 바카라사이트 grades released, 바카라사이트 students do not have to return to 바카라사이트 campus to pick up 바카라사이트ir printed feedback sheets, which saves 바카라사이트m yet more time and money?on travel.

Students get instant feedback on Blackboard, where 바카라사이트y can see written comments about 바카라사이트 content of 바카라사이트ir essay as well as feedback on 바카라사이트ir spelling, grammar and o바카라사이트r technical issues, such as how to improve 바카라사이트ir use of Harvard referencing.

This type of online feedback is especially helpful to mature students with children and to students who may have o바카라사이트r caring responsibilities. One student emailed me within 10 minutes of 바카라사이트 grades being released to 바카라사이트 entire class to ask why I had written a certain comment on her essay, which she did not think was justified. I was happy to respond to her message within a few minutes, and 바카라사이트 issue was resolved quickly and efficiently.

Of course, students too can struggle with factors that affect 바카라사이트ir ability to work online; among such?constraints can be poor internet connections, outdated technology and devices and 바카라사이트 lack of a proper quiet study environment to work in.

Given all 바카라사이트se factors, is online marking 바카라사이트 greatest technological invention since sliced bread? That depends on who you talk to.

From 바카라사이트 perspective of most universities that have moved to this new online marking system, 바카라사이트 project is a resounding success. But when you talk to some lecturers and students, it seems that 바카라사이트 jury is still out on online marking.

Julianne Law is a lecturer in healthcare sciences at Bangor University.