Applying to your context

One question that often springs to mind when considering adopting a new method or technology is will this take me more or less time? Thankfully, creating video feedback doesn’t require much technical expertise. Most screen-capture video programs are simple and user-friendly, so it shouldn’t take much time to set up and learn. Once you have that in place, you will probably find that video feedback is quicker than written feedback, especially providing an in-depth explanation or commentary about something that spans across a paper. Ideally, limit the video to five minutes to keep it manageable for the student. Don’t feel the need to re-do the video if it isn’t perfect – it doesn’t have to be! There’s no need to spend time scripting, rehearsing or editing the video so it is polished. Instead, speak conversationally and naturally as this not only feels friendlier to the student but also can aid understanding. It will also make giving feedback more efficient for you.

Another question you might have is do we need to use video feedback? Of course, in some cases written comments or a rubric might be a better, more effective method, particularly with a task focussed on skills and procedures rather than higher-level thinking. On the other hand, video feedback is useful for giving a verbal explanation, showing a visual demonstration and discussing an issue that spans across the text/paper. So, make use of the visual element to aid meaning. Highlight sentences or sections, circle the pointer and move through the text. Also remember that you can show things such as unit outlines, the online class space, the marking rubric, learning support websites and resources, or an essay scaffold.

Of course, as with any mode of feedback, there is still the potential for screen-capture video feedback to be poor quality and a one way ‘transmission’ of information. It’s important we keep in mind good practice principles when giving feedback in any mode; for example, that it is constructive, engaging, understandable, actionable, timely, individualised, empowering, and manageable. This ‘gold standard’ feedback can be challenging and time consuming to provide in writing, and affordances of video feedback has significant potential to improve feedback provided to students. Because screen-cast video feedback is perceived as being more personal and conversational, it can help provide students with the opportunity to engage in conversations about learning in a more natural way that is closer to a two-way dialogue, especially when students are given the chance to respond (Winstone & Carless, 2020; Payne, 2022).