The QAS is a prototype MS Word add-in, providing a system for administering two-way feedback on the handwritten and digitally-written tasks of students. I designed and developed the QAS between 2003 and 2009, and it was the subject of my PhD, completed in 2012.

1. by
Howard M Gaukrodger
University of Waikato

2.  Feedback is crucial
 “The importance of feedback for student learning cannot be
overstated”1.
 Resubmission
 “Unless students are able to use feedback to produce improved
work, through for example redoing the same assignment,
neither they nor those giving feedback will know that it has been
effective”2.
 1. Gipps, C. (2003 ) "Should universities adopt ICT−based assessment Exchange Spring 2003?" Effective Use of VLEs:
e−Assessment, 26-27.
 2. Boud, D. (2000). "Sustainable assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society." Studies in Continuing
Education 22(2): 151-167.

3.  Feedback context:
• English for Speakers of Other Languages
 The feedback process is vital because:
• using codes, the student has to think about his/her
mistakes
• the level of feedback detail is essentially different from
that used in other disciplines, because it drills down to
the character / phoneme / word level.
• Without understanding their mistakes, students will not
learn.

4.  Because the QAS mediates:
• teacher to student communication of:
• language errors and praise
• and student to teacher communication of:
• initial response to task instructions
• response to teacher feedback
on submissions and resubmissions.
This is feedback dialogue.

5. “Various studies have criticized written
teacher feedback as hasty, inconsistent...
unclear, and discouraging to students”1
Teachers say:
• It takes too long
• Students don’t read it
Overall, there is no effective system for
managing the feedback process.
1. Milton, J. (2006). Resource-rich Web-based feedback. Helping learners become independent writers

6. • Pros:
• feedback is faster;
• a system could improve task administration;
• collaboration and reviews;
• customisable and quick reports.

7. • Cons:
• Less-competent ICT-users may be reluctant to
adopt this tool
• Requires institutional acceptance (investment /
implementation / maintenance)

9.  A prototype feedback management tool
 A pull-down menu in Microsoft Word to insert correction
codes and customisable comments
 A report-creation tool
 A repository to view and collaborate on past and present
tasks

14. The student’s work written in MS Word and marked
using the QAS-WP drop-down menu.

18.  Handwritten tasks
 Comparative reports
 Tailored feedback
 Works the way most ESOL teachers work
 Accommodates students’ feedback wishes
 Facilitates collaboration
 Its modular structure makes it suitable for a range
of applications

19. by
Howard M Gaukrodger
University of Waikato
Thank you for your attention