E-submission FAQs - General

Please note that this page is a subsection of the full document E-submission Frequently Asked Questions. The document is also available to download in its entirety: E-submission Frequently Asked Questions (PDF).

In February 2014 Academic Board agreed that all text-based word-processed work will be submitted electronically from September 2014. This will introduce a single assignment submission system across the university and will enable staff to make use of a variety of tools for rich feedback.

An E-submission Task and Finish Group, with representatives from academic and administrative staff and the Student Union, have spent this academic year exploring the issues relating to e-submission and developing procedures and process to help the transition to e-submission. The following FAQs are a result of this work.

 Aims

  • To provide the students with one consistent system (where possible) for submitting their assessments (stage 1).
  • To provide electronic feedback to students for the majority of  their assessments (stage 2)
  • To provide staff who wish to, the means to mark online and give electronic feedback.

Timescale

  • Stage 1 - Online submission will apply to all students and all relevant modules from September 2014. 
  • Stage 2 – Electronic feedback for all students on all relevant modules

Contents

General

Why are we now using electronic submission?

Electronic submission (e-submission) refers to the process by which a student submits work online for storage and retrieval by academic, administrative or other staff for marking and feedback. This can also include plagiarism checking using Turnitin. It provides an efficient method for collecting assessed work from students:

  • It allows for flexibility and convenience, e.g. students can submit assignments or access marks and feedback from anywhere without being restricted by office hours.
  • It also offers a wide range of opportunities for staff to provide rich feedback to students (including audio feedback). 
  • It allows for archiving of assignments, feedback and marks for future reference e.g. for external examiner access.

Students already engage online with the university in other areas such as using AberLearn Blackboard and the online timetable.

Turnitin is a third party service licensed by the University.  It allows for electronic submission of assessments through Blackboard and provides originality reports http://nexus.aber.ac.uk/xwiki/bin/view/Main/turnitin

What are the benefits to students of using e-submission and feedback?

  • One system throughout the University for all text-based, word-processed assessed work.
  • No printing for students.
  • Feedback can be typed rather than handwritten.
  • Students can view their feedback at any time through AberLearn Blackboard, which allows them to easily act upon the feedback to improve performance in future assignments.
  • What are the benefits of using e-submission, marking and feedback to the academic member of staff?
  • Staff can start to mark as soon as the submission deadline has passed (no need to wait for the office to process the coursework).
  • Staff can mark in or away from the office on a desktop computer, laptop or tablet.
  • There are a number of mechanisms for improved feedback on student work. Turnitin makes it easy for staff to record short audio clips with verbal feedback. Staff can build up their own customised sets of comments, which can be dragged and dropped directly onto student scripts. Scripts can be marked up online, reducing problems with students reading handwriting.
  • Using the system to its full potential can reduce the number of emails from students, because students can directly access their own feedback without intervention by the tutor.
  • External Examiners will be able to view a clear audit trail of the moderation process. The process will be evidenced via the online system.
  • Cost, time and sustainability efficiencies (photocopying and filing of feedback sheets)
  • Academic staff can build up a ‘bank’ of frequently used comments and insert the most appropriate comments into the feedback sheet
  • The potential for improving the quality and usefulness/timeliness of feedback
  • A reduction in uncollected student assessment feedback
  • Several academic studies have shown better engagement with electronic feedback.  An Education Department pilot project with e-feedback showed increased engagement with feedback.
  • Parity with colleagues in other universities. Most other universities in the UK and Wales are using e-submission systems.

Have students been consulted?

Yes, the Students’ Union has been involved in the implementation of this project.

Have departmental staff been consulted?

There are several academic members of staff on the Task and Finish Group. The Group has also met with the Directors of UG and PG Studies to discuss the project and its work. A member of the group met with administrative staff from every department and a presentation with Q&A was made at the Admin Forum. We will endeavour to get a short presentation delivered by an academic member of staff to departmental meetings during March, April and May 2014.

Will the system be reviewed?

Yes, the system will be under constant review once Stage 1 has been launched for September 2014 and improvements will be made where appropriate.

E-submission FAQs - General

Please note that this page is a subsection of the full document E-submission Frequently Asked Questions. The document is also available to download in its entirety: E-submission Frequently Asked Questions (PDF).

In February 2014 Academic Board agreed that all text-based word-processed work will be submitted electronically from September 2014. This will introduce a single assignment submission system across the university and will enable staff to make use of a variety of tools for rich feedback.

An E-submission Task and Finish Group, with representatives from academic and administrative staff and the Student Union, have spent this academic year exploring the issues relating to e-submission and developing procedures and process to help the transition to e-submission. The following FAQs are a result of this work.

 Aims

  • To provide the students with one consistent system (where possible) for submitting their assessments (stage 1).
  • To provide electronic feedback to students for the majority of  their assessments (stage 2)
  • To provide staff who wish to, the means to mark online and give electronic feedback.

Timescale

  • Stage 1 - Online submission will apply to all students and all relevant modules from September 2014. 
  • Stage 2 – Electronic feedback for all students on all relevant modules

Contents

General

Why are we now using electronic submission?

Electronic submission (e-submission) refers to the process by which a student submits work online for storage and retrieval by academic, administrative or other staff for marking and feedback. This can also include plagiarism checking using Turnitin. It provides an efficient method for collecting assessed work from students:

  • It allows for flexibility and convenience, e.g. students can submit assignments or access marks and feedback from anywhere without being restricted by office hours.
  • It also offers a wide range of opportunities for staff to provide rich feedback to students (including audio feedback). 
  • It allows for archiving of assignments, feedback and marks for future reference e.g. for external examiner access.

Students already engage online with the university in other areas such as using AberLearn Blackboard and the online timetable.

Turnitin is a third party service licensed by the University.  It allows for electronic submission of assessments through Blackboard and provides originality reports http://nexus.aber.ac.uk/xwiki/bin/view/Main/turnitin

What are the benefits to students of using e-submission and feedback?

  • One system throughout the University for all text-based, word-processed assessed work.
  • No printing for students.
  • Feedback can be typed rather than handwritten.
  • Students can view their feedback at any time through AberLearn Blackboard, which allows them to easily act upon the feedback to improve performance in future assignments.
  • What are the benefits of using e-submission, marking and feedback to the academic member of staff?
  • Staff can start to mark as soon as the submission deadline has passed (no need to wait for the office to process the coursework).
  • Staff can mark in or away from the office on a desktop computer, laptop or tablet.
  • There are a number of mechanisms for improved feedback on student work. Turnitin makes it easy for staff to record short audio clips with verbal feedback. Staff can build up their own customised sets of comments, which can be dragged and dropped directly onto student scripts. Scripts can be marked up online, reducing problems with students reading handwriting.
  • Using the system to its full potential can reduce the number of emails from students, because students can directly access their own feedback without intervention by the tutor.
  • External Examiners will be able to view a clear audit trail of the moderation process. The process will be evidenced via the online system.
  • Cost, time and sustainability efficiencies (photocopying and filing of feedback sheets)
  • Academic staff can build up a ‘bank’ of frequently used comments and insert the most appropriate comments into the feedback sheet
  • The potential for improving the quality and usefulness/timeliness of feedback
  • A reduction in uncollected student assessment feedback
  • Several academic studies have shown better engagement with electronic feedback.  An Education Department pilot project with e-feedback showed increased engagement with feedback.
  • Parity with colleagues in other universities. Most other universities in the UK and Wales are using e-submission systems.

Have students been consulted?

Yes, the Students’ Union has been involved in the implementation of this project.

Have departmental staff been consulted?

There are several academic members of staff on the Task and Finish Group. The Group has also met with the Directors of UG and PG Studies to discuss the project and its work. A member of the group met with administrative staff from every department and a presentation with Q&A was made at the Admin Forum. We will endeavour to get a short presentation delivered by an academic member of staff to departmental meetings during March, April and May 2014.

Will the system be reviewed?

Yes, the system will be under constant review once Stage 1 has been launched for September 2014 and improvements will be made where appropriate.