Abstract:
Teaching larger, more diverse classes is an increasing challenge as
globalisation increases and public funding of higher education contracts. Feedback
and reflection are important components in improving the learning process yet are
relatively under researched. When teaching such classes there are often insufficient
resources to firstly diagnose individual learning difficulties and secondly to provide
adequate and timely feedback to assist future learning.
The motivation for this research was to develop learning resources that use
inexpensive easy to use learning technologies that would not only improve academic
productivity and the management of large diverse classes but also improve the quality
of student learning. In this paper we report on the use of online narrated presentations
called FLASH FAQs, produced using off-the-shelf software, to assist students to
overcome common conceptual stumbling blocks. We found that their use both
improved academic productivity and enhanced student learning while providing a
means of formative self-assessment.
