How can I use Interactive Cover Sheets?

About interactive coversheets.

How can I set it up?

They should not be graded as it would be difficult to grade a students’ self-assessment. This is a feedback exercise rather than a form of assessment. However, if you feel students will not engage with this, you could consider making its completion worth a small percentage of the assignment.

You would mark the coursework as normal and the fill in the feedback on the cover sheet. You can still use Turnitin Feedback Studio or make comments on the work itself. You could choose to read the students’ requests prior to marking and address these, OR to mark as you normally would and then return to the ICS to see whether the student has identified the same issues as you.

It is important to make students aware of the cover sheets prior to submission. They should be in a prominent place on KEATS and you should specify whether they should be submitted separately (if blind marking this is important).

Online versions can be set up whereby students request their feedback anonymously.

When can it occur in a module?

To maximise its potential, it should be used for any formal or informal feedback event involving the teacher. You could introduce it earlier in the course to help students understand its purpose.

It can also be used informally as part of peer evaluation or peer marking.

 

How will I address potential challenges?

Do I need to make any modifications for accessibility/inclusivity? Can I build these into the design?

The usual reasonable  adjustments for assessment submissions should be made.

ICS can be used in combination with Personal Development Plans which the student can discuss with their personal tutor.

Some students might not be able to identify their own weaknesses. This can be mitigated by having a draft stage where comments are given (by a teacher or peers) where key areas are identified and the student has a focus.  You can also provide a pro forma rather than an open cover sheet to help give students guidance.

 

Do I need to make any modifications for large cohort sizes?

More detailed cover sheets with tick boxes which refer to specific criteria can save time. However, this only tends to work if students have had extensive training in understanding the criteria.

For modules where exams are the main assessment, perhaps consider using an exam wrapper rather than a cover sheet.

 

Will it be time consuming to set up or mark? Is there anything I can do to modify it to address this?

ICSs can increase marking burden somewhat as markers focus on and respond to the student’s requests. However, it can also reduce the need for needless feedback that is more time-consuming.

Students may comment on areas that you did not feel were problematic and omit areas which you felt were, so this should be communicated to the student. Training and consistency of using criteria, such as exemplars,  and negotiated criteria can help with this.

You will have to create the ICS. This can be based on the criteria if using a pro-forma, or leave it more open.

You can align the ICS with KEATS assignment or Turnitin. Remember with Turnitin, that the ICS pro-forma will increase the originality report score so you should explain this to students!

 

How will I introduce it to students?

It is important to make students aware of the cover sheets prior to submission, preferably  as part of the assignment brief.  They should be in a prominent place on KEATS and you should specify whether they should be submitted separately (if blind marking for summative coursework, this is important).

The students  should be informed  if you choose not to give them feedback unless they complete the sheet.