A presentation from the Arts and Humanities Annual Conference 2014.
This paper is based on the findings of a HEA funded teaching scholarship project which considers how digital technologies can be used to create opportunities for the development and assessment of verbal communication skills particularly in blended and distance learning settings. It critically evaluates the effectiveness and wider applicability of a form of assessment included in the OU’s Religious Studies module A332 'Why is religion controversial?' where students are required to digitally record an oral presentation and submit it electronically as an audio file. It investigates how students perceive the experience of delivering recording and receiving feedback on a presentation given to a virtual audience in an asynchronous setting. It also considers tutors’ views on the benefits and challenges of providing effective feedback on oral presentations in distance or blended teaching and learning settings.
