Integrating self-assessment activities in online and blended-learning environments

Description

In response to the Covid 19 pandemic, most Higher Education institutions around the world have shifted to either online or blended learning modes (Carius, 2020; Paudel, 2020). In the area of Translation and Interpreting Studies, this migration to online learning was aligned with an increased use of remote interpreting namely in the healthcare sector (Mullan, 2020) and international institutions (UNDGC, 2020). Within these modes of learning, asynchronous activities play a key part in the education/training of interpreting students. This presentation reports on the results of a pilot study conducted to explore the potential of technology based self-assessment as an asynchronous activity. The use of self-assessment in interpreter education/training is not new and has a proven to be pedagogically advantageous in developing the ability of students to work independently. In addition to being a required learning outcome, this ability is a desirable competence for an interpreter. (Sandrelli & de Manuel Jerez, 2007; Kornakov, 2000). However, students are found to scarcely engage with this activity. Our hypothesis was that the introduction of a technological tool such as video annotation would increase the level of students’ engagement, resulting in more autonomy in learning.

To test this hypothesis, we conducted a pilot study where a 12-week online liaison- interpreting course was offered to translation and interpreting post-graduate students. During the course, students attended a one-hour lecture and one-hour practice synchronous session. Participants were requested to complete a self-assessment interpreting task asynchronously on a weekly basis. A video annotation tool -GoReact- was used for the asynchronous activity. Students uploaded their recordings into the video annotation tool and used it to assess how they performed in all three components of the activity- content, language and delivery- using time stamped comments. At the end of the course, participants responded to a reflective questionnaire and took part in reflective interviews.

Preliminary analysis of part of the data (self-assessment using GoReact and the questionnaire) showed a high understanding of the self-assessment process based on the rich and varied language used to reflect. Most of the students reported that the video annotation tool made self-assessment easier compared to other previously used methods. The quantitative analysis showed a higher focus on the assessment of the delivery followed by attention to language and content. This was an unexpected result given that content carries more weight in formal assessments.

Period	26 May 2021
Event title	Centre for Translation & Interpreting Studies in Scotland: Research Presentation
Event type	Seminar
Location	Edinburgh , United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	Local