Talking to Students

For some time, writing teachers have used audio feedback to assess students' work. But previous methods using audiocassettes are now dated or impractical for online or distance classrooms. Voice commentary can still be used to evaluate students' writing, however, using Microsoft Word's commenting feature for embedding voice comments. This article explains why this method of commentary is used; discusses students' reactions to the method, tracked over a 2-year period; and provides detailed instructions for using the software.