64 English Journal 101.2 (2011): 64–67
I wanted my comments to be useful to students as
they revised, not to serve as a defense of the score.
Before turning in drafts, students in my class
reflected on their work and identified the particular
kind of feedback they wanted on the assignment,
which is one effective way of ensuring students’
purposes for their writing guides the way I read
their writing. Following Donald M. Murray’s con-
ference pattern, I focused on each student’s request
as I read, making little checks or stars on the page
to indicate where I had a comment or suggestion.
After reviewing the entire draft, I returned to the
beginning and opened the voice memos application
on my iPhone. The methods described here could
also be undertaken with an inexpensive tape re-
corder or free recording software such as Audacity.
To keep my comments organized and to help
students navigate my response, I wrote numbers in
the margins of the paper and spoke those numbers
into the audio recording just before I delivered my
praise, questions, or suggestions. For this excel-
lent improvement to my practice, I am grateful to
Emily, one of the first students to select the audio
comments option. When I finished my recording, I
sent the writer an email with an MP3 attachment.
The student’s draft and a sticky note containing my
prerecording notes were returned during the fol-
lowing class period.
As I experimented with providing student
feedback via audio comments, I began to survey
the students who selected this option. I explained
that using audio comments was an instructional ex-
periment, and that I was interested in their sugges-
tions and feedback to make my practice as effective
A teacher finds using
software to make audio
comments on students’
writing improves students’
understanding of her
responses and increases
their willingness to take
her suggestions for revision
more seriously.
Sara Bauer
When I Stopped Writing
on Their Papers:
Accommodating the
Needs of Student Writers
with Audio Comments
his is the story of how, one snowy
Sunday afternoon, I curled up in the
corner of my sofa, read one of my
students’ essays, and refused to pick
up my pen. Instead, I thought about what I would
say to this student if we had the luxury of confer-
encing about his writing. I considered his topic and
why it excited me, how he got my attention as a
reader, the questions that persisted after I read, and
a few suggestions to help him improve the clarity
of the writing. Then, I picked up my smartphone
and recorded my thoughts. Talking into my phone
made me feel like I was in conversation. “Hey,
Kevin . . . Ms. Bauer here. So I just finished read-
ing your essay and here’s what I’m thinking . . . .”
Leaning back into the sofa cushions as I spoke, I felt
relaxed, yet focused—professional, yet friendly—
exactly the way I feel on a very good day in my
classroom. Once I finished, I couldn’t resist the
temptation to play it back. What I heard convinced
me that my pens should stay in my school bag until
Monday morning.
In the process of recording audio comments, I
came to a new understanding of my students’ writ-
ing needs and my responsibilities as their writing
instructor. I began to offer audio comments as a
feedback option for early drafts on significant writ-
ing assignments. The other options were traditional
handwritten comments and suggestions using the
Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word. My ob-
jective was to provide substantial and useful sugges-
tions for improving a draft that would be submitted
for evaluation at a later time. Audio comments did
not accompany a scored piece of writing because I
T
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65English Journal
Sara Bauer
students; with audio comments, the instructor can
qualify his/her language, adjust volume, use preg-
nant pauses, etc. in offering the student feedback
on concerns in a paper. These dynamics help to
communicate the problems in a student’s writing
with care and empathy.”
As a teacher using audio comments to re-
spond to students’ drafts, I learned that it is easy
to make a critical remark in the space of a few
words, but praise is not considered sincere unless
it is elaborate. Students want to know why the in-
structor likes their writing
or what makes a particular
sentence powerful or effec-
tive. Not only is this kind
of information a pleasure
to receive, it provides the
writer with a template for
following one successful
performance with another
one in the future.
Tip: No matter how
many errors I find in a
paper, I make a point of
opening audio comments
with praise for some aspect
of the writing and closing
the recording with words of encouragement for the
next draft. Even the level of difficulty the student
has taken on with his or her selection of topic could
be a source of praise. Beginning and ending with
praise helps me maintain an empathetic stance to-
ward the writer throughout the audio commentary.
After all, it’s the writer’s purpose and effectiveness
on which I’m commenting, not my own idea of
what the writing should accomplish.
Students’ Responses to Audio Feedback:
The Importance of Specificity
The students recognized and appreciated that my
recorded comments referred specifically to their
method of handling a topic or their strengths and
challenges as writers, often remarking that the de-
gree of specificity made the audio recording easy to use
or easy to understand.
• “The comment that was most useful was the
one that told me precisely where I could
include research in my story.”—Dan
as possible. After three years of experimentation
with audio comments, I uncovered several themes
among student responses. These themes confirm
the research that has been conducted in the field
and demonstrate how audio-recorded feedback ac-
commodates student writers by addressing their
individual needs.
Students’ Responses to Audio Feedback:
Personal Engagement and Confidence
My students expressed that they felt personally en-
gaged in the process of receiving feedback with their
frequent references to their feelings and level of
confidence. In making audio comments, I was able
to incorporate many elements of a successful writ-
ing conference such as making a personal connec-
tion and getting to know the writer, while avoiding
the chaos of trying to conduct conferences during
class time.
• “Keep making it personal because it really
helps!”—Mike
• “I feel like they [audio comments] are more
personal because I am able to hear your opin-
ion through emotions and more detailed
descriptions.”—Ashli
• “I liked knowing what aspects of my writing
you enjoyed. This made me confident in
those sections or ideas that I previously was
not.”—Ali
• “I heard more about what you thought of my
paper instead of just reading small comments
on the side of the page.”—Amy
• “With audio comments, I like how the tone
of the editor comes into effect. This makes
the critique less harsh, and easier to
understand.”—Prajoth
In her qualitative study of audio vs. hand-
written instructor comments in three developmen-
tal college writing classes, Susan Sipple found that
students perceived audio comments as more moti-
vating than handwritten ones, which she attributed
to “an increase in the amount of praise they received
on papers where they were given audio comments”
(24).
According to Andrew Cavanaugh, who advo-
cates audio comments at the university level, “Text-
based comments often ‘sound’ terse when read by
In making audio
comments, I was able
to incorporate many
elements of a successful
writing conference such
as making a personal
connection and getting
to know the writer,
while avoiding the chaos
of trying to conduct
conferences during
class time.
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66 November 2011
When I Stopped Writing on Their Papers: Accommodating the Needs of Student Writers with Audio Comments
Students’ Responses to Audio
Feedback: Comprehension
The most gratifying responses I received from stu-
dents were those in which students confirmed their
understanding of a particular comment I had made
on the recording or acknowledged that one of my
suggestions did prove useful in revision.
• “The suggestion that I should have broken
my story into different journal entries to
improve my time usage. My story will flow
better with multiple entries.”—Erin
• “After re-reading the ending, I agree that an
email would have properly put a close to the
story. It gave me insight on the fact that it is
important to stick to a style when
writing.”—Maria
• “Global revisions were the most useful, but
the explanation of misplaced modifiers will
keep me from doing it in the future.”—CJ
The practice of making audio comments goes
beyond assisting students with revising a particular
assignment. I was able to target my instruction so
that students could learn about themselves as writ-
ers and develop strategies for avoiding common
pitfalls on future assignments, thereby strengthen-
ing their writing performance over the year.
Since students reflected on their experience
days after listening to audio comments, their rec-
ollection of specific suggestions indicates that they
listened carefully and repeatedly, thus maximizing
the benefit of the feedback and increasing the like-
lihood that they have internalized advice and will
be able to access it in future writing situations.
Most students reported listening to my com-
ments at least two times as they worked on the next
draft of the assignment. Noah described his process
as follows: “I listen, then review my writing. Then
listen and review what I wrote again. Finally, I re-
vise my writing and listen once more to see if I can
catch anything else from the audio comments.”
Audio recordings are portable and easy to use,
making them an ideal teaching tool. Former stu-
dents have told me that they still have my MP3
recordings on their iPods, and that occasionally,
when they have the device in shuffle mode, they
are transported back to sophomore year when they
hear my voice. Though many traditionalists might
• “I liked how you marked my page and
explained the mark in the audio comment. It
was easier to follow, and it was very specific,
describing which points needed more elabo-
ration in order to be convincing.”—Arianna
• “The part where you specifically suggested a
segue sentence that would work well.”—Sam
Haven’t we all been the recipients of generic
comments running down the margins of a paper?
“Develop. More details needed.” “Unclear.” These
messages are frustrating because writers know they
could apply to any paper. Without a specific context
in which to apply the comment, students often mis-
understand such comments or misinterpret them as
criticism. This is no less true in audio commentary,
but audio commentary makes it easier to be more
specific than traditional, writ-
ten commentary does.
In his defense of audio
comments as pedagogically
sound and ergonomically nec-
essary, Cavanaugh argues that
the “thorough narrative that
the instructor is allowed to pro-
vide affords the student a rich
learning experience.” I wish
I could report that recording
audio comments significantly
reduces the amount of time I
spent on each student paper. It
doesn’t. However, audio feed-
back enables my comments to
become much more developed
and targeted to the individual
writer than they had been when
I confined myself to cryptic and
cramped notes written in the
margins. Generally, I remarked on 5 to 15 aspects of
the writing in a recording of four to twelve minutes
in length. In the same amount of time, I commented
on far fewer items in greater depth.
Tip: When delivering suggestions for revi-
sion, attempt to indicate several ways the student
might improve one weak aspect of the writing,
rather than deliver a single, authoritative sugges-
tion. In this way, the student learns by weighing
the alternatives and selecting (or creating) one that
is most appropriate for the writing situation.
I wish I could report
that recording audio
comments significantly
reduces the amount of
time I spent on each
student paper. It doesn’t.
However, audio feedback
enables my comments
to become much more
developed and targeted
to the individual writer
than they had been
when I confined myself
to cryptic and cramped
notes written
in the margins.
I guided students through the process. I think a compelling
topic, a convincing voice, and well-chosen details
are more important than writing mechanics.
When I stopped writing on my students’ pa-
pers and made use of audio
comments instead, I discov-
ered that assessment, which
I had always regarded as a
chore, could be a powerful
teaching tool and a means of
helping my students com-
municate their thoughts
and opinions in effective
and engaging ways. Re-
cording audio comments
has helped me deliver feed-
back on student work that
is compatible with my prac-
tice of student-centered,
responsive writing instruction. And I think my stu-
dents can hear the difference.
Works Cited
Cavanaugh, Andrew. “Audio Comments in the Online
Classroom Pedagogically Sound, Ergonomically
Necessary.” DE Oracle @ UMUC. Center for Support
of Instruction, University of Maryland. May–June
2006. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.
online-pedagogy/assessment-feedback-rubrics/using-
audio.html>.
Murray, Donald M. A Writer Teaches Writing. Boston: Thom-
son/Heinle, 2004. Print.
Sipple, Susan. “Ideas in Practice: Developmental Writers’
Attitudes toward Audio and Written Feedback.”
Journal of Developmental Education 30.3 (2007):
22–31. Print.
Sommers, Jeff, and Susan Sipple. “Benefits for Students.”
A Heterotopic Space. Sue Sipple and Jeff Sommers.
2005. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.
ohio.edu/sommerjd/about_students.htm>.
argue that communication via digital media is im-
personal, I contend that it offers a means for the
instructor to interact with the student when and
where the student feels most comfortable.
Jeff Sommers and Susan Sipple, who advocate
digitized audio commentary, state that one impor-
tant advantage of audio comments is that they “can
be listened to (again and again) at the student’s
convenience.” The title of their website, A Hetero-
topic Space, makes reference to the capacity of digital
media to help instructors create a space outside the
traditional classroom—a space in which students
can consume and respond to comments at their own
pace and in a comfortable environment.
Tip: Invite students to discuss how they use
your audio comments and suggestions during the
revision process, and devote some instructional
time to providing strategies for deciding how to
implement suggestions at the global (revision) and
local (editing) levels. This instruction may include
some discussion of the fact that it’s possible to con-
sider a suggestion and ultimately reject it. After
all, the objective is to help students become better
writers, not just to improve the quality of a par-
ticular assignment or hold up the instructor’s sug-
gestions as the only means of improvement. I have
found that using audio comments helps students to
see that my comments are meant more as suggestions
than as corrections of their writing.
When I began my career as a teacher, I thought
my job was to show students what was wrong with
their writing and how to fix it. My focus was on
the product. The skill I held most dear was edit-
ing. These days, my primary purpose is to convince
the writer that his or her work is worthy of tak-
ing through another draft. My focus is on coaching
Though many
traditionalists
might argue that
communication via
digital media is
impersonal, I contend
that it offers a means for
the instructor to interact
with the student when
and where the student
feels most comfortable.
Sara Bauer is co-director of The National Writing Project at Rutgers University. She teaches gifted and talented students at Morris Hills Regional District in Rockaway, New Jersey, and instructs graduate courses at Rutgers University. Email her at
sarapomegranate@mac.com.
READWRITETHINK CONNECTION Lisa Storm Fink, RWT
The author shares an innovative approach to responding to student writing. ReadWriteThink.org’s “How to Revise
and Edit” describes strategies for students to begin revising and editing any piece of writing. While revising, the students are asked to “read as a reader,” “read as a writer,” and “read as an editor.” http://www.readwritethink
.org/parent-afterschool-resources/tips-howtos/revise-edit-30116.html
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