Renaissance Mom Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) I teach writing both in our virtual co-op and for an online course provider. I have always had students upload their papers to whichever classroom management software platform (i.e. Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas) our co-op or the online academy uses, then I download the student papers, mark them up and add feedback using a combination of the Word review/comment function and the comment/mark up function of Adobe Acrobat Pro, and then return the paper to the students via the classroom management platform. I have no issues with the downloading/uploading systems. Since they are determined by the co-op or the online academy I teach for, I am not concerned with changing or tweaking any of their requirements. However, I have been wondering if I can make my part easier or more functional by using a stylus to mark issues, annotate, and add a better level of feedback to student papers. I've looked online at Microsoft Surface Pro computers and at iPad Pro tablets, both of which seem to allow fairly straightforward annotation with a stylus, but fall over in a dead faint when I see the price tags. I have wondered about Wacom tablets which are often designed for either graphic arts or for very high end use. I can't get my head around how (or if) something like a Wacom tablet would work for giving writing feedback and be affordable. I can't help but think that I am missing something obvious. Does anyone have experience with marking up and giving feedback on writing assignments for remote students? Do you have any suggestions for what works for you? What hasn't worked for you? Specific product recommendations would be nice. I'm not a techie but am willing to learn. TIA. Edited July 25, 2017 by Renaissance Mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Derek Owens must do something like this because the feedback he gives is handwritten. You could email him and ask. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I use a Wacom tablet to mark my online math classes' tests and quizzes. If the editing program you are using allows you to 'draw' with your mouse then a graphics tablet would make that look much nicer. They do not work in all programs. Also-- I can use my tablet as a mouse too (but I usually switch back and forth-- all I do is pick up my graphics pen and touch the mat and it is switched over... The best way for me to mark papers is to pull the document into a 'paint' program-- I have a Mac (Paintbrush)--but I did the same on my old Window's computer with MS Paint. By using the paint program I can annotate by either writing (using tablet to quickly draw/mark/underline) or I can easily add a text box if I need to 'use words'. The downside is that I have to import each page separately and I still have students who think that 1-2 problems per page is fine at the high school level... The Adobe annotate feature is too awkward for me-- but may work fine for what you do. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 FWIW, Jann's corrections are always clear and easy to understand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renaissance Mom Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) I use a Wacom tablet to mark my online math classes' tests and quizzes. If the editing program you are using allows you to 'draw' with your mouse then a graphics tablet would make that look much nicer. They do not work in all programs. Also-- I can use my tablet as a mouse too (but I usually switch back and forth-- all I do is pick up my graphics pen and touch the mat and it is switched over... The best way for me to mark papers is to pull the document into a 'paint' program-- I have a Mac (Paintbrush)--but I did the same on my old Window's computer with MS Paint. By using the paint program I can annotate by either writing (using tablet to quickly draw/mark/underline) or I can easily add a text box if I need to 'use words'. The downside is that I have to import each page separately and I still have students who think that 1-2 problems per page is fine at the high school level... The Adobe annotate feature is too awkward for me-- but may work fine for what you do. Thanks, this gives me something to think about. Importing a 5-6 page paper times 25-30 students at one page at a time doesn't exactly sound like a productivity improvement, though! :o I do wonder if Microsoft Word 2013 on a Windows 10 OS would work. It has an ink function that I haven't been able to turn on without a tablet... Edited July 25, 2017 by Renaissance Mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renaissance Mom Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 Derek Owens must do something like this because the feedback he gives is handwritten. You could email him and ask. I did email him four days ago and haven't received a response yet. I don't know if he teaches summer classes, is on vacation, or doesn't want to share his process. I hope he does respond, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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