This document summarizes an empirical study that evaluated the use of digital pens and associated technologies to enhance the assessment feedback process. The study found that digital pens allowed lecturers to provide feedback more conveniently while maintaining their preferred paper-based marking style. Students received feedback more quickly through this new process. Both students and lecturers provided positive feedback on the digital pen technology, finding benefits like personalized feedback, portability, and reduced administrative burdens. However, some limitations with the pen technology and software were also identified.

1. Empirical study to evaluate the use of
Digital Pens and its associated technologies to
enhance the assessment feedback process
Innovations in Technology Supported Learning (ITSL)
Rapid innovation in the use of Emerging Technologies to enhance educational practice 2009-10

2. Where the project idea came from?
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• Communicating with academics
• Analysing the situation
• ‘ViewFinder’ University student survey
• Levels 4 and 5
• National Student Survey (NSS)
• Level 6
“ ....I can’t keep staring at the monitor for hours and hours
to mark and give feedback on each assignment.... especially
when I have more than 8 modules to mark...I prefer to use an
alternative medium!...I am more comfortable with paper as I can
carry it everywhere with me”

3. Current practice
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Student
Lecturer
Digital
submission
Non-Digital Feedback Admin Role
VLE
Print,
mark &
feedback

4. Enhanced practice
4
Student
Lecturer
Digital
submission VLE
VLEDigital Feedback
Print,
mark &
feedback

5. Project Rational
• Feedback immediacy – Chickering & Gamson (1987)
• Practitioners engagement
• Meeting lecturer needs
– Marking style
– Health and Safety
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6. Project Team
Lesley Drumm
Award Leader
Faculty of Computing, Engineering
and Technology
Students
“Applied Research Methods and
Professional Development” module
Hamza Badenjiki
Learning Development Specialist
Academic Development Unit
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7. Aims
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Students experience
Staff engagement
Reduce administrative burdens
Digital Pens & Paper evaluation

8. Original Methodology
Semester 1 group will receive
a paper-based feedback
Semester 2 group will receive
an electronic feedback
Gather students evaluation feedback through a
questionnaire and interviews.
Gather tutors evaluation through interviews. 8

9. Modified Methodology
• Due to the delay of the
equipment's arrival, the
methodology was modified.
• The tutor had to experiment the
technology with semester 2
group
Gather students evaluation feedback through a
questionnaire and interviews.
Gather tutors evaluation through interviews. 9

10. • Pens delivery
• Training session to staff
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Staff Training

11. Hardware - Digital Pens and Paper technology
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12. Software – ‘fastdox’
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13. Evaluation
• Tutors perspective:
– Benefits:
• Personalised feedback
• No changes for working practice
• Short learning curve
• Portable and convenient
• Cheaper than a tablet PC
• Ability to view document on-line as handwriting
– Limitations
• The pen is rather chunky and is strange to write with initially
• Battery life
• Pens are easy to lose
• If the memory in the pen is full, data may be over-written
• Printing setup issue
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14. Students perspective:
• Benefits:
• The students gave positive feedback about the speed of receipt of
feedback
• The majority of students approved the new method of receiving the
feedback
• Nearly all the students felt that the new method did not affect the
personalisation aspect
• Limitation:
• Screen Reader issue
• Clarity of handwriting
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Evaluation

15. Further Development
• Text recognition feature should be developed in ‘fastdox’
application – “Inkwork”
• Workflow functionality has to be enhanced to enable tutors to
submit all documents from ‘fastdox’ to a shared drive
• Integration with Blackboard
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16. Lessons Learned
• Emailing the feedback sheets through
Blackboard was the quickest option
• For future similar projects, the University
procedures should be streamlined.
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17. Would the technology be useful in
other disciplines?
• When lecturers want to mark paper assignments (for modules
with small numbers)
• For marking presentations in class – the sheet can be handed
immediately to students and a copy is stored on the digital pen
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18. Dissemination
• The outcomes of the project was disseminated to teaching staff
across the University
– Project Blog
– Academic Development Unit events
– Online case study
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19. Conclusion
• Digital Pens and Paper technology was evaluated from various
stakeholders perspectives.
• Students: This new approach by and large enhanced students
experience, they received a rapid and convenient feedback without
the need to travel,
• Staff: It allowed further mobility and convenience, it increased their
engagement with the feedback process
• Admin: It also reduced the administrative burdens associated with
providing feedback to students.
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20. 20
Thank you
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