Electronic marking of electronically submittedcoursework
Tim LoweDirector of TeachingSchool of Mathematics and Statistics, The Open University
Talmo, 3 June 2020
OU Coursework
• Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs)
• Marked by tutors (!)
• Typically fourper 30-credit module
• Modules usually also have an examI Usually done face-to-face, in a hired hall
2
Student production of assignments
• Most of the University assumes Word submissionsI Marked using tracked changes etcI (Relaxed last month!)
• Maths and Stats requires students to producePDF documents
I Typeset (e.g. LATEX) [time-consuming]
I Scanned handwritingF Home scannerF Smartphone scanner app
(Adobe Scan, Microsoft Lens etc)F Camera (often worse quality output, large file size)
• Some still submit paper assignments through the post3
Student production of assignmentsPossible problems (1)
• Illegible scanI use dark inkI don’t use thin paperI don’t use squared paper
• File size too large for submission (10MB @ OU)I One handwritten scanned A4 page is approximately
F 0.7MB scanned (300dpi, colour)F 0.3MB Smartphone app
I File size can be reduced byF smallpdf.comF Print PDF to another PDF using "print to PDF"
4
Student production of assignmentsPossible problems (2)
• Pages upside down, back-to-front, out of orderI number each page
• No space for comments: requirement to add blank pages
• Provide guidance to students
5
Submission methods
• Email (file size just within typical attachment limits)
• VLEI Moodle Assignment module
• Bespoke software
• Commerical solutionsI WiseFlowI GradescopeI TurnitinI RMI . . .
These often support online, in-browser marking.Some support in-page annotation.
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Assignment markingPDF annotation techniques (1)
• No (known) systems support typeset maths notation!
• Typed text comments
i
1
=
remember to underlinevectors4
v(2)
sig figs2
lower case
7
Assignment markingPDF annotation techniques (2)
• Stamps
• Pasting images of mathematics
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Assignment markingPDF annotation techniques (3)
• Handwriting
• Need appropriate hardware
• Remember to save the annotated file!
• Annotation will increase the file size!
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Assignment markingHandwriting hardware
• Mouse (hard!)
• "Dumb" tablet
• Tablet screen
• Touch screeen computer
• iPad + Mac10
Annotation software(Other solutions are available)
Product Cost Text Stamp Image Writing Pagemgmnt
Adobe Reader(comment tool)
£0 X X × X ×
PDF-XChange Viewer(discontinued)
£0 X X X X ×
PDF-XChange Editor $44 X X X X X
PDF Annotator £70 X X X X X
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Electronic marking
Advantages• Overcomes "physical" submission problems
• Can cut-and-paste common comments/use stamps
• Can delete erroneous comments
Disadvantages• Can take longer
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Any questions?
Images: OU/wikicommons/manufacturer’s websites