The iPad: “Correction 2.0” for tech-savvy profs
Two geography professors head up an innovative experiment
By Isabelle Marquis
Have you ever wondered if a university classroom could be a “paper-free” zone? Two University of Ottawa professors have already taken a step in that very direction.
Robert McLeman, a professor in the Department of Geography, was looking not only for a way to simplify marking student papers, but also—and especially—a way to cut down on paper consumption in class. “I knew there must be a tech solution that would enable us to reduce the amount of paper we use while maintaining a high level of quality in our corrections,” says McLeman, who is also the environmental studies program coordinator.
McLeman sought out the advice of Richard Pinet, director of the Centre for e-Learning at the University of Ottawa. After looking at various options, they finally decided on the iPad and its iAnnotate app, designed among other things for correcting school work. The app lets professors correct submissions electronically: they can circle words, draw arrows, add highlighting and even write in comments… All with the touch of a finger!
The first to test the idea in-class was geography professor Eric Crighton, in Fall 2010. That first attempt uncovered a number of issues, most of them technical. After a few adjustments, though, the second attempt proved very positive for all users—professors, teaching assistants and students.
The process was further improved by additions such as Dropbox, a web-based service that lets students drop off their work electronically. From the “dropbox,” professors can easily forward each of their teaching assistants the work assigned to them for correction. Professors can even do quality control by viewing the corrections and comments made by their TAs.
Encouraged by Crighton’s success, professor McLeman took his turn testing out the new solution in Winter 2011. He enjoyed using the iPad, and its many benefits convinced him to continue doing so. “First, it frees us from paper and lets us be more environmentally friendly,” he says. “Moreover, it’s much easier to collaborate with TAs. Students receive their corrected copies promptly by email, which is clearly much more efficient than handing back hundreds of paper copies in class.”
According to the two professors, their TAs and students really enjoyed the experiment. Unlike a computer screen, the iPad is well-suited to long reading periods. It’s also portable, allowing professors to correct work in the library, at the coffee shop, outside—anywhere.
Professor Crighton points out that making an iPad obviously leaves its own environmental footprint, but in his opinion, this is offset by the reduction in the amount of paper used in class, especially if more professors start adopting this method.
In the fall, the two geography professors plan to repeat the experiment in their respective classes. Professor Crighton predicts that in his two fall classes—a combined total of 500 students—he’ll be able to reduce his paper consumption by over 10,000 sheets.
This innovative experiment stands a good chance of encouraging others to jump on board the tech train. Most importantly, it’s a solution that will see an enormous reduction in paper consumption!
Comments (29)
Expérience très intéressante. Toutefois, est-ce qu’elle exige que tous les étudiants aient un iPad? Ils sont encore assez chers!
By Gustavo Gottret on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Just to clarify - if you’re electronically forwarding the assignments to each TA, doesn’t this mean that each TA also needs an iPad? If so, I’m sure my grad students will be the first to sign up if there’s an experiment of this kind in Human Kinetics…
By Audrey Giles on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Great ideas!
I will encourage my colleagues in Environmental Engineering section of the Civil Engineering Department to take the lead in this direction!
Regards,
Sai Vanapalli
Chair, Civil Engineering Department
By Sai Vanapalli on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Wow! This is great! Love the initiative these professors are taking. It would be really neat to see if we can apply this to course textbooks too. Which would help students have less to carry around and increase the reduction in paper on campus. Nice work!
By Frances Ann Michniewicz on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Excellente initiative en effet, et j’en félicite les profs. McLeman et Crighton, ainsi que le Centre du cyber-apprentissage. Comme le mentionne Eric Crighton cependant, le iPad, comme tout équipement, n’est pas sans emprunte. Pour aller plus loin, il faudra donc réduite le nombre d’appareils utilisés. Or, c’est en fait très simple, et je n’utilise moi-même aucun papier (ni pour les plans de cours, ni les travaux et examens) dans tous mes cours depuis 2006, faisant usage de mon ordinateur normal et du Campus Virtuel. Les travaux sont soumis sur le CV par les étudiant/es, puis corrigés et commentés en format électronique, par moi ou mes assistant/es, également sur le Campus Virtuel. Donc pas besoin de nouveaux équipements ou logiciels. Comme matériel d’enseignement, j’utilise aussi le plus souvent possible des livres et articles de périodiques électroniques, ce qui évite aux étudiant/es d’acheter des recueils couteux ayant de lourdes empruntes écologiques, et qui peuvent être lus sur leurs écrans d’ordinateurs ou de téléphones portables.
Je voudrais donc simplement suggérer qu’il ne faudrait pas donner l’impression que pour utiliser moins de papier, il faille nécessairement un nouveau type d’ordi comme le iPad. C’est possible de réellement simplifier nos pratiques et réduire nos empruntes avec ce que l’on a déjà.
J’en profite également pour signaler qu’une autre façon de réduire nos empruntes et coûts est d’utiliser du logiciel libre (Open Source). Or, je n’ai plus la suite Microsoft Office sur mon ordi depuis 2007, ne faisant usage que de OpenOffice (qui est gratuit). L’économie à l’échelle du campus d’une transition vers OpenOffice (très facile car semblable à MS Office) serait sûrement de plusieurs millions de dollars en quelques années. Je l’avais déjà suggéré aux services informatiques il y a deux ans, mais sans nouvelles depuis, ce qui est dommage, surtout en période de restriction budgétaire.
Cordialement,—François Fortier
École de développement international et mondialisation.
By François Fortier on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Ce fonctionnement me plaît énormément, au point d’évaluer si je peux procéder ainsi à l’automne.
Le logiciel Drop box est disponible où et à quel coût?
Quels ajustemens cela implique? Coût? Qui les fait?
Barvo pour cette initiative! Merci de partager avec nous!
Lucie
By Lucie Couturier on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Well done. You might be interested in noting that the Faculty of Medicine has developed an electronic submission process for all faculty promotions (about 40-50 per year) which has saved a lot of trees. Other faculties at UO and others across Canada and USA are also contacting us to help them set up a similar system
By Dr Rama Nair on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
I think this is a great initiative and I would like more details about the research and trials and how I could apply this somehow to my courses.
For example, I would like to know if each student also has to have an iPad or can they use a laptop?, ....who developped the app? and other such things,
Interested prof
By Lorraine Gilbert on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Although it did not get mentioned in the story, a big shout-out goes to the Dean of Arts, Antoni Lewkowicz, who arranged the financial resources necessary to make this pilot project happen.
By Robert McLeman on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Great job guys! Please note that students do not need an iPad only TAs and profs. The students use whatever PC they have.
Les étudiants n’ont pas besoin de iPad seulement les profs et les assistants.
Je trouve que c’est une bonne idée et je sais que les étudiants aiment cette approche.
Nancy Lemay
Geography Librarian
By Nancy Lemay on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
Très intéressante!
FYI: @ Faculty of Medicine we’re running our full Undergraduate Medical Curriculum online (Paper-free) and we’re moving toward Online exams:
http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=152-1
Ali
http://www.ajalali.com
By Alireza Jalali on 2011 06 02
Comments (29)
I would be interested to know why you did not go with the track changes and comments function of Word for electronic marking. These tools are what I use for editing and I think they could esily be adopted for marking as well. They can be used and read on any computer so we could adapt the submission process without actually changing the technology.
I’m not going to buy an iPad any time soon—if ever—as I am appalled by the rate at which modern technoligical devices need to be replaced as they are so much more difficult to recycle than paper. No iPad, iPod or cell phone for me thanks!
By Ruth Bradley-St-Cyr on 2011 06 04
Comments (29)
Désolé de rompre cette belle unanimité, mais j’aimerais attirer votre attention sur un article qui considère que le iPad (dont la durée de vie est de deux ans) est un véritable désastre écologique (et social):
http://technaute.cyberpresse.ca/nouvelles/produits-electroniques/201005/27/01-4284367-lipad-un-effroyable-gaspillage-de-matieres-premieres.php
Je ne suis pas expert, mais il me semble que cet article devrait être pris en considération et médité.
Gilles Labelle,
Études politiques
By Gilles Labelle on 2011 06 07
Comments (29)
On a sidenote, the ipad is also great for doodling flower cats.
By Lis on 2011 06 09
Comments (29)
Its great to read all the positive comments about this initiative.
Yes - it is true that one could use a device other than an iPad to accomplish many of the things we have done in this project. However - the choice of the iPAd was made for a number of reasons. While it is unlikely that there may be grad students that do not own a computer - it is my understanding that the hiring of a grad student cannot be premised on the fact that they must use their computer for tasks undertaken as a TA.
Lab space is at a premium. As such - we thougt that we could take advantage of the wifi system throughout the university. iPads hit the ground running as soon as you open them up - allowing students to grade papers anytime / place that they wish.
Also - iPad screens are easier on the eyes - which allow for longer grading sessions should the TA’s chose to do so.
These are just a few of the reasons we though the iPad was an ideal device for this project.
Richard Pinet
By Richard Pinet on 2011 06 12
Comments (29)
thanks for making school even more expensive for students without a computer. you suck.
By student on 2011 06 14
Comments (29)
I loved having this implemented into the Health Geography class I took, taught by Professor Crighton.
By Kirby Bucciero on 2011 06 16
Comments (29)
To respond to the comment by “student,” only the TA’s and professors had iPads, students submitted their work from whatever computer they use normally.
If any student doesn’t have access to a computer, laptops are available on loan from the library:
http://www.biblio.uottawa.ca/content-page.php?c=brw-laptop&g=en&s=biblio
By Dave Weatherall on 2011 06 16
Comments (29)
Dear Student,
If anything, this is actually more cost effective for you since you no longer need to pay to print hard copies of your assignments. I think it’s reasonable to assume that you’re using a computer to produce your assignments already so now you just need to submit them online. No copy card, no change, no cost.
By Spencer McKay on 2011 06 16
Comments (29)
I was in Prof McLeman’s Environment class this winter and I really enjoyed being able to hand my papers in online. I didnt have to worry about printer failure and I was able to revieve a conformation email knowing it had been sent. GREAT environmental initiative!!
By Shanon on 2011 06 16
Comments (29)
You know, speaking from someone who’s worked with display specialists, an iPad’s screen *is* a computer’s screen. It’s a bog-standard IPS LCD. Yes, the IPS part means it’s high quality. But you get that kind of quality in Apple Cinema displays, in many LG LCDs, and in the Dell UltraSharp lineup.
Now, e-ink, that’s incredible.
By john doe on 2011 06 16
Comments (29)
I wish that the software engineering classes would have projects aimed at the university community like this.
By Mihai on 2011 06 17
Comments (29)
This effort is commendable, however, incredibly behind. I know of several universities where almost all of their submissions are online.
By Amy on 2011 06 19
Comments (29)
Soumettre ses travaux pratiques de façon électronique est déjà possible avec Virtual Campus. La correction par iPad semble donc n’être qu’une annecdote sur le “comment untel aime corriger”.
J’encourage cependant l’usage de ces méthodes. Autant par la publication des notes de cours au format PDF, pour éviter aux étudiants d’avoir à payer pour des copie papier, autant en acceptant les soumissions de travaux par Virtual Campus, e-mail, Dropbox ou tout autre médium numérique.
By Antoine Grondin on 2011 06 20
Comments (29)
Students do not need have an iPad, simply check out http://www.dropbox.com/ to learn more about it.
I’ll agree with John that e-ink would be incredible, but I personally think the HD is satisfactory for now since the technology isn’t at that level yet.
Good overall initiative!
By Momo on 2011 06 20
Comments (29)
To follow up with some of the questions raised in the comments to date…
- students do not need an iPad, and there is no additional cost to them. They simply attach their assignment as a PDF to an e-mail (there are many free PDF writers available, and our department computer labs have them as well)
- the department has custody of the iPads; the TAs are assigned them for the period during which the grading takes place, after which time they return it. that way, multiple courses can access the iPads in the same semester
- Dropbox is free up to a certain amount of file storage, a limit we never hit even with a class of 350
- iAnnotate software is downlaodable from iTunes and costs $5; we installed this on the iPads prior to assigning them to the TAs
- This doesn’t have to be done on an iPad; as other tablets come on the market, there will be plenty of other options
- It is absolutely true that profs can have students submit assignments on-line via Virtual Campus and use MS Word’s reviewing/editing features to make corrections. Indeed, this is the method I use for smaller enrollment courses. But, this approach is much too clunky and labour-intensive for courses of 200+ students, and where you have multiple TAs helping with the grading. Whether you’re reading a 500 page novel or fifty 10-page assignments, it is an unpleasant experience on a traditional desktop monitor. It is much easier to write comments on a paper text using a pen than to do the same task in MS Word using a keyboard. The iPad addresses these challenges and makes grading large batches of assignments easier, more pleasant, and allows the prof to keep better tabs on the quality of grading.
- The iPad method frees TAs from having to use campus office space and computers for grading papers, an important consideration on a crowded campus
- Students have a right to privacy. Gone are the days of putting stacks of graded assignments on a table in class or outside the prof’s office door and letting students rummage through them. Elctronic submission ensures that the student’s privacy is respected. The iPad method is consistent with this.
- One comment says this initiative is way behind the times. I agree absolutely that we could do a lot better as a university in getting rid of paper assignments and making them all electronic. There are few valid excuses for not doing this. The Virtual Campus system is under-utilized by teaching staff, and this needs to change. Our iPad initiative is to complement the Virtual Campus system, not duplicate or eliminate it. It is only one step in improving the student experience here at UO, with many more hopefully to come.
Next question: if anyone has any suggestions on how we can make final exams paperless for large classes, I would love to hear them…
By Robert McLeman on 2011 06 22
Comments (29)
The primary downfall with such an application is that you’re limited to a specific file type and the documents submitted by students may easily be corrupted, or styled and formatted improperly (especially due to differences in softwares and versions).
For TAs, iPads are not only expensive, but they’re easy to drop and break. They also don’t have a great lifespan considering Apple doesn’t update its software, but simply kills it off. This means that within one version generation, the iPad teachers use will go obsolete. And ecologically speaking, the impact from garbaging the tools and producing new ones is considerably worse than killing a tree or recycling old paper.
Why not simply do things online from the start, and allow students to submit their work to teachers via Virtual Campus or e-mail? It’s not difficult to open up Word or OpenOffice and add comments, corrections, and criticisms from thereon. And not only that, but you’re not forcing anyone into a specific marketing gimmick, your work is still portable and transferable to other PCs, and you can work in an array of formats.
By Skeptic on 2011 06 24
Comments (29)
Although I do not believe that iPads are completely necessary for this to work, the idea of a paper-less class is an excellent one. The thing that is most appealing about it for me is the convenience- for both student and professor. No class time would have to be wasted handing in and handing back assignments. The environmental aspect of the idea is great as well.
However, I disagree with the use of Dropbox for handing in assignments. Although I am quite new to the service myself (just using it with a small group of friends), from my understanding, there is one aspect of Dropbox that I believe makes it inappropriate for handing in assignments (please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong). The way Dropbox works is that you “invite” people (the students in this case) to have access to a folder where they would drop in their assignments. However this would mean that everyone has access to everyone else’s assignments, meaning that they could potentially be tampered with. Again, if this is not true and there is a way to restrict access to other people’s files, then it wouldn’t be a problem, but if not then this is certainly a concern. I think that the existing system of submitting assignments on Virtual Campus is fine though, as it does not give students access to other’s assignments.
By Ryan on 2011 06 24
Comments (29)
Having been a student in both Professor Eric Crighton and Professor Robert McLeman’s classes last year I would like to commend both for their great idea and use of the iPad. Why hand in paper copies when there exists such a user friendly technology to mark assignments! In fact I bought one myself to take notes and it has now replaced my paper notebooks!
By Olivia Seillier on 2011 06 24