Top 4 Tips for Assigning Handwritten Work (or Alternatives)
Does the student work in your course include symbols, notation, graphs, or calculations that are difficult to type? Here are some tips for managing handwritten student work in an online course.
Note: This resource is for student assignments, not exams or time-limited quizzes.
See Top 5 Tips for Giving Handwritten Exams Online for more info on those topics.
First, consider alternatives to fully handwritten and scanned assignments
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- Could it be done electronically instead? It’s now easier than ever to add mathematical and scientific symbols into an electronic document. Canvas has an easy-to-use Math/LaTeX editor, as do MS Word and Google Docs. Tools like MyScript and Mathpix allow students to “hand write” symbols on a tablet or smartphone (or take a photo of handwritten work) and convert it to crisp electronic notation. Wolfram Alpha and the Chrome Equatio plugin convert plain-language text into equations. Google Drawings allow students to draw directly on an image or diagram. These alternatives can take time to learn, but one could be worth it if students will use it throughout the term.
- Does it all need to be handwritten? If an assignment is mostly typable, split the assignment into two parts; a typed document submission and a handwritten submission. Or, allow them to type most of the document and insert images only of the work that needs to be handwritten.
- Redefine “Show your work.” Even if students solve a problem on paper, there are ways for them to show you they understand without submitting their detailed calculations. Ask them to give the answer and explain how they got it in plain language. This may make them think more carefully about their work (and discourage copying) more effectively than asking all students to submit nearly identical work.
If you move ahead with a fully-handwritten assignment:
- Use a Canvas Assignment with File Upload, which lets you use all the document annotations available in Speedgrader.(Don’t use a Canvas Quiz*.) Or, use Gradescope which lets you do all that, and develop problem-set grading criteria as you go, sending the grades back to Canvas when you’re done.
- Provide a tech-practice assignment at least one week before the first graded assignment, to let students verify they have everything they need and how long it will take. Use a comparable page count and need for legibility. Allow unlimited submissions, so students can practice.
- Number the pages and questions. Not all students will be able to print, so ask students working on blank paper to follow your numbering scheme. If assigning problems from a textbook, prescribe a page layout (e.g. two problems per page) so that the same problems will be at the top of the same page for every student.
- Tell students how to get the best images: A scanner is best, but students can also take digital photos with phone, tablet, or web camera. They need to be sure all writing is legible, with no work too faint, blurry, or cut off in the photo. If one image per page is too difficult to read, try one image per question. While Canvas does allow multiple file uploads for an assignment, it will be easier to grade if students compile all images, in the correct order, into a single document (e.g. MS Word).
* Canvas Quizzes also offer a file upload question format, but if you used it, you would not be able to use all the document annotation features in Speedgrader. Youd need to download all the files and open and grade them on your own computer, then re-upload them so students could see your comments. We recommend only using Canvas Quiz File Upload questions for timed exams.
Other Resources
Top 5 Ways to Do Chalkboard/Whiteboard Work Online