Correcting Written Work with Computers

This facility in word processors allows changes to be made to a document while leaving the original visible. This can be most practically used when students submit work electronically.

In Word, Go to Tools then select Track Changes.

Activity: in the following paragraph there are some errors. Copy and paste it in word. Type your correct version “over” the errors.  When you have finished, turn Track Changes off, by deselecting it on the Tools Menu.

When you changes something, e.g. a word or phase in the work of the students, it sows the changes on colour although leaves the original so that changes can be comparing under the originality. When students get it over, they click with their right mouth button over something marked and can choice accepting or reject the suggested changes.

Can you see the practical advantage of keeping the original visible?

 Check an example in word

Comments

This is a program from the same creators as Hot Potatoes. It is a program into which you enter text that you have received electronically, and mark it and return it to the author with corrections – as a webpage or as a document. The marking is done by clicking buttons that point out errors. For a full description and download see their webpage: http://www.cict.co.uk/software/markin/index.htm

or this one: http://www.lencom.com/desc/indexN17213.html

Samples of work already marked in Markin:

Paste the same text as before into the program. Remember that as a sample program, only quite short texts can be added.

On the right, you have a toolbar. When you hover above the buttons, a coded explanation of each of them. When you click one it inserts its comment into the text. It takes a little time to get used to them, but not long. You can also edit the buttons and add your own (see the Buttons Menu and the Toolbar).

You can add comments during the text (Add Comments) and at the end of the text (Feedback 1, 2) both on the Marking menu. Experiment with these.

 You can also add URLs that students can click on to get help, since so much is available on the web. For example, search Google for "Comma Splice" and observe the abundance of help available. See the Tools Menu è Useful links

 You can also create a list (database) of comments you use frequently so that you don’t have to retype them every time. See the Tools Menu è Useful text.

 When you have completed marking with the buttons, you can save your marking in a variety of formats: see File Menu è export (also on the Toolbar). To return it to the student, you can send it as an email attachment, upload it to the web (and send the student the address), put it on a disk.