Improved Windows Tablet functionality for annotations in Speedgrader, PLEASE.

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(6)

I have a Windows tablet and active stylus and would just love to use it to annotate PDFs in Speedgrader. Right now, it's pretty hit or miss on a Windows 10 2-in-1 machine, the only way to really do it is download Ss' assignment PDFs, annotate them in Acrobat or related app, and then reupload them to Canvas. This is far too cumbersome a work around. 

It would be great to have good Windows tablet functionality natively in Speedgrader. Please!!!

9 Comments
Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni
Status changed to: Moderating
 
Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni
Status changed to: Open
 
nswinehart
Community Novice

I recently purchased a Huion digital graphics tablet to annotate and provide feedback on homework in SpeedGrader, but it turns out these devices are unsupported and are worthless for SpeedGrader. These devices are much more affordable than iPads, and it would be great if they worked well in SpeedGrader, but they don't. There is too much distance between where the tip of the cursor appears and where the 'ink' appears on the document.

smt327
Community Member

three big issues I'm facing with inking/tablet support for speedgrader today:

1. need an eraser!!!

2. when two comments are in proximity, Speedgrader handles them together, so if I want to delete one it deletes them both.

3. when writing a comment in pen, afterward, a comment bubble pops up for typing. When in tablet mode, it would be GREAT if that didn't happen.

Thanks!

MisterJ
Community Member

I bet a dedicated Windows 10 Teacher App for Canvas similar to those on Android and iOS would come in handy here. That's already a wish of many users anyway. Grading is a crucial part for a LMS platform, and it's a shame that Windows devices are not properly supported. Please fix this asap!

JohnSch
Community Member

Please work on this!

Totally agree with smt327 suggestions.

SydneyConrad
Community Member

Having the ability to grade HW assignments with annotation tools is a great idea; however, from my experience thus far, the system needs retooling. 

1) It is not clear that you need to save each mark that you make otherwise if you enter the grade and go back to the assignment, your feedback and comments will not be there. The small check box that comes up is actually the "saving" mechanism. How does one suppose to know that the check mark means saving?

2) When I am using my stylus pen because I have a 2-1 laptop, the screen page moves as I am correcting HW. This causes marks to occur in places they should not occur because the page is shifting with each correction. I am not sure why when correcting a small box area is highlighted, and this is what is causing the shifting. Also, the check mark box that appears is located right in the place where you are grading, often times not allowing you to finish your comment.  This in itself almost makes the annotation tools worthless because there is so much extra work that I have to do, it slows you down, and it becomes frustrating. 

3) You can only use the annotation tools when students upload a document. Unfortunately, some assignments are not necessary for student to create and save a document, but the system does not allow you to correct assignments of students that are submitted in the text box. 

ElisaBarneySmit
Community Explorer

I have a Surface Pro. Technically you can annotate with a stylus, but in reality it shows Canvas has miserable technology. Our university just switched from BlackBoard to Canvas. It took BlackBoard too long to give stylus support, but they finally had it. Now I'm back to practically inoperable pen input. Grading 2 page reports is taking me FOREVER and my writing looks like a kindergardner's. Pen input is not a new computer technology. You know that teachers and professors will be doing grading of essays. Why do you have a pen icon if you didn't expect it? Making a transition from one platform to another is difficult enough. Now this just another insult. I am not impressed and am incredibly frustrated. 

ProductPanda
Instructure
Instructure
Status changed to: Archived
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