Dynamic Homework Annotation Brian C. Dean School of Computing Clemson University Clemson, SC, USA bcdean@cs.clemson.edu Abstract We present the first case study involving the use of dy- namic homework annotation, where an instructor uses a pen input device and a microphone to record audio com- ments while marking up an electronic copy of a student’s homework assignment. The student can then view the re- sulting animation using any web browser, for an experience similar to that of sitting beside an instructor who person- ally explains the strong and weak points of the student’s work. As one might imagine, dynamic homework annota- tion requires more time and technical expertise on the part of the instructor, but holds the promise of giving much more useful feedback to students. In this paper, we discuss our assessment of both of these issues resulting from use of dy- namic homework annotation in a semester-long graduate data structures course at Clemson University. 1. Introduction One of the primary uses of tablet PCs to date is that of annotating electronic documents. Several programs (e.g., Microsoft Journal) allow the user to add ink annotations on top of virtually any electronic document with ease, allowing for many exciting educational applications. For example, an instructor may use a tablet PC to annotate slides or lecture notes in class, then make the resulting annotated documents available to students on the web. Alternatively, one can use pen computing to achieve a completely paperless means of annotating and returning students’ homework assignments [2, 3, 4]. It is this particular application — homework an- notation — that is the focus of this paper. Aside from the logistical benefits of going paperless, static electronic homework annotation unfortunately offers no extra educational benefit per se compared to traditional grading using pen and paper. By freeing ourselves from the constraints of traditional pen and paper grading, how- ever, there are many opportunities to enhance the learning experience. This paper presents a case study of the author’s use of dynamic homework annotation, where an instructor records an audio commentary while making dynamic ink annotations on students’ homework assignments. The re- sulting animations can be viewed using any web browser, for an experience similar to that of sitting beside an instruc- tor who personally explains the strong and weak points of a student’s work. As one might imagine, dynamic homework annotation holds the promise of delivering far more effective person- alized feedback to students in order to enhance their under- standing of course material. The ability to create dynamic illustrations and speak allows an instructor much greater flexibility in articulating difficult concepts in a manner that is easy for students to follow. This added flexibility can be a great benefit in several types of classes, ranging from mathematics, science, and engineering, to the humanities. To give a simple example, a music instructor may wish to take students’ scores (submitted electronically) and add dy- namic ink annotations along with audio that includes verbal explanations as well as the instructor playing examples on an electronic keyboard. Although it offers significant education potential, dy- namic homework annotation also requires more time and technical expertise on the part of the instructor. Does this extra work justify the added educational benefit? In this pa- per, we provide some guidance towards resolving this ques- tion by discussing our assessment of both instructor time requirements and educational benefit to students based on the use of dynamic homework annotation in a semester-long graduate data structures course at Clemson University. The structure of this paper is as follows. We begin by de- scribing the setting and framework used to create dynamic homework annotations. We then present a detailed assess- ment of their educational effectiveness and the amount of extra work required of an instructor to create them, followed by conclusions and suggestions for future work.