1. Giving Electronic
Feedback In Writing
Classes
Ms. Caitlin Cornell
Haigazian University
2011 Haigazian University
Language & Technology Workshop

2. Contents
 Why is Electronic Feedback Useful?
 Intro to MS Word “Comments” Function
 Intro to Blackboard “Digital Dropbox”
Function
 Example: Business English @ HU
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

3. Why Is Electronic Feedback Useful?
 Even if
you’re not a fast typist, it saves time/energy (no
more muscle cramps in your hand!)
 It means you always have a copy ofstudent work (no
more photocopying and killing trees!)
 You know the time and date ofevery student submission,
and a chronological backup copies of student work (as
opposed to searching through email folders for one
student’s assignment)
 It makes students pay attention to Blackboard, and be
purposeful in retrieving their feedback
 You don’t have to carry 20 essays home with you! (Put
them on your USB drive and complete the feedback on
your home desktop/laptop computer)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

4. Microsoft Word “Comments”
 What are “comments”?
 The electronic version of writing in the margins
 It creates a little bubble (depending on the version of
Word) in which you can type your comment that is
specifically linked to a certain part of the text
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

5. How to use “Comments”
 Don’t be alarmed: the directions/instructions change a
little bit depending on the version of MS Word you’re
using!
 For help, visit MS Word support sites
 Or, conduct a quick Google search, like “viewing
comments in Word”, etc.
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

6. Microsoft Word “Comments”
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

7. Microsoft Word “Comments”
STEP 1: SELECT TEXT
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

8. Microsoft Word “Comments”
STEP 2: INSERT COMMENT
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

9. Microsoft Word “Comments”
EMPTY COMMENT CREATED
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

10. Microsoft Word “Comments”
STEP 3: TYPE COMMENT
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

11. Blackboard’s “Digital Dropbox”
 Digital Dropbox is a bit easier than email
 You don’t have to type any email addresses
 You don’t have to search through multiple emails to
find the right one to the right student
 You can send to multiple students in the same class
just by clicking another name
 This is great for group projects!
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

12. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For You)
 The instructor accesses it via the “Control Panel”
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

13. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For You)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

14. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For You)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

15. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For You)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

16. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For You)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

17. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For You)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

18. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For You)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

19. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For You)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

20. How to Use “Digital Dropbox”
(For Students)
 Only differences:
 Students enter through Course Tools
 “Send” can only send to the instructor (not other
students)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell

21. Example: Business English
 Class meets in the computer lab (to facilitate in-class
formal letter writing)
 Formatting is important in printed letters, and it’s
hard to practice this via handwriting
 Nothing in business is handwritten anymore
 At the end of
the class period, students submit their
documents via DD
 Even though my students have done the submission
process successfully many times, I still check their
submission before they leave the classroom (to make
sure it uploaded properly and is in the correct version
for readability on my computer)
Ms. Caitlin Cornell