How do I comment on student work?
Providing feedback to students is an important part of their growth. Various commenting options are available in Chalk & Wire to ensure that the Assessor has the necessary tools to provide the student with the best possible feedback.
For instructions on using a specific commenting method, select the method below:
Commenting on assessments can be a useful tool for students. It gives them feedback to learn how to improve upon their current skill sets, and can reinforce the positive attributes of their work. This help page refers to instrument-based commenting.
Comment suggestions are based on prior assessments where the same performance level was selected for the specific criterion on which you are commenting. The comments that are suggested will be your own prior comments or those of other assessors in your institution's Chalk & Wire site, depending on your system Administrator's selection. .
Step 1: Add Criterion-Specific Comment
1. Use the Comments box for the current criterion to enter a comment.
2. Optionally use the Comment Suggestions button to view and optionally select comment suggestions.
If you chose to use Comment Suggestions, a window will appear to display your options.
3. Select whether you would like to view Criterion Comments or Frequent Comments. Frequent comments are not limited to the current criterion.
4. Use the arrows to navigate through the available comments.
5. Click on the comment to select it.
The Comment Suggestions feature will only appear if your institution has implemented it in your Chalk & Wire site.
Step 2: Add Overall Comment
6. Use the Overall Comments text-entry area next to the assessment instrument to enter an overall comment.
If a student uploads a Word document, Excel file, Powerpoint file, or PDF file to their portfolio or assignment and makes a submission, an Assessor can then view the document within the assessment and make annotations on it. Once the assessment, including annotations, has been completed and released to the student, the student will be able to review the annotations.
Inline Document Annotation may not be active within your institution's Chalk & Wire site. If you are interested in having this feature added to your site, please contact your local Chalk & Wire Administrator to discuss the possibility.
Step 1: View Document in Browser
1. Locate the document and click on the View button.
The document will open directly on the page.
Step 2: Add Comment to Document
2. Click on the Comment icon in the top, right corner.
A message will appear instructing you to click anywhere to add a comment to the document.
Add a Point Comment
3. Click anywhere in the text to add a point comment. A comment box will appear, which you can type in.
4. Click Post to post the comment.
Highlight a Section of Text
While commenting, you can highlight a section of text to specify the section to which your comment applies. Once you have finished highlighting, commenting options will appear:
5. Click on the Highlighter icon to save the highlighted section.
6. Click on the Comment icon to leave a comment on the highlighted section.
Step 3: Close Box Viewer
Once you are satisfied with your annotations,
7. Click on the Close button.
If a student uploads a document file to their ePortfolio and makes a submission, their Assessor can then download the document and make annotations on it offline. Once the annotations have been made, the updated document can be uploaded to Chalk & Wire for review by the student.
Step 1: Download Document
1. Locate the document, and click on its name to download it.
Step 2: Open Document & Locate Content
Once the file has downloaded to your computer, locate and open it.
2. Highlight the text that you wish to comment on.
3. Use the Insert menu to select Comment.
Step 3: Enter Comment
4. Add your comment in the provided text-entry field.
Step 4: Save Document
Save the document as a new file, naming it and locating it somewhere memorable.
Step 5: Attach Annotated File
Return to the assessment screen in your Chalk & Wire account:
6. Click the Paperclip icon to attach your annotated file.
7. Click on the Choose File button to search for annotated file.
8. Locate and select the file on your local hard drive.
9. Click Choose.
10. Click Upload.
Targeted Text Comments are made possible when using the Advanced Commenting feature. Targeted Text Commenting allows you to select any text within the student's work to comment on the content, grammar, and spelling.
Targeted Text commenting is not available on mobile devices. You must use a computer to use this type of commenting.
Step 1: Highlight Text
1. Using your cursor, highlight the text that you would like to comment on.
Step 2: Add and Define Comment
The highlighted text will prompt a pop-up window for you to add your comment.
2. Type your comment into the text box.
3. Select the Comment Type to save.
Step 3: View Comment
Your comment will appear below submission's content, and will offer the options to Edit or Delete.
You may also view the comment by hovering your cursor over the highlighted text within the submission's content.
The Audio Commenting feature allows assessors to verbally record comments, rather than typing text comments.
If you are using a Mac computer, we recommend that you use either Safari or Firefox as your internet browser when recording audio comments. Chrome has a known issue with sound quality which may affect the audio that is recorded.
Audio commenting is only available for two types of student-submitting content:
- Text added directly to the page
- Media files (audio or video)
Step 1: Highlight Text to Comment on
1. Highlight the text that you would like to comment on.
Step 2: Select Type of Comment
2. When the comment pop-up windows appears, select the Record Audio Comment option.
Step 3: Allow Flash Settings
4. To ensure that your Flash Player and microphone settings are set up correctly:
- Windows: Right click on the Adobe Flash Player Settings window
- Mac: Hold down the Control key on your keyboard + click on the Adobe Flash Player Settings window with your mouse.
4. Select 'Settings...' in the drop-down menu.
6. Select the Privacy tab and ensure that Allow and Remember are both selected.
7. Select the Microphone tab.
8. If you are using your internal microphone (built into your computer) to record audio, ensure that the Built-in Microphone option is selected. If you are using a headset or another type of external microphone which you have connected to your computer, use the drop-down menu to select the appropriate microphone.
9. Test your microphone by speaking. If you have selected the correct microphone option, you will see the green bar move as you speak. If you do not see this green bar, you have either not selected the correct microphone or you need to turn your microphone on using your computer preferences first.
10. Click Close.
Step 4: Record Audio Comment
11. Use the 'Record' button to begin recording your audio comment. Speak into your microphone and click 'Stop' when finished. If you wish to listen to your recording before saving it, use the 'Play' button.
12. When you are satisfied with your audio comment, click 'Save'.
Step 5: Save Audio Comment
13. (Optional) Enter a text based comment, in addition to the audio comment, in the text field.
14. Click the Save Audio Comment button.
Video commenting enables Assessors to comment on videos provided by the student via submission. Assessors can leave text or voice comments on videos, targeting specific sections of the video or as a whole.
Step 1: Watch Video
1. Watch the video in the submission, and click the Add Comment button.
Step 2: Add Comment to Video
2. Use the slider bars to set the Start Time and End Time for the comment, if it is specific to a certain section of the video.
3. Enter your comment in the text field.
4. Click the Save Comment button.
Step 3: (Optional) Add Audio Comment
5. To leave an audio comment, click the Record Audio Comment button.
Allow Microphone Access
6. Click Allow in the Adobe Flash Player Settings access window.
Record Comment
7. Use the Record button to begin your recording.
8. When you are finished recording, click the Stop button.
9. To listen to your recording, press the Play button.
10. To save your recording, press the Save button.
To leave the recording window with your saved audio comment in tact, click on the exit button for the window.
Select Video Section, and Save Comment
11. Use the slider bars to set the Start Time and End Time for the comment, if it is specific to a certain section of the video.
12. (Optional) Enter a text based comment, in addition to the audio comment, in the text field.
13. Click the Save Audio Comment button.
Step 4: Review Comments
To review the comments on the video, click the Show All (#) button beneath the video. Once comments are visible, the button will read Hide All (#).