1. Using Smartpens to Create
Interactive Tutorials & Promote
Student-Centered Learning
Deb Carney, University of Denver
Kathy Keairns, University of Denver
2012 eLearning Consortium of Colorado
Images used in this presentation from: http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/echo/photo.html

2. Agenda
• Get to know our audience
• What’s a Smartpen?
• Ways Smartpens are used in Higher Education
• Let’s Make a Pencast!
• Smartpen Pilot in an Online Calculus Course
• Advanced Pencasting Techniques
• Challenges & Limitations
• What’s Next?

3. What’s a SmartPen?
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kW20LMvORw&feature=related

4. Ways to use in Education
• Note taking/record meetings
• Tutorials/Pencasts
• Support for students with Learning Disabilities
• Homework Help
• Student Homework
• Online courses

5. Examples
• Front Range Community
College (Chemistry, Biology,
Astronomy, Economics,
Math)
• General Psychology
Community College of
Aurora
• Support for Students with
Learning Disabilities
• University of Denver
Mathematics Department

6. Let’s Make A Pencast
• Livescribe Desktop
• Simple Example Pencast
• Accessories
– Notebooks (different sizes, lined vs. grid)
– Ink cartridges (different widths & colors)
– Headphone/microphone to improve recording.

7. Livescribe Desktop

8. Smartpen Pilot in Online
Calculus Course
• Winter 2010 & Summer 2010 online
Calculus courses
• Office of Teaching and Learning
funding to purchase a classroom set
of 20 Echo Smartpens
• Each student was loaned a Smartpen
for the duration my Summer 2011
online calculus course

9. Smartpen Pilot in Online
Calculus Course
• 5 week online Calculus I course
• 10 students at the end of week 1
• Grading:
– 70% f2f exams
– 20% online HW & quizzes
– 10% Smartpen assignments

10. Smartpen Assignments
• “Daily” (4 per week, due MTWR, accepted
until Sunday)
• One question. Student provided solution via
Smartpen with audio
• Submitted through Blackboard’s Assignment
Manager
• Graded using a Tablet PC & PDF writing
capability

11. Facilitating Communication
– Example 1: Assignments in Online Calculus
– Example 2: Student’s Solution
– Example 3: Instructor Feedback
• Students were encouraged to use their
Smartpens for communicating with me online.

12. Outcomes
• Very easy for the students to set up and use.
Created a Camtasia video covering very basic
features of the pen. 1 student had minor
trouble getting started with the pen.
• 95% or higher average on Smartpen
assignments correlated with and A or B in the
class.
• No D’s and F’s for the course!
• Manageable for instructor and student

13. Results
• Most students used the Smartpen for
communication with me over email.
• "When I asked questions, they were answered
promptly and understandably! Knowledgeable,
gets back to your emails in time, technology
works well (though I was intimidated of the
Smartpens at first when setting up!)"
• One student did all of her homework problems in
her notebook.

14. Math Department Embraces
Smartpens
• Peer grading in an upper division mathematics
course (Using Self and Peer Assessment Tool in
Blackboard)
• Instructors using Smartpens to create pencasts
for f2f classes (Example)
• TEI Initiative: Each instructor will be given a
Smartpen
• Classroom set of pens will be used again with
two different online class offerings

15. Challenges & Limitations
• Pen scratching! (Minimized but not removed
with the use of the headphone/microphone)
• Make sure your pen is on before writing in
your notebook
• No fancy editing, no closed captioning
• Managing a classroom set
• It is more time consuming to grade a Pencast
than a printed piece of paper!

16. Advanced Pencasting Techniques
• Using the pause feature to “write before you
speak”
• Adding text and figures during playback
• Using watermarks to add printed figures and
text to your pencast
(http://www.livescribek12.com/watermark/)

17. Is there an app for that?
• Pencast Player for iPad
and iPhone (Free)
• Paper Tablet ($14.99)
– Use smartpen as a
mouse to use as
extension of screen
• Calculator
• Books, music,
reference, productivity
& more apps

18. What’s Next?
• More advanced pencasting techniques
(instructor and student)
• Paper Tablet app for online office hours
• Other types of pencast assignments for the
online course
• Exam feedback for the online course
• Peer grading
• Spreading the word to other disciplines

19. Additional Resources
• LiveScribe Website
– http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/
– Training Marathon Day (4/24) and Online Trainings
• http://www.livescribek12.com/training-webinars/
– Newsletter
http://www.livescribek12.com/newsletter/
– Education Blog - http://www.livescribek12.com/
• Demos and Tutorials
– http://www.youtube.com/user/SmartScribeSA

20. Questions?
• Deb Carney, University of Denver
– Mathematics Department
– dcarney@du.edu
• Kathy Keairns, University of Denver
– Office of Teaching and Learning
– kkeairns@du.edu