The Echo360 Smartpen is the favorite amongst many engineering lectures who want a simple to use method for showing students how to solve problems much in the same way as they would when sitting next to a student helping them during a tutorial.

(picture of x sitting next to y showing them a solution)

To use the Smartpen you need a special notebook that looks and feels just like a normal notepad but it actually has has fine dots on it, to record what you write. You start by pressing record on the page, then draw your sketch and give your equations etc, talking your way through the problem solving. Then press stop. You can then save the recording to your computer, using the LiveScribe software which allows to you keep collections of recordings and share them with students. You can put each recording into Blackboard for students to download or email it to them.

Students can then download the recording and replay your problem solving solution over and over again until they understand. they need adobe reader to do this, which is free and available online for PC and MAC (put link in here)

Here is a YouTube video demoing using the smart pen to make a pen cast

How to create a pencast

Here is a YouTube clip showing you how to upload it to your PC (into the Livescribe program which you download from Livescribe.com)

How to upload a pencast

Here is a Pencast describing the workflow for making a pen cast

How to use the software and the Smartpen

Here is a Pencast example (thanks to Prof. Tom Baldock)  describing the Energy Equation in Civil Engineering – Fluid Dynamics.

Energy diagram for a contraction