Tracking Changes and Adding Comments in Microsoft Word
Sara Scoby, Classroom Technology Specialist, FaCIT

Microsoft Word's Track Changes and Comments feature is an excellent resource to use when reviewing student assignments. This tool assists faculty by allowing them to review a document, make changes to it, add comments, and then send it back to a student who can then either accept or reject the changes.

In order to enable the Track Changes feature on a completed document, simply select "Tools" at the top of the computer screen, and then "Track Changes." The Reviewing toolbar should now be available just above your document. Once the feature is enabled, changes that are made to the document will appear in colored text. Deleted text will appear to the side of the document in a box with the heading, "Deleted." The document can then be saved and returned electronically to the student.

You may also include comments anywhere in the document. Simply use your mouse to highlight the text on which you wish to focus, and select the Comments button. The Comments button is a yellow square with a "highlight" on the corner. The text will then appear highlighted and a text box will open to the right of the document allowing you to add comments. If more than one person is reviewing the document, you may add initials to the comments you add. To do this, go to Tools on the menu bar, and select User Options. Click on the User Information tab, fill in the information in the appropriate boxes, and click OK. Now, each time you add a comment, your initials will appear in the text box.

You may also highlight a section of the text if you wish. From the Track Changes toolbar, select the icon with a highlighter with the letters "ab" in the icon. You have several colors from which to choose for your highlighter.

When the student receives the document, all changes will be visible to them as colored text with a balloon detailing what was changed. The student can accept or reject specific changes or can accept or reject all of the changes at one time. Until the changes have been accepted or rejected, the document will print with all of the changes visible in color. The student can also temporarily hide changes by selecting Final on the Reviewing toolbar drop-down menu.

Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature is a free feature which is already available to everyone who has access to Word. As a result, students can submit documents, and faculty can make comments and changes without changing the original document. After reviewing comments and making changes, students can then re-submit the paper. This resource allows students to learn through making corrections, helping to improve their skills as writers. It is also possible to complete the entire submission, feedback, resubmission process without using a single sheet of paper.

Two websites that offer more detailed instructions on the Reviewing Feature of Word are:

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/comments.html

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA010983881033.aspx

If you would like additional feedback on anything in this article or assistance with using the Track Changes feature, please feel free to e-mail me at erick1sj@cmich.edu.