Scanning Documents for Uploading to Moodle Assignments

Some courses require homework, lab reports, and other assignments to be submitted electronically. If you complete an assignment on paper, you will need to scan the documents to a single PDF file. It is important to make sure the scan of your work is clear and legible. Improperly formatted or illegible scans may not be accepted.   

Mobile Apps

If you use a phone to take a picture of your work, use a scanning app and not just the camera. Most professors prefer that you combine multiple pages into a single PDF file. Double check the page size the app generates to make sure it is 8.5”x11”.

Adobe Scan is good option for iOS and Android. Swarthmore has a site license for Adobe, so signing in via your Swarthmore Google account provides access to the Premium version. If scanning standard size documents, resize your pages to 8.5”x11” before saving.

The Google Drive app (iOS and Android) has a built-in scanning tool

Other popular options are Scanner Pro and Genius Scan.

The iOS Notes app generally works well but for some users it creates huge page sizes (e.g. 24” x 36”) which are not viewable when uploaded to a Moodle assignment. If using the Notes app, use caution and check the page size of the final PDF before submitting your assignment to avoid problems.

Format

When scanning, select the Color option. The Black and White setting does not show up well. Greyscale may work, but Color is better for clarity, especially for lined or graph paper. Select PDF as the output format. Make sure the page size of the output is standard letter size.

After scanning, verify that the document is formatted properly before submitting it.

Size

Most professors are expecting 8.5"x11" (Letter) size documents. Adjust your settings to make sure your page size is what you expect.  

Scanners on Campus

The College provides a number of locations for scanning documents. Our Canon Multifunction scanners/printers/copiers are all set to Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which enables text to be identified and read as text. This is important for accessibility.

McCabe and Cornell Libraries

In addition to our Canon multifunction machines, McCabe and Cornell Libraries have ScannX systems that you can use to scan documents and specify an email destination. When scanning in your work, make sure to select Color. 

Beardsley Media Center

The Beardsley Media Center (room 114) has a Canon Multifunction scanner/printer/copier that you can use to scan documents and specify an email destination. There is a sheet feeder which can be used to quickly scan multiple pages.  

Departmental Offices

Some academic departments allow students to use the Canon Multifunction scanner/printer/copier in the departmental office to scan homework. Check with the specific department to see if it is permitted.  

Uploading to a Moodle Assignment

Follow the instructions in the video below to upload your files to a Moodle assignment.