Does Removing Pen Pressure in Cost-Cutting Pen Designs Matter for Handwritten Learning in Education? A Case Study of Geometry Problem Solving
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June 17, 26
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Digital handwriting is increasingly used in educational settings; however, many classroom styluses omit pen pressure sensitivity due to cost and procurement constraints. While prior work has shown that pen pressure supports written arithmetic, its role in other learning activities remains insufficiently understood. In this study, we investigate how pen pressure–based stroke modulation affects problem-solving performance in digital handwriting, using geometry problems as a case study. We conducted a between-subjects experiment comparing pressure-sensitive and non-pressure-sensitive conditions in tasks requiring spatial reasoning and iterative diagram construction. Although overall accuracy did not differ significantly between conditions, detailed analyses revealed that the absence of pen pressure disproportionately affected lower-performing participants and reduced accuracy in unfamiliar or cognitively demanding problems. In solid geometry tasks, the non-pressure-sensitive condition also resulted in longer completion times. Qualitative analyses further showed that pen pressure enabled effective visual organization and depth representation, whereas its absence led participants to adopt compensatory diagramming strategies, such as relocating annotations outside figures. These findings indicate that omitting pen pressure is not a cognitively neutral design decision. Pen pressure functions as a representational resource that supports exploratory reasoning and visual organization in digital handwriting, with important implications for the design of educational input devices and learning environments.
明治大学 総合数理学部 先端メディアサイエンス学科 中村聡史研究室
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Does Removing Pen Pressure in Cost-Cutting Pen Designs Matter for Handwritten Learning in Education? A Case Study of Geometry Problem Solving Yuki Miyazaki, Sari Kobayashi, Satoshi Nakamura(Meiji Univ.) Akiyuki Kake(Wacom Co Ltd.)
Background Digital devices are increasingly being introduced into educational settings. However, the digital pen environment in education is still not sufficiently developed. Handwriting Does Not Have to Be Beautiful, But... Note-Taking Skills Elementary School Students Should Develop https://s.resemom.jp/article/2017/03/22/37196.html ict-enews Editorial Department. (March 5, 2018). What happened at an elementary school on Hachijo Island where each student got a tablet PC / Tokyo. https://ict-enews.net/2018/03/mitsune/ 1
The Digital Pen Environment in Education Even when expensive tablets are provided, stylus pens are not always provided. Students may use fingers or low-cost pens. Is this really good for learning? Kagoshima City Hoshiminami Nishi Elementary School. (July 11, 2022). 【Educational Informatization】Request Regarding Individual Purchase of Pens for Tablets. Shinagawa City. (February 26, 2021). Ooi Daiichi Elementary School implements classes utilizing tablet devices | Shinagawa City. 2
Pressure Sensitivity YES NO $129 $79 Pro (Apple) usb-c (Apple) $19 $2〜10 Classroom Pen2 Affordable Pen (Microsoft) Affordable pens without pen pressure detection may be used in schools. However, the impact of removing pen pressure detection remains unclear. 3
Pen Pressure 〜stroke darkness variation〜 Calculation Geometry diagrams Pressure-sensitive 4
Pen Pressure 〜stroke darkness variation〜 Pressure-sensitive Non-pressure-sensitive 5
Prior Work Pressure-sensitive Non-pressure-sensitive Lower accuracy in division tasks without pen pressure sensitivity[Kobayashi+, ʻ25] Differences in visibility may have contributed to this decrease in accuracy Sari Kobayashi, Yuto Sekiguchi, Riho Ueki, Satoshi Nakamura, Akiyuki Kake. Does Representing Pen Pressure Improve Handwritten Calculation Accuracy?, 29th International Conference on Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information & Engineering Systems, Vol.270, pp.2808-2817, 2025. 6
Geometry Problem Pen pressure may be especially important during trial-and-error problem solving. In geometry problems, stroke darkness modulation may help learners organize various visual elements. 7
Research Purpose Investigating the effect of pressure-based stroke darkness modulation on geometry problem solving Hypothesis Pressure-based stroke darkness modulation supports more effective problem solving than fixed stroke appearance 8
Experiment Geometry problem-solving tasks using a tablet and stylus Between-subjects comparison: Pressure-sensitive vs. Non-pressure-sensitive conditions Participants: 38 undergraduate and graduate students Pressure-sensitive: 19 Non-pressure-sensitive: 19 9
Experiment Procedure 4 plane geometry problems 2 solid geometry problems Fixed problem order for all participants 10
Task Design for Geometry Problem Solving 1. Repeated Drawing and Annotation e.g., lines and angles 2. Use unfamiliar problems without new conceptual learning 3. Use only basic geometry knowledge e.g., angle sum and parallel lines 11
Task Design for Geometry Problem Solving Design Point 1: Repeated Drawing and Annotation Tasks involve many lines and angle annotations. This may lead to trial and error during problem solving. Example: ABCD is a square. Find the measure of angle x. 12
Task Design for Geometry Problem Solving Design Point 2: Use Unfamiliar Problems Well-known problems may be solved without trial and error. → We created original unfamiliar problems. Example: A problem with a well-known solution method 13
Task Design for Geometry Problem Solving Design Point 3: Use Only Basic Geometry Knowledge Advanced knowledge may cause differences in performance. → We used only basic geometry knowledge. Example: Triangle angle sum: 180 / Equal angles from parallel lines Angle sum: 180° Equal angles 14
Plane Geometry Problems Problem: Points A, B, C, D, E, F, and G lie on circle O. The following angles are given: " DAE=60 , GCE=40 , AFD=70 , BEG=40 , GCF=35 , CFD=30 , BGC=40 , ACD=100 , BEA=10 . " Determine themeasure of GBE. ※The seven points are arranged consecutively around the circle, eitherin clockwise or in counterclockwise order from A to G. ※The interior angles of any triangle sum to 180 degrees. Non-pressure-sensitive 15
Solid Geometry Problems Problem: Points A, B, C, D, E, and F lie on the surface of a sphere. The following angles are given: " ABC=30 , BFC=30 , DCF=40 , ACB=60 , EDB=30 , BFD=60 , BDF=40 , BED=120 ". Determine the measure of EBF. ※Points A, B, C, and D are contained in one plane, while points B, E, and F lie in another plane. Non-pressure-sensitive 16
Solid Geometry Problems Auxiliary diagrams were provided in advance to calibrate task difficulty Auxiliary Diagram for Problem 5 Auxiliary Diagram for Problem 6 17
Result 〜Accuracy Rate〜 The mean accuracy rate Pressure-sensitive : 76.3% Non-pressure-sensitive : 73.7% 18
Result 〜Accuracy Rate〜 Higher Accuracy by Condition Pressure-sensitive: Problems 1 and 5 Non-pressure-sensitive: Problems 2‒4 19
Result 〜Completion Time〜 Completion Time by Condition Non-pressure-sensitive: Problems 5 and 6 tended to take longer Overall: No large difference 20
Discussion 〜Distribution of Correct Answers〜 Non-pressure-sensitive condition: • Lower first quartile • More participants in the low-performance range The absence of pen-pressure-based stroke modulation may disproportionately affect a subset of learners. 21
Discussion 〜First-Encountered Problems〜 Problems 1 and 5: Higher accuracy in Pressure-sensitive condition First-encountered tasks in each geometry set. Pen-pressure-based stroke modulation may be especially beneficial in unfamiliar or cognitively demanding situations. 22
Discussion 〜 Comparison of Two Conditions 〜 Pressure-sensitive Light strokes for supporting lines Non-pressure-sensitive Mainly solid/dashed line distinction and depth cues Visibility may affect accuracy and completion time 23
Discussion 〜 Drawing Errors Related to Poor Visibility 〜 Overlapping angle annotations made the angle information hard to read. BEG: 40 → interpreted as 30 24
Discussion 〜Strategic Use of Pen Pressure〜 Some participants used pen pressure in a special way. They drew angle information with darker strokes. → Important information became easier to see. 25
Discussion 〜Strategy Without Stroke Darkness〜 When stroke darkness was unavailable, some participants placed angle information outside the figure. Benefit: Easier to read Limitation: Harder to match with the figure 26
Conclusion • Pen pressure may be important for unfamiliar problems that require trial and error. • Non-pressure-sensitive may make demanding geometry tasks harder to read and solve. • Removing pen pressure is not just a technical design choice. Future Work • Isolate the effect of pressure-based stroke modulation. • Examine how pen pressure affects learning unfamiliar solution methods. 27
Summary Purpose Investigating the impact of pen pressure modulation on problem solving. Method Geometry Tasks under Pressure-Sensitive and Non-Pressure-Sensitive Conditions. Result Differences appeared in first-encountered problems that required trial and error. Discussion Pen pressure may reduce misreading and improve visibility. 28