How to Allow Students to Highlight Text in a Fillable PDF
Question details
Educators need to know how to create PDF assignments where students can highlight specific text while also filling out interactive form fields.
- Product
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating educational worksheets or assignments in PDF format that require students to perform both form filling and text highlighting activities.
- Observed behavior
- Creators are unsure how to enable highlighting within a form, as highlighting is a commenting feature rather than a dedicated form-field function.
Understand that text highlighting is a standard PDF commenting feature, whereas form fields are interactive input elements. You do not need to create a specific form field to allow text highlighting.
Create the Source Document and Add Form Fields
Design the static text of your assignment in a word processor, export it to PDF, and then add interactive form fields.
Text highlighting is a standard PDF commenting element supported by nearly all PDF viewers. It is entirely separate from form filling.
To build an effective assignment, you should design the readable text in a standard authoring application and only use PDF software to add the interactive form fields.
Open a word processor like WPS Writer or Microsoft Word to type out the lesson instructions, reading materials, and questions.
Navigate to 'File' and select 'Export to PDF' or 'Save as PDF' to convert your text document into a static PDF file.
Open the exported PDF in a dedicated PDF editor, navigate to the 'Form' tab, and insert text boxes, checkboxes, or dropdowns where student input is required.
Save the final interactive PDF document and distribute it to your students for their assignments.
Instruct Students on Using the Highlight Tool
Provide clear instructions to your students on how to access and use the highlighting tools in their preferred PDF viewer.
Easily Create Fillable PDFs and Highlight Text with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a comprehensive suite of tools that allows educators to seamlessly create source documents, add fillable PDF forms, and enables students to intuitively highlight text.
- 1. Create the Assignment: Open WPS Writer, draft your assignment text, and go to Menu > Export to PDF to create the base file.
- 2. Add Form Fields: Open the new PDF in WPS PDF, switch to the Form tab, and insert text fields where students need to type their answers.
- 3. Highlight Important Text: Students can open the file in WPS PDF, navigate to the Comment tab, and select the Highlight tool to easily mark reading passages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is highlighting text the same as filling out a PDF form?
No, highlighting is a commenting activity that overlays color on existing text. Filling out a form involves entering new data into pre-defined interactive fields. They are separate actions but can be done on the same document.
Do I need to create a specific form field to allow highlighting?
No. You do not need to add any special form fields for highlighting. Highlighting relies entirely on the PDF reader's built-in commenting tools, which are universally supported by standard PDF viewers.
Will students' highlights show up when they submit the PDF?
Yes, as long as the student saves the PDF document after making their highlights. The highlights are saved as standard PDF annotations and will be visible when you open their submitted file.
Can students highlight text on mobile phones or tablets?
Yes, most mobile PDF reader applications support text highlighting. However, interfaces vary between apps, so it is highly recommended to test the workflow on mobile devices and provide your students with app-specific instructions.
