Using an iPad to write on pdf slides

Question

For a course that I am teaching I have produced pdf format "skeleton notes", i.e. partially completed class notes which students can print and bring to class. In the lecture I then aim to go though these notes, filling in examples, missing defintions, etc.

I am hoping to be able to do this by projecting the pdf notes and then using an iPad which I have borrowed from my university to write directly on the notes during lecture.

I would like to find an app suited to this purpose. One comment is that the app needs to allow me to zoom in my view, to get fine control over the symbols etc, without zooming in the projected view, i.e. the pdf that is being projected should not change except for the writing appearing on it.

Does anyone have any software suggestions which might fit my needs? I have tried many many apps but not yet found a suitable one.

Ideally, the app is free, or at least has a free trial, since I am reluctant to purchase a whole bunch of apps without being totally sure that they will work for what I have in mind.

Answer 1

I’ve been using GoodNotes 4 for six years now, and I’m pretty happy with it. Others I’ve heard about but do not have extensive experience with are Notability and Nebo. Notability has a audio recording feature which upon playback can sync the audio to your writing (but again, I have not used this feature).

Good Notes 4 does have the zoom in feature you are asking about - you can zoom in on a pane that shows on your iPad but it won’t show the zoomed in part on the projection.