Index: lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/action/LearningAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r11d6b3d1391ab1d1aa42453aa0347a6b85fcfeaa -ra5725da4ffd404829baffc9c3f262f001daa41b9
--- lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/action/LearningAction.java	(.../LearningAction.java)	(revision 11d6b3d1391ab1d1aa42453aa0347a6b85fcfeaa)
+++ lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/action/LearningAction.java	(.../LearningAction.java)	(revision a5725da4ffd404829baffc9c3f262f001daa41b9)
@@ -792,13 +792,20 @@
 	    } else if (questionType == AssessmentConstants.QUESTION_TYPE_ORDERING) {
 		
 	    } else if (questionType == AssessmentConstants.QUESTION_TYPE_MARK_HEDGING) {
+		
+		//store hedging marks
 		for (AssessmentQuestionOption option : question.getOptions()) {
 		    Integer markHedging = WebUtil.readIntParam(request, AssessmentConstants.ATTR_QUESTION_PREFIX + i + "_"
 			    + option.getSequenceId(), true);
 		    if (markHedging != null) {
 			option.setAnswerInt(markHedging);
 		    }
 		}
+		
+		//store justificaion of hedging
+		String answerString = request.getParameter(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_QUESTION_PREFIX + i);
+		answerString = answerString.replaceAll("[\n\r\f]", "");
+		question.setAnswerString(answerString);
 	    }
 	}
     }
@@ -821,13 +828,15 @@
 	int pageCount;
 	for (pageCount = 0; pageCount < pagedQuestions.size(); pageCount++) {
 	    LinkedHashSet<AssessmentQuestion> questionsForOnePage = pagedQuestions.get(pageCount);
-	    
+
 	    for (AssessmentQuestion question : questionsForOnePage) {
-		if (question.isAnswerRequired()) {
+		int questionType = question.getType();
+		    
+		//enforce all hedging marks question type to be answered as well
+		if (question.isAnswerRequired() || (questionType == AssessmentConstants.QUESTION_TYPE_MARK_HEDGING)) {
 
 		    boolean isAnswered = false;
 
-		    int questionType = question.getType();
 		    if (questionType == AssessmentConstants.QUESTION_TYPE_MULTIPLE_CHOICE) {
 
 			for (AssessmentQuestionOption option : question.getOptions()) {
@@ -850,11 +859,15 @@
 			
 		    } else if (questionType == AssessmentConstants.QUESTION_TYPE_MARK_HEDGING) {
 
+			//verify sum of all hedging marks is equal to question's grade
 			int sumMarkHedging = 0;
 			for (AssessmentQuestionOption option : question.getOptions()) {
 			    sumMarkHedging += option.getAnswerInt();
 			}
-			isAnswered = sumMarkHedging == question.getGrade(); 
+			isAnswered = sumMarkHedging == question.getGrade();
+			
+			//verify justification of hedging is provided
+			isAnswered &= StringUtils.isNotBlank(question.getAnswerString());
 		    }
 
 		    // check all questions were answered
Index: lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/learning.jsp
===================================================================
diff -u -r11d6b3d1391ab1d1aa42453aa0347a6b85fcfeaa -ra5725da4ffd404829baffc9c3f262f001daa41b9
--- lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/learning.jsp	(.../learning.jsp)	(revision 11d6b3d1391ab1d1aa42453aa0347a6b85fcfeaa)
+++ lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/learning.jsp	(.../learning.jsp)	(revision a5725da4ffd404829baffc9c3f262f001daa41b9)
@@ -86,21 +86,29 @@
 	<script type="text/javascript">
 		$(document).ready(function(){
 			
-			//if isLeadershipEnabled - enable/disable submit buttons
+			//if isLeadershipEnabled - enable/disable submit buttons for hedging marks type of questions
 			if (${isLeadershipEnabled}) {
-				$(".mark-hedging-select").on('change', function() {
-					var questionIndex = $(this).data("question-index");
-					var grade = eval($(this).find('option:last-child').val());
+				$(".mark-hedging-select").on('change keydown keypress keyup paste', function() {
 					
+					//get questionIndex based on whether element is select or textbox
+					var questionIndex = $(this).is("select") ? $(this).data("question-index") : $(this).attr("name").substring(8, $(this).attr("name").indexOf("__"));
+					
+					var selects = $("select[name^=question" + questionIndex + "_]");
+					var grade = selects.length == 0 ? 0 : eval(selects.first().find('option:last-child').val())
 					var totalSelected = countHedgeQuestionSelectTotal(questionIndex);
 					
+					var textareaValue = $("#question" + questionIndex + "__lamstextarea").val();
+
+					var isButtonEnabled = (totalSelected == grade) && $.trim(textareaValue);
+					
 					//if totalSelected equals to question's grade - show button
-					if (totalSelected == grade) {
+					if (isButtonEnabled) {
 						$("[type=button][name=submit-hedging-question" + questionIndex + "]").prop("disabled", "").removeClass("button-disabled");
 					} else {
 						$("[type=button][name=submit-hedging-question" + questionIndex + "]").prop("disabled", "true").addClass("button-disabled");
 					}
 				}).trigger("change");
+				
 			}
 
 		});
@@ -406,17 +414,7 @@
 						</c:when>
 							
 						<c:when test="${question.type == 8}">
-							//mark hedging
-							
-						//	var questionIndex = ${status.index};
-						//	var grade = ${question.grade};
-						//	var totalSelected = countHedgeQuestionSelectTotal(questionIndex);
-					
-							//if totalSelected not equals to question's grade - show warning
-						//	if (totalSelected != grade) {
-						//		markHedgingWrongTotalQuestions.push("${status.index}");
-						//	}
-							
+							//mark hedging - processed below
 						</c:when>
 					</c:choose>
 				</c:if>
@@ -446,15 +444,18 @@
 					
 					if (${isLeadershipEnabled}) {
 						if ($("[type=button][name=submit-hedging-question"+ questionIndex +"]").length > 0) {
-							missingRequiredQuestions.push("${status.index}");
+							markHedgingWrongTotalQuestions.push("${status.index}");
 						}
 						
 					} else {
 						var grade = ${question.grade};
 						var totalSelected = countHedgeQuestionSelectTotal(questionIndex);
+
+				        var justificationTextareaValue = $("#question" + questionIndex + "__lamstextarea").val();
 				
-						//if totalSelected not equals to question's grade - show warning
-						if (totalSelected != grade) {
+						//if totalSelected not equals to question's grade OR textarea is empty or contains only white-space - show warning
+						if (totalSelected != grade
+								|| !$.trim(justificationTextareaValue)) {
 							markHedgingWrongTotalQuestions.push("${status.index}");
 						}
 					}
Index: lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/parts/markhedging.jsp
===================================================================
diff -u -r11d6b3d1391ab1d1aa42453aa0347a6b85fcfeaa -ra5725da4ffd404829baffc9c3f262f001daa41b9
--- lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/parts/markhedging.jsp	(.../markhedging.jsp)	(revision 11d6b3d1391ab1d1aa42453aa0347a6b85fcfeaa)
+++ lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/parts/markhedging.jsp	(.../markhedging.jsp)	(revision a5725da4ffd404829baffc9c3f262f001daa41b9)
@@ -61,10 +61,24 @@
 			
 		</tr>
 	</c:forEach>
+	
+	<tr>
+		<td>
+			<c:if test="${!isEditingDisabled && !question.responseSubmitted}">
+				<div>
+					<fmt:message key="label.justify.hedging.marks" />
+				</div>
+			</c:if>
+			
+			<lams:STRUTS-textarea property="question${questionIndex}" rows="4" cols="60" value="${question.answerString}" 
+				disabled="${isEditingDisabled || question.responseSubmitted}" styleClass="mark-hedging-select"
+			/>
+		</td>
+	</tr>
 </table>
 
 <c:if test="${!finishedLock && !question.responseSubmitted && isLeadershipEnabled && isUserLeader}">
-	<div>
+	<div class="float-right">
 		<html:button property="submit-hedging-question${questionIndex}" onclick="return submitSingleMarkHedgingQuestion(${question.uid}, ${questionIndex});" 
 				styleClass="button">
 			<fmt:message key="label.learning.submit" />
Index: lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/monitoring/parts/userresponse.jsp
===================================================================
diff -u -r11d6b3d1391ab1d1aa42453aa0347a6b85fcfeaa -ra5725da4ffd404829baffc9c3f262f001daa41b9
--- lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/monitoring/parts/userresponse.jsp	(.../userresponse.jsp)	(revision 11d6b3d1391ab1d1aa42453aa0347a6b85fcfeaa)
+++ lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/monitoring/parts/userresponse.jsp	(.../userresponse.jsp)	(revision a5725da4ffd404829baffc9c3f262f001daa41b9)
@@ -82,7 +82,9 @@
 									responseStr +='</div>';
 								responseStr +='</div>';
 								responseStr +='<br>';
-							</c:forEach>					
+							</c:forEach>
+							
+							responseStr +="${questionResult.answerStringEscaped}";
 						</c:when>						
 	
 					</c:choose>
\ No newline at end of file