Is there a UI convention for updating multiple records?

Hi all,

I'm updating an Intranet web application, focussing on improving its usability.
In the application, users arrive and have to provide update reports on a
number of tasks they are responsible for. The updates are typically of around
20 words.

Instead of the users having to go into each task to provide an update I've
provided a single update page where they are able to enter updates for a
series of tasks at once, clicking the single submit button at the bottom.

Many users (not Internet experts) have not settled into this process, typically
entering a single update and moving onto another page without clicking SUBMIT.

Is anybody aware of a widely-used web-application which allows entry of text
against multiple background records? I'm familiar with GUI's which provide
a column of tickboxes against records (such as hotmail inbox), but I haven't
found the equivalent using text-areas.

Ultimately I may have to resort to single record edits, unfortunately.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/pointers.

Ian.