Taking notes with
technology
Using technology to take notes
Taking notes in class is one of the main activities you will
engage in as a student. Writing at speed can be difficult: it
involves listening, identifying main points, processing
information, spelling, and the physical task of using a pen or
pencil. Some students need technology to help with this.
Digital pens write just like an ordinary pen, but you will need to
use a special notepad (which can be expensive) and
handwriting recognition software. On the plus side you can
record and save everything – even drawings – directly to a
computer.
There are a number of different brands of pen for
example NewLink USB Digital Note Taker and digiscribble. This
pen can be used to make handwritten notes, maps, sketches
and signatures using a normal ink filled pen. They are then
saved to a PC and converted to typed text. You can view a
video demonstration here
However students who find it physically difficult to take notes, or
who have problems with legibility of handwriting or difficulties
with reading print, may prefer to use a digital recorder. These
recordings can then be stored as an MP3 or Windows Media.
In college we use Olympus DS series Dictaphones as they are
light, relatively inexpensive and of high quality. They have
different recording settings depending on whether you are
dictating or recording a lecture, and a filter that reduces
background.
However you must request permission from the lecturer before
recording a lecture session, and if recording seminar or tutorial
you would need to ask permission from anyone participating in
a discussion.
General rules for recordings

They are for your own personal use only.

You should not distribute them to other people without
permission.

The actual content of the recording belongs to the lecturer
/ teacher.

Lecturers should be informed by support staff that they are
being recorded.

In some situations you should not record material, for
example if the subject matter is confidential or sensitive.
It is possible to turn the recordings you have made into text
notes using Dragon Naturally Speaking 9, however you need to
make sure that the quality of the recording is of high quality,
and be aware that Dragon may not recognize every word.
There is an article on using Dragon to convert recordings at
http://www.dyslexic.com/dragon9-and-digital-recorder