Electronic note takers
What are they?
Electronic note takers include those held as a pen that scans in text from books or journals for use by students who have specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, or by those with coordination difficulties who find hand writing difficult. In this case, the text is transferred directly from the pen to the computer, whereas with a note-taking pen using electronic paper the student actually writes notes and can draw diagrams that are then be transcribed as typed text or as a graphic to the computer.
The other types of electronic note takers tend to be linked to the use of laptops, with specialist software such as SpeedText or Stereotype for note taking by students who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.
Small, battery-operated portable keyboards can also be very useful for students who prefer to type rather than hand write notes. They produce simple text files without formatting, but are easy to use.
How are they used?
Pen note takers can be very useful for private study, in the library and for noting citations. Electronic ink versions are best for transferring diagrams for science and art subjects as well as for mind mapping.
The programs used by specialists to support deaf students in lectures speed the note-taking process. They give the student a chance to join any discussion and get an instant copy of the notes. Note takers working with SpeedText and Stereotype offer a summary, so the specialist taking notes needs to have an understanding of the lecture. A specialist working with Palantype takes word-for-word notes, so does not have to have an understanding of the subject discussed.
Portable keyboards, tablet PCs and even some personal digital assistants (PDA) can be very useful for taking notes in any situation. They are less cumbersome than a laptop and the portable keyboards tend to be more robust, which is useful on field trips.
Any issues to be aware of?
Pen scanners are slow for large amounts of data and there are times when the downloaded text has to be corrected. This is also true for the electronic ink versions, where unclear writing may not be recognised when transcription takes place.
Specialist note takers do need to take breaks during long lectures and it is important to discuss this, and the use of other aids, before a teaching session. Give the note taker an opportunity to clarify items if necessary, and remember to leave any complex or specialised information you display, such as numbers, formulas or specialised terms, on show for longer.