Following on from the post on Audio note taking, there may be those students who have a preference to type brief notes, yet also need audio to support their note taking and aide their memory. There are a couple of ways this can be accomplished.
For those using iPads, AudioNote by Luminant Software, has been around for a while, along with an application for PC or Apple Mac, so that notes can be transferred from the pad to computer, or recorded straight onto the computer. When the record button is activated this kind of app records the actions on the screen along with audio and indexes them both. When playing back the recording, the pen or keyboard strokes are played back at the same time.
Digital Pens
A more expensive but flexible option is to use digital pen technology. There are several different makes on the market, reviews of which can be found online at best-digital-pens. Some of the pens do not offer handwriting recognition and this may be important for those who will need their notes turned into text for use in other applications. These pens capture the handwriting on paper or a surface via a camera or a sensor attached to the writing surface and store the pen strokes and audio on the pen and transfer to a companion computer or app program via Bluetooth or wired cable connection. The file is transferred to the computer and when played back, the writing or drawing appear in time with the audio. The student could also use this technology to draw and describe an illustration, say of the parts of the flower, aspects of the water cycle and so on, or create a mind map and talk through key information associated with each part of the map. Teachers can also use them to jot notes on class observations as they go, which can be referenced and used for reporting or assessment evidence.
Considerations
As this is an expensive option, particularly for students, it is important to be sure that capturing notes in this way is going to be the most efficient and accessible method. Capturing notes in this way links the audio, visual and kinaesthetic together to strengthen recall and visualizing information. It could be used in conjunction with other methods of recording such as audio recording and transcription or dictation.
