[Athen] [EXT] Sonocent

[Maria Bohn]

We piloted Notetaking Express this past year for 2 semesters our students LOVE the independence it gives them – they are still experiencing growing pains but the issues if any have been resolved. This is very promising!!!

Maria Bohn
Senior Resource Accommodations Specialist
Assistive Technology Specialist
Office of Specialized Services
Bergen Community College


From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> on behalf of Sean Keegan <skeegan at ccctechcenter.org>
Reply-To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Date: Monday, June 3, 2019 at 1:27 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] [EXT] Sonocent

We ran a basic evaluation of a note-taking program in the CCC system and I believe some of the most critical items for the success of any of these software programs is to keep it simple for students, provide the software app on the student's desired platform (e.g., mobile vs. laptop vs. Chromebook), and have a person or people who can regularly engage with the student to assess and refine the student's note-taking skills.

While such note-taking technology solutions seem straightforward, many of us are in professional roles and have had MUCH experience in taking notes throughout our college careers. For students who are new to college note-taking and/or are working with audiences who do not easily adopt new technologies, having a person available to work with a student on a regular basis to refine the note-taking process is critical. The technology component has to be as simple as absolutely possible so that there is opportunity for a college professional to work with students on developing note-taking skills rather than jumping through all the hoops required to operate the note-taking software or device.

I did see another note-taking company at CSUN this past year called Note Taking Express (https://notetakingexpress.com/) that looks interesting. Both Sonocent and Note Taking Express have pros and cons from a technology perspective, but after reviewing much data, I feel the most important component is having a person who can regularly assist a student with note-taking skill development.

Take care,
Sean