Landmark College Researchers Publish Article on Digital Note-Taking

Linda Hecker, Lead Education Specialist with the Landmark College Institute of Research and Training (LCIRT), and Anne M. Fein, Associate Professor in the First Year Studies Department, recently published an article titled "Digital Note-Taking: Helping You Get It and Keep It Together." The piece appeared in the April 2014 issue of Attention magazine, the official publication of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). 

The article outlines the many advantages offered by digital note-taking as opposed to traditional pen-and-ink approaches and examines the rich features of three current apps that support effective note-taking: OneNote, EverNote, and Notability. 

LCIRT researchers have been actively exploring tablet-based learning tools for the last two years, as this emerging trend in education aligns with Landmark College's keen interest in innovative practices that support students who learn differently. Apps are a "ubiquitous" technology: widely available to the public at low cost and without the stigma sometimes associated with "assistive" or "adaptive" technology, which is traditionally associated with disability. LCIRT recognized this trend a few years ago and acquired a set of iPads in order to experiment and explore.

The explosion of educational apps in the last few years makes it difficult to sort through what is available, so LCIRT has focused on identifying apps that embody Landmark College's pedagogical principles. Dr. Manju Banerjee and Dr. Sapna Prasad developed a rubric for evaluating apps based on Universal Design and presented their work at the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) conference in New Orleans last November. The LCIRT team refined that rubric to identify the required and desirable features for apps that support the key academic skills of reading comprehension, writing, and study skills such as note-taking and organization.

LCIRT ran an "iPad sandbox" for selected Landmark faculty last year, introducing them to key apps in those areas so they could explore them further with their students. LCIRT also presented a webinar series in Spring 2014 focused on apps for reading, writing and note-taking.

Hecker notes, "The article for CHADD was a great opportunity to disseminate our current thinking about apps to the broader public." 

The full text of the article is available for free. Hecker and Fein's webinar on digital note-taking can be watched online for free. The Spring 2014 Webinar Series on reading, writing, and note-taking apps is available for purchase.

Landmark College was the first institution of higher learning to pioneer college-level studies for students with dyslexia. Today, Landmark College offers two and four-year degree options, a graduate level certificate in universal design with technology integration, and summer programs for students who learn differently. The College is a global leader in integrated teaching methods for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, ADHD, and ASD. Students, faculty, and professionals from all over the world are drawn to Landmark College for its innovative educational model, designed through research and practice to help all students who learn differently become confident, self-empowered, and independently successful learners.