Notes can be recorded with the use of a variety of analogue and digital tools. While analogue notes can be produced in paper notebooks, on pieces of paper, printed texts, post-its, whiteboards, flipcharts, etc., notes taken digitally require the use of electronic devices (Ahrens, 2017; Forte, 2018a; Kadavy, 2021; Marin et al., 2021) and are enabled through a keyboard, digital ink or voice (Khan et al., 2020).
While processing information from books, articles, social media, webpages, etc., one’s own and others’ ideas can be instantly and easily saved with the use of a digital note-taking tool (Perell, 2021). Once taken, unlike analogue notes that can be lost, unintelligible, scattered and hard to be found when needed, digital notes have the advantage of being located in one place, which makes them more durable, searchable, accessible, shareable with others, and editable whenever a need arises (Forte, 2018b).
In addition, writers can rely on the capacity of technology to store valuable ideas and resources long term, which frees writers from the limitations of their own memory (Forte, 2019). Finally, with the increasing body of saved ideas and emerging connections between them that become visible to the writer-note taker, note-taking technology supports writers’ thinking and creativity and also prevents writer’s block (Forte, 2019, 2020b; Perell, 2021).
Digital (electronic) note-taking began with the use of a computer to type notes in a word processor, which then evolved into the use of various note-taking applications (Bennett & McKain, 2018), such as those discussed in this guide.
Digital note-taking tools typically enable the following:
- Capturing notes. Notes can be typed (or handwritten) or imported in many ways, such as with the use of browser extensions for saving web pages, email capture, document scanning, third-party integrations, and by attaching files (audio notes, images, text documents, etc.).
- Storage. Notes can be autosaved in a note-taking application.
- Mono-directional linking. Notes can include links to external webpages as well as other notes within the application.
- Text editing. Text editors usually allow bolding, italics, bullets, numbering, they also offer different font styles, colors, and text sizes.
- Tagging. Tags added to a note help make connections between individual notes.
- Organization. Notes can be arranged into pages, notebooks, folders, groups of folders (stacks), etc., that are devoted to, e.g., different writing projects.
- Search. Notes can be searched within the body of saved notes by keywords or tags.
- Sharing notes with others. Links can be created to share with, e.g., colleagues collaborating on writing projects, who will be able to see the note without needing to create an account.
Getting Started
There are many different digital tools available for note-taking, so the first step is to review some tutorials and guides to help in determining which app will work best for you and your students. It is important to note, however, that the two apps currently supported by Vermont State University are Goodnotes and Microsoft OneNote, which is part of the institution’s Microsoft 365 suite of apps.
Support
- Technical questions related to the use of Microsoft OneNote and Goodnotes should be directed to the VSC ServiceDesk.
- Faculty members who would like to discuss digital note-taking from a pedagogical perspective are welcome to contact the Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation.
Tutorials and Guides
Goodnotes
Teaching Ideas
Note-taking Pairs
Students begin by taking their own notes. Then, they collaborate with a classmate to improve the notes each classmate has taken. Instructors can either assign partners or leave it up to the students to select their partners. This process can be particularly effective using digital note-taking apps as they have built-in sharing features. In addition to improving notes, this exercise can also be used to build rapport among students.
Group Concept Maps
Concept maps, which are used in many courses, allow students to use visual representations to increase their understanding of complex concepts. Rather than doing it individually, students can use a digital note-taking app’s sharing capabilities to develop group, or team, concept maps. The ability to insert images and shapes also makes the creation of concept maps in a digital format particularly efficient and effective.
Guided Notes
Guided notes are handouts that outline the lecture content with blanks for key concepts, facts, or relationships that students fill in during the lecture. This helps students focus on the key points and engage more actively in the lecture (Chen and Zhou 2017). Instructors can create their handouts electronically and share them with students via the note-taking app.
As a variation to this technique, instructors can assign a student created guided notes exercise in which a group of students is tasked with creating the guided notes handout, which is reviewed by the faculty member before it is distributed to the other students.
Citation: Pitura, J. (2023). Digital Note-Taking for Writing. In: Kruse, O., et al. Digital Writing Technologies in Higher Education, Springer, Cham. Retrieved June 10, 2024 from https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36033-6_7.
This text, which has been modified from its original form, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.