Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Technology for notetaking

Access techs on our team are available to meet with students, and we offer workshops as well. There are loaner items, free apps, and more that can make a real difference. Much of this equipment can be borrowed directly from the library by current students with active library accounts.

• Email access-tech-group@pcc.edu with questions
• Individual and group training is available

Access Technology Loans

While general AT is available through the library on a first-come first-served basis, there are also more specialized loans of tools such as tablets and laptops that require approval and coordination through Accessible Ed & Disability Resources. Most of the Loans through AEDR are meant to provide students with opportunities to try technology-based approaches that may be new. It is an opportunity to “try it before you buy it” but is not meant to provide students with ongoing personal home-based use of college-owned equipment. Please contact us if you have questions, suggestions, or are in need of training.

Recording Lectures

Reviewing material presented orally in class may be a vital study aid for some students. If a request is made, and approved by AEDR, the student should be permitted to audio record class lectures. Instructors may ask that a student sign a statement promising that recordings will only be used for their personal study and not shared. AEDR has such agreements and can customize language to address individual faculty concerns.

Note that in all cases, students are expected to be in attendance within courses that are being recorded. In other words, recording lectures is not to be used as a substitute for attending lectures, rather, it is meant to supplement the live participatory experience and give students the chance to review as appropriate for their learning needs.

Notetaking apps

Some students find that using apps on their mobile devices works best.

Livescribe

Livescribe is a notetaking system that, using a special pen and paper, simultaneously records audio and matches it to written notes in a generated “pencast.”