Access Services play a crucial role in ensuring equal opportunities for students with disabilities. One vital aspect of these services is providing notetaking support, which helps students capture crucial course information effectively. Various options are available to accommodate diverse learning needs.
Supplementing Your Own Notes
Several tools and strategies can enhance a student’s personal notetaking process:
LiveScribe Pen
This smart pen allows students to jot down notes on paper while simultaneously recording the lecture electronically. This creates a synchronized audio-visual record that can be reviewed later. Students can consult with an Access Advisor for more information about using a LiveScribe Pen.
Glean Software
Glean is a specialized notetaking software designed for students. It facilitates note organization and audio recording of lectures, offering a structured approach to capturing information. If interested in using Glean, students should inform their Access Advisor.
Professor-Provided Notes
In some courses, professors may provide all students with a copy of their class notes, often through online learning platforms like Canvas. These notes, especially when combined with PowerPoint slides, can be a valuable supplement for students’ own notetaking efforts.
Peer Notetaking Services
Access Services can also arrange for a peer notetaker, a fellow student in the same class, to provide notes. Confidentiality is ensured, and students can download these notes securely through their myAccess account.
Detailed instructions on how to download notes from myAccess are available, and any questions regarding peer notetakers can be directed to the Notetaker Coordinator via email.
Notetaker Assignments and Recruitment
Before each semester begins, Access Services proactively recruits potential notetakers. Upon receiving a student’s request, they either assign an existing volunteer notetaker or initiate a recruitment process. This may involve emailing select students, seeking assistance from the professor, or even visiting the class in person. Both the student and professor are notified via email once a notetaker is assigned. Students can also discuss the possibility of recruiting their own notetaker with an Access Advisor.
Utilizing Notetaking Accommodations Effectively
Students are encouraged to actively take notes during class and utilize downloaded notes from myAccess to clarify any missed information. This approach fosters listening, writing, and reading skills, contributing to academic success.
Suspension of Notetaking Accommodation
Notetaking accommodations might be temporarily suspended due to excessive absences unrelated to a disability or consistently failing to access notes through the myAccess portal.
Attendance and Note Provision
Access Services is not obligated to provide notes for absences unrelated to a documented disability.
Addressing Notetaker Concerns
If issues arise with a notetaker, students should first consult with their professor to assess the quality of the notes. Further concerns can be addressed by contacting the notetaking staff via email. Prompt communication is key to resolving any notetaking challenges. Access services strive to create an inclusive learning environment by providing robust note taking support for all eligible students.
