We know that many people have the luxury of having an administrative or personal assistant. Their sole purpose is to take on secondary or time consuming tasks. From meeting planning and handling correspondence like phone calls and emails to creating and organizing documents and filing systems, the assistant tackles all of the tasks that free up time for someone to focus on what they feel is the meaningful work that most aligns with fulfilling their purpose or reaching their goals.
In recent years with the broad deployment of artificial intelligence capabilities across websites, applications and devices there has been a significant rise in the number of mobile applications designed to effectively act as virtual administrative assistants. Grand statements are made about the ability for a piece of software to completely organize your life, increase efficiency and maximize your productivity in just a few quick taps. It sounds too good to be true. And maybe it is. But just below the surface of all the AI hype as companies all vie for our attention and dollars are features that are truly powerful. It is possible to start thinking about students building their own system of AI powered tools that act as assistants to their education.
A new Category for an old activity
Among these applications is a category that is focused on AI powered note taking. These applications transcribe audio recordings and text based images and then utilize AI technologies to filter, sort, and organize the content for various purposes. In many cases the user can determine how to sort and organize the information, create customized reports, and convert content into flash cards for further study. The significant benefit of this tool is that it frees the student to focus their intention on the instructor, the lecture, or the discussion.
But what about the cognitive and metacognitive learning?!
From a educators perspective there are valid concerns about losing the value of writing things down for oneself and the retention and understanding that happens in the writing process. But how effective is that learning approach if ones ability to write is not efficient enough to keep up with a class discussion or lecture. Does the stress of writing everything down disconnect the student from the context and meaning being shared in the moment? Might it be better if the student, confident that notes were being taken for them, was then free to actively listen and consider what is being communicated or discussed? Maybe even be free to engage and participate! There is likely a correlation between writing/typing speed and stress level. So now, with a fancy piece of software the student can listen and engage in a more focused way, with lowered anxiety, and with the knowledge that notes are being taken care of.
Certainly some students will rely on the note taking and still refrain from active engagement — but are they the ones actively taking notes anyway? Or the ones who would otherwise be actively engaged? And although note-taking is a cognitive and metacognitive activity this intervention in the learning process while usurping one activity may facilitate or enhance other activities that results in a net benefit or improvement in the learning and learning experience.
Maybe what we gain is greater than what we lose
With any new technology there are pros and cons, benefits, costs, and shortcomings. But the benefits of a note-taking app are pretty clear:
Key Feature & Benefits of AI powered note-taking software
- Automatic Transcription
Converts speech into accurate written notes using speech recognition AI. - Speaker Identification
Detects and labels different speakers automatically. - AI Summarization
Generates concise summaries or key points from long recordings or discussions. - Keyword Extraction
Highlights essential terms, topics, and themes from the conversation. - Searchable Notes
Allows users to search within transcripts using keywords or timestamps. - Real-Time Transcription
Captures and displays text as people speak, useful for live meetings or lectures. - Collaboration Tools
Lets users share notes, tag others, or comment directly in transcripts. - Integration with Platforms
Connects with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc., to auto-record and transcribe meetings. - Cloud Sync & Storage
Automatically stores recordings and notes in the cloud for cross-device access.
It seems that maybe the notion that an intervention of this sort, although it is perceived to come at a cost to learning, may just be facilitating learning in a different way. And it comes with the added by-product of a fully documented session for the student.
As an educator it is certainly nice to see students writing things down, but I am far more interested in an engaged conversation. When a conversation occurs where multiple students are engaged in the sharing of perspectives, opinions, and ideas the experience and impact feels enhanced. It would seem ideal for students to experience this sort of dialogue in the class and have a full transcript to document the time spent for future review or analysis.
Note-taking for everyone!
The utility of AI powered note-taking applications extends to educators as well. Recording lectures and in-class discussions affords the opportunity to review the transcript later and identify any further learning opportunities or note any unanswered questions or concerns. It could easily be used to review and see what questions were asked, or where areas of confusion might lay with the curriculum or content.
Often, during in class discussions one may need to make notes on points to follow up on. This often breaks the flow of the conversation or in some cases prematurely ends what might have been an interesting and fulsome discussion.
In the future the expectation may be for educators to provide the transcript/notes for their classes so that all students can have fair and equal access to the same technological benefit.
If AI powered software contributes to learning, while simultaneously eliminating a task that has a significant cognitive load that results in an opportunity to participate in other activities that are productive in their educational cognitive load we should consider these tools a net asset.
Of course these are early days and we do not really know the full implications of these new software tools. In time we will have a better understanding of how these tools impact education and whether they are a meaningful addition to educational experience.
Sources:
Audionotes. (n.d.). Audionotes: AI note taker app & summarizer | Voice to notes. https://www.audionotes.app
Coconote. (n.d.). Coconote: The top rated AI note taker. https://coconote.app Coconote
Hu, C. (2024, February 21). Why writing by hand is better for memory and learning. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-writing-by-hand-is-better-for-memory-and-learning/
Knowt. (n.d.). Knowt: #1 free Quizlet alternative with AI study tools. https://knowt.com
Otter.ai. (n.d.). Otter Meeting Agent – AI notetaker, transcription, insights. https://otter.ai
Whispa. (n.d.). Whispa – AI voice note taker. https://whispaapp.com
