Picture this: You’re in a classroom, looking alive as the lecture drones on. About half of the students, typing their notes quickly, seem to be outpacing those who choose to write the old-fashioned way. Where do you stand in this faultline? The sea of laptops that flood most lecture halls[Read More…]
Tag: Note-taking
McGill’s volunteer-based note-sharing service falls short according to users and volunteers
Three years ago, Student Accessibility and Achievement (SAA) transformed the note-taking role from a paid to a voluntary position. Note-takers are students who provide their notes to other students registered with the SAA. Since the change, many students registered for the SAA’s note-taking accommodation and note-takers themselves have been disappointed[Read More…]
OSD note-takers are another example of undervalued labour on campus
McGill’s Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is responsible for facilitating wider access to learning and providing adequate resources for all students. To this end, one of the services offered by the OSD is providing notes for students who may be unable to take their own. Note-takers are tasked with[Read More…]
McGill OSD replaces note-takers’ financial compensation with volunteer hours
Each semester, McGill’s Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) recruits approximately 300 students to take notes for McGill courses and share them on MyCourses as a service to 600 other students with disabilities that hinder their ability to take notes for themselves. In Winter 2019, peer note-takers were paid $50[Read More…]
The perks of being a hand writer
One of the quickest ways that professors can get students to drop their course after the first lecture is to announce that laptops are not permitted. The feeling in the lecture hall is almost palpable as everyone pictures lectures with nothing but a pen, some paper, and a professor attempting[Read More…]
A student’s guide to maximizing productivity
With summer winding down, laptop screens across campus are featuring less Netflix and more myMcGill—an unfortunate situation if there ever was one. However, numerous online programs have emerged over the years to improve productivity. Listed below are a couple free computer programs that help maximize workflow on your laptop.
