RAPPORT
WWW.RECORDINGACHIEVEMENT.AC.UK
Issue 2 (2015)
The International Journal for
Recording Achievement,
Planning and Portfolios
Evernote as a Portfolio: changing the way we document,
share and manage the learning that is happening in all
aspects of a student’s life
Dee Vyas, Manchester Metropolitan University
Abstract:
This paper discusses the pilot of a project examining the value of Evernote as a digital tool to support
students with learning disabilities in organizing their work. The project involved members of the learning
development and learning innovations teams at a UK university working with eight students with varying
needs over a six-month period. Evaluation data was gathered through student -led discussion of their
experiences. The evaluation suggests it would be worthwhile conducting larger -scale work and
integrating Evernote more effectively as an application to help students organize their learning materials.
Keywords: Evernote, portfolio, digital tool, learning disabilities, organising learning material
Organising complex resources
Students with specific learning needs can struggle
with issues related to the complexity and range of
learning technologies they encounter during their
studies. They may find organising work and
resources provided in different electronic formats
a complex process that is difficult to manage.
Richards (2014: online) states that ‘a learning
disability makes it a challenge for students to
progress at the same rate as their peers’. This is
particularly important in the context of taking and
organising notes. For students with learning
disabilities, technology can be an assistive tool
replacing an ability that is either missing or
impaired. Quenneville (2001: online) highlights
that ‘it provides the support needed to accomplish
a task’.
In my current role as Classroom Technology
Teaching Adviser in a UK Higher Education
Institute, I have been exploring ways to enable
students with specific learning needs to use a
single technology to help them collate, organise
and annotate a wide range of resources provided
in different formats (for example, MS Word, MS
PowerPoint,
.pdfs,
websites
and
other
online/electronic information). A pilot project was
carried out using Evernote, an online multiplatform tool that makes it easy to record,
remember and organize big and small things
encountered in users’ everyday lives when using
computers and mobile devices (foe example,
smartphones, iPads, tablets). This case study
explores the potential of this technology to
address the challenges experienced by this group
of students.
The pilot study
The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the use
of Evernote as a means of helping students to
create a portfolio of resources and notes to
support their learning. This was achieved by
helping them to:
gather complex, multi-format learning
resources in one location with a single
technology
(Evernote)
using
any
computer and a range of mobile devices;
share learning resources and notes with
their peers and supporting tutors, and
develop skills and expertise in using
Evernote and associated add-ons to
enhance their experience.
There is some evidence that Evernote can be
used with dyslexic students to organise their
learning (Eide 2015). Soon (2013) highlights
how Evernote was used to support a severe ly
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