PCC Disability Services
Livescribe Pilot Project
The PCC Livescribe Pilot
The livescribe system uses a special pen and paper to simultaneously record the audio and match it to written
notes. The audio and visual elements are then synced together in a “pencast” that can be shared with students in
the class through a variety of means. Faculty at PCC are using the livescribe pilot in different ways including:

Recruiting a notetaker to use livescribe during class

Recording short demonstrations during in person class

Recording short demonstrations for online course

Using the livescribe for FAQ or when working with students during tutoring or office hours
Criteria for Faculty Participation in Livesccribe Pilot

Faculty must be willing to share the pencasts with all the students in the course

Faculty must be willing to survey student perceptions regarding efficacy of livescribe (survey supplied)

Faculty will be given opportunity to explore this technology, implement, and reflect on best practices
Accessibility Logistics
The livescribe pencasts are great because they provide information in a multimodal delivery. They are
interactive. A student can review the page as a whole visually and then click on the portion of the image they
want to hear about to resume audio playback from that point. When students need an alternate format, we can:

Capture the pencast as a video, caption it, and upload it to YouTube (the interactive transcript is key)

Create tactile versions of drawings and/or typed equivalents of hand written notes
Those who wish to participate should contact the Disability Services – [email protected]
Learn more about opportunities online at: http://www.pcc.edu/resources/disability/facultycollaborations.html
PCC Disability Services
Introduction
This page provides several examples of ways in which the livescribe can be used to support teaching and learning. The
uses described below could be varied depending on teaching style.
Example One – capturing in class examples
A Math Instructor uses the livescribe pen to solve math problems under a document camera. After class he uploads the
pencasts and provides links in the course tools section online.
Example Two – rotating volunteer class notetaker
A Design Instructor sets up a volunteer notetaker page on her class wiki – students sign up to take class notes and
receive extra credit for doing so. Each class session she has the volunteer use the pen and paper to take notes
throughout the class session. After class she uploads the notes and embeds the pencasts in the course shell.
She tells students that the multimedia class notes are meant to help them cultivate their own notetaking skills, not
simply replace their individual notes. She encourages all students to develop taking their own notetaking style, and to
use the recordings for inspiration, comparison, and review. She offers additional extra credit points for students who
bring in their individual notes to show her during office hours.
Example Three – interactive PDF notes
A History Instructor uses PowerPoint during lecture and provides all students with the printable handouts through the
course shell. He prints one set of these handouts onto livescribe printable paper and makes marks, such as underlines
and exclamation points as he records his lecture.
He then creates interactive PDF of each lecture which show his printed notes along with the pencast and then burns
them to disk and places them in the library as a reference item for any of his students to use.
Example Four – online course
An instructor uses the livescribe pen to create short pencasts of important topics and embeds these within the course
shell. In addition, she uses a class discussion board where students are encouraged to ask questions. Each week, she
picks one or two of these questions to address with a pencast.
Example Five – paid notetaker
Disability Services has a student who needs a notetaker in a French course and pays for an Accessibility Aide to come in
and take notes with the livescribe during class. After class, the link to the pencast is emailed to all of the students in the
course.
Example Six – making physical models accessible via sound stickers
An instructor of Biology works with Disability Services to label anatomical models with Braille labels and sound stickers.
The instructor has text for each item that an Accessibility Aide records with the livescribe pen.
Learn more about opportunities online at: http://www.pcc.edu/resources/disability/facultycollaborations.html