13/1/2009

Ref: IS026

Students across the UK can now explore, annotate and utilise digital voice recordings in real-time with the brand new Live Notetaking capabilities of Audio Notetaker V2. Developed by Accessible Audio in partnership with leading assistive technology specialist iansyst Ltd (www.dyslexic.com), the new software also enables students to add notes and supporting materials such as PowerPoint files alongside their recordings, helping to assist learning, research and revision. Designed for use by all students and teachers wishing to use audio recordings for note-making, Audio Notetaker V2 is a particularly useful aid for students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Audio Notetaker enables students to record a lecture or even their own spoken notes; the tool then identifies natural pauses that occur in the speech and presents the audio as a visual bar. The software works with a digital recorder and integrates seamlessly with the users PC or Laptop. The Live Notetaker capabilities allows students working on a PC or laptop to add keywords, highlight key points using coloured markers or break up their notes into sections as they are recording, making it easy to locate key information and recall past audio notes, perfect for exam revision.

An important new development in Audio Notetaker enables students to display PowerPoint slides, images alongside text from documents, web pages or notes alongside an audio recording, providing a workspace for comparing and reviewing different sources of information. Operating in ‘full-screen mode’, students can playback, edit and review their notes alongside the support documents making it easier to organise documents and notes and view relevant files at the same time.

An updated File Manager tool helps students to manage and organise their stored recordings and easily recall important lectures, lessons or podcasts. They can use the tool to search for recordings which have been annotated or use the search tool to find particularly helpful notes. Files can be stored using a “tagging” system whereby files can be categorised by topic, speaker or date.

Audio Notetaker v2 can also be utilised by teachers as an audio teaching tool in the classroom. Particularly useful when teaching language classes, the software can be used to records conversations and for later review by students and teachers.

Dr Abi Jones, Assistive Technology Consultant at iansyst Ltd, comments: “Students with dyslexia often have difficulties listening to information and converting it quickly into text. Audio Notetaker v2 takes away the stress of capturing important information and provides peace of mind that it will be there when they need to revisit it.”

“The newly enhanced Audio Notetaker v2 makes it even easier for people with dyslexia, or anyone taking notes, to record, personalise and store audio files in an easily manageable tool that they can carry with them. Audio Notetaker v1 fast became a favourite for many needs assessors advising on software for special needs students in higher education and these new enhancements will provide vital additional benefits to the user. “

For more information about iansyst Ltd, please contact Janine King at iansyst, Tel: 01223 420 101; email janine.king@iansyst.co.uk; or visit the iansyst Ltd website: www.iansyst.co.uk / www.dyslexic.com.

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