A tool for taking class notes

Students still take class notes using pencil and paper — although digital documents are more legible, easier to search in and easier to edit — in part because of the lack of software to support note-taking. Class notes are characterized by free spatial organization, many small chunks of text, and a dense mix of text and graphic elements. These characteristics imply that a note-taking system should use pen, keyboard, and mouse-or-equivalent; allow the swift entry of text at any desired position; and minimize the need to switch between input tools. A system with these properties was built and used by 10 subjects in a controlled study and by 4 users in their classes. Some users preferred our system to pencil and paper, suggesting that taking class-notes with the computer is feasible.