OneNote - Microsoft

What is Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a collaborative notebook software. Users can create detailed notes organised into sections of a notebook. The software platform is comprised of desktop, web and mobile applications that all accomplish the goal of collaborative note editing

What is the purpose of Microsoft OneNote

The purpose of Microsoft OneNote is to create a place where notes can be collected and edited by a group of people. Notes can contain pictures, files and videos, as well as text and drawn images.

How to use Microsoft OneNote

The tool can be used for assignments, note taking in class and for purposes outside the classroom such as organizing lecture materials.

Where to find Support

This tool is centrally supported

Support

For help, you can contact the WTS Helpdesk

Documentation

Additional information on Microsoft OneNote can be found on the OneNote Help Center

Tool Evaluation

Functionality

Rating	Rationale
	Scale The tool can scaled to accommodate any size class but lacks flexibility to create smaller sub-groups or communities of practice. Notebooks for an entire large class may be overwhelming or chaotic.
	Ease of Use The tool has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and personalize
	Tech Support/Help Availability In-person or email based technical support is readily available and aids users in troubleshooting tasks or solving problems experienced
	Hypermediality The tool allows users to communicate through different channels (audio, visual, textual) and allows for non-sequential, flexible/adaptive engagement with material

Accessibility

Rating	Rationale
	AODA Friendly The tool fully supports compliance with AODA standards for accessibility (W3 WAI), and makes it easy for materials to be made AODA-friendly. See information on OneNote Accessibility
	User-focused participation The tool is designed to address the needs of diverse users, their various literacies, and capabilities, thereby widening opportunities for participation in learning
	Required Equipment Proper use of the tool does not require equipment other than a computer and access to the internet

Technical

Rating	Rationale
	OWL Integration The tool can only be offered in OWL through a link or static representations of the tool (i.e. PDF), rather than a functional version of the tool itself
	Operating Systems The application is available for Windows and MacOS on the desktop, as well as through a web application and mobile apps.
	Web Browser Users can effectively utilize the tool with any standard, up-to-date web browser (i.e. Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer 10 etc.)
	Additional Tech Requirements Users can effectively utilize the tool without any browser extensions or downloaded software

Mobile Design

Rating	Rationale
	Mobile Operating Systems The tool is fully functional with a range of electronic mobile devices (laptops, tablets, touchscreens, mobile devices, etc.). There are mobile applications for android, iOS and windows phone.
	Mobile Functionality There is little to no functional difference between the mobile app and the main tool
	Offline Access The platform can be used offline but tools and content are affected. For instance, for real time collaboration, the users must be connected to the internet

Usage and Account Set Up

Rating	Rationale
	Sign Up/Sign In Western Facutly, Students and Staff can use their Western account to access Microsoft OneNote. All users (instructors and students) must create an external account or additional login, and/or personal information is collected and shared
	Cost of Use While normally there would be a licencing fee to access Microsoft OneNote, the tool is includeded in our Microsoft 365 Licence and all aspects of the tool can be used free of charge for Western Users
	Archiving, Saving, and Exporting Data Users can archive, save, or import and export content or activity data in a variety of formats
	Data Privacy and Ownership Users maintain ownership and copyright of their intellectual property/data; the user can keep data private and decide if/how data is to be shared

Social Presence

Rating	Rationale
	Collaboration The tool has the capacity to support a community of learning through both asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for communication, interactivity, and transfer of meaning between users
	User Accountability Instructors cannot control student anonymity but the tool provides some solution for holding students accountable for their actions
	Diffusion Student familiarity with the tool is likely mixed, some will lack basic technical competence with its functions

Instructor Presence

Rating	Rationale
	Facilitation The tool has limited functionality to effectively support an instructor’s ability to be present with students via active management, monitoring, and engagement
	Customization Limited aspects of the tool can be customized to suit the classroom context and learning outcomes
	Learning Analytics As a note-taking tool, Microsoft OneNote is not intended to support the collection of learning analytics

Cognitive Presence

Rating	Rationale
	Enhancement of Cognitive Task(s) The tool enhances engagement in targeted cognitive task(s) that were once overly complex or inconceivable through other means. For example, embedding video in paper notes is not possible
	Higher Order Thinking Use of the tool easily facilitates students to exercise higher order thinking skills (given consideration to design, facilitation, and direction from instructor)
	Feedback on Learning Through the tool, students can regularly receive formative feedback on learning (i.e. they can track their performance, monitor their improvement, test their knowledge, etc.)

Security and Privacy

This tool has been formally reviewed by Western’s Technology Risk Assessment Committee

Security and Privacy Flags

Last Updated: September 16, 2020

Rubric

The eLearning Toolkit Evaluations are made available under the terms of the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence

Feedback

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Credits

Ratings icons are based off images made by authors on Freepik, Zurb, and Icomoon and licensed by CC BY 3.0

Microsoft OneNote is a collaborative notebook software in which students can create structured sections with freeform notes inside. These notebooks can be shared with others and worked on together.

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