BOARD # 31: Work in Progress: Supporting Student Learning with Notetaking in Lectures Based on Visual Communication

Dianne Grayce Hendricks; Aditi Bhat

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Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: Biomedical Engineering Division (BED) Poster Session
Tagged Division: Biomedical Engineering Division (BED)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 5
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--55676
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55676
Download Count: 4

Paper Authors

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Dianne Grayce Hendricks University of California, Santa Cruz

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Dr. Dianne Hendricks is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Biomolecular Engineering Department at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She teaches molecular biology labs, biotechnology, universal design, and technical communication courses. Prior to UC Santa Cruz, Dianne was an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE), the Director of the Engineering Communication Program, and an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington.

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Aditi Bhat

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Abstract

In this work-in-progress, we describe our efforts to better understand how to support student learning in the biomedical engineering (BME) major, in which course content is often presented through visual communication such as lecture slides with mostly images or equations. Specifically, we want to learn how to support students as they take notes in courses where material is presented primarily in a visual modality, but students have access primarily to text-based tools to take notes (e.g., writing/drawing with pen and paper or typing text on a laptop). We asked whether there is an equity gap for students without access to devices such as iPads, which allow students to both draw and write text by hand using a stylus.

We are concerned about how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) may be negatively impacted by any differences in student ability to: (1) take notes effectively or (2) afford note-taking devices such as iPads. Any disparity in note-taking ability among groups of students is likely to decrease achievement or engagement, as note-taking is essential for learning and remembering course material as well as being engaged during class.

Students report that many courses required for BME such as chemistry, biology, math, and physics, involve visual-only lecture slides to present important information, and that instructors often prefer to verbally explain the visuals in greater detail rather than annotating the visuals with text. As a result, most lecture slides include only visual depictions such as photos, graphs, figures, and equations. Students report that when a short text description is included on the slide, it may not make sense without proper context, which is provided only verbally (if at all). More detailed information, such as how the visual representations connect to key concepts of the course, is mentioned verbally.

Our department is concerned that the advantage for students who can afford or otherwise have access to electronic devices, and iPads specifically, creates an equity gap that widens the disparity already experienced by underrepresented students, especially in large introductory courses, which is where many underrepresented students who planned to major in engineering decide to leave the major. We note that BME programs may be particularly susceptible to losing students in prerequisite coursework, as students must take prerequisite courses in all the typical pre-engineering areas such as math and physics, in addition to extensive coursework in chemistry and biology.

Students perceive that the visual-heavy lecture presentation method works better for students who use iPads because they can simply download the slides before class and then add text or visual annotations in real-time with the instructor. We wondered whether our department should consider providing iPads (or helping students find resources to afford iPads). Before taking on such an initiative, however, we wanted to learn more through a formal survey.

In this paper, we share the preliminary results of a survey of 66 undergraduate students, including upper-division students already in our major and lower-division pre-major students who are currently enrolled in an introductory course. Students report the advantages of being able to download visual-heavy slides before lecture and then annotate during class. Furthermore, students report that some electronic devices are better than others for annotating visual information. For example, students report that using a stylus on a device such as an iPad is a more efficient way to annotate visuals than typing text with a laptop or phone because with a stylus or touch-screen students can draw images, hand-write text or images, or type text.

For students using pen and paper, the fast-paced delivery of information and expectation to quickly draw out the diagrams, structures, and equations (that a student with an iPad would already have downloaded) can lead to challenges in keeping up in the lecture and spending more time copying down information rather than understanding concepts. According to our survey results, most students who do not use iPads or electronic devices to take notes report that using electronic devices is cost-prohibitive. Most, but not all, students report that they would use an iPad for taking notes if it was provided free of charge.

In conclusion, ensuring that all students have equitable access to learning resources is essential to create inclusive learning environments. Our survey results help us identify accessibility concerns in note-taking for lecture content composed primarily of visual communication. We discuss possible solutions to these problems, in addition to other student insights in note-taking that are of general interest to engineering educators, to promote a more equitable learning environments.

Citation
Format

Hendricks, D. G., & Bhat, A. (2025, June), BOARD # 31: Work in Progress: Supporting Student Learning with Notetaking in Lectures Based on Visual Communication Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--55676

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - In this work-in-progress, we describe our efforts to better understand how to support student learning in the biomedical engineering (BME) major, in which course content is often presented through visual communication such as lecture slides with mostly images or equations. Specifically, we want to learn how to support students as they take notes in courses where material is presented primarily in a visual modality, but students have access primarily to text-based tools to take notes (e.g., writing/drawing with pen and paper or typing text on a laptop). We asked whether there is an equity gap for students without access to devices such as iPads, which allow students to both draw and write text by hand using a stylus. 

We are concerned about how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) may be negatively impacted by any differences in student ability to: (1) take notes effectively or (2) afford note-taking devices such as iPads. Any disparity in note-taking ability among groups of students is likely to decrease achievement or engagement, as note-taking is essential for learning and remembering course material as well as being engaged during class. 

Students report that many courses required for BME such as chemistry, biology, math, and physics, involve visual-only lecture slides to present important information, and that instructors often prefer to verbally explain the visuals in greater detail rather than annotating the visuals with text. As a result, most lecture slides include only visual depictions such as photos, graphs, figures, and equations. Students report that when a short text description is included on the slide, it may not make sense without proper context, which is provided only verbally (if at all). More detailed information, such as how the visual representations connect to key concepts of the course, is mentioned verbally.

Our department is concerned that the advantage for students who can afford or otherwise have access to electronic devices, and iPads specifically, creates an equity gap that widens the disparity already experienced by underrepresented students, especially in large introductory courses, which is where many underrepresented students who planned to major in engineering decide to leave the major. We note that BME programs may be particularly susceptible to losing students in prerequisite coursework, as students must take prerequisite courses in all the typical pre-engineering areas such as math and physics, in addition to extensive coursework in chemistry and biology. 

Students perceive that the visual-heavy lecture presentation method works better for students who use iPads because they can simply download the slides before class and then add text or visual annotations in real-time with the instructor. We wondered whether our department should consider providing iPads (or helping students find resources to afford iPads). Before taking on such an initiative, however, we wanted to learn more through a formal survey. 

In this paper, we share the preliminary results of a survey of 66 undergraduate students, including upper-division students already in our major and lower-division pre-major students who are currently enrolled in an introductory course. Students report the advantages of being able to download visual-heavy slides before lecture and then annotate during class. Furthermore, students report that some electronic devices are better than others for annotating visual information. For example, students report that using a stylus on a device such as an iPad is a more efficient way to annotate visuals than typing text with a laptop or phone because with a stylus or touch-screen students can draw images, hand-write text or images, or type text.

For students using pen and paper, the fast-paced delivery of information and expectation to quickly draw out the diagrams, structures, and equations (that a student with an iPad would already have downloaded) can lead to challenges in keeping up in the lecture and spending more time copying down information rather than understanding concepts. According to our survey results, most students who do not use iPads or electronic devices to take notes report that using electronic devices is cost-prohibitive. Most, but not all, students report that they would use an iPad for taking notes if it was provided free of charge. 

In conclusion, ensuring that all students have equitable access to learning resources is essential to create inclusive learning environments. Our survey results help us identify accessibility concerns in note-taking for lecture content composed primarily of visual communication. We discuss possible solutions to these problems, in addition to other student insights in note-taking that are of general interest to engineering educators, to promote a more equitable learning environments.



AU  - Dianne Grayce Hendricks
AU  - Aditi Bhat
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - BOARD # 31: Work in Progress: Supporting Student Learning with Notetaking in Lectures Based on Visual Communication
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55676
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--55676
ER  -