Evolutions in Notetaking
We propose a case study examining the displacement of traditional, manual knowledge management practices (e.g., pen-and-paper note-taking, sequential in-person review, and single-author document drafting) by integrated Digital Collaboration Platforms and AI-Enabled Note-Taking tools within a high-level university course context. The central instance of displacement is the shift from slow, cognitive-intensive knowledge processing to rapid, automated transcription, summarization, and real-time collaborative editing of complex information. Our focus is not merely on the new technology’s features, but on the resultant change in student behavior and motivation, particularly how the speed and simplicity of AI-driven tools may alter critical thinking, deep knowledge retention, and the perceived value of effort in learning compared to the “old ways.” Given the remote nature of our collaboration, we plan to work on this by conducting a comparative analysis of tool functions versus old practices, drawing heavily on existing online resources such as publicly available webinars, academic interviews, and video case studies that discuss AI adoption in higher education, rather than conducting new interviews. The members of this group are Nichole Lim and Matthew Sorenson, and the final case study will be posted on https://matthewsorenson.com/