Livescribe pen and paper (Source)
Livescribe is an interactive Smartpen which allows you to take notes and record audio at the same time.
For a full demonstration, see the video below.
The Livescribe 8Gb Pulse is the most recent release of this Smartpen and costs around £160.
The pen makes use of special paper which can be purchased in notebooks for approximately £20 for 4 notebooks, not too much more than a standard notebook.
The benefits of using Livescribe in fieldwork are particularly apparent when interviewing. Data can be quickly analysed and audio can be rapidly replayed in the field, which allows students to synthesise the data and identify areas which may require more data collection.
Upon loading the text and audio into the desktop version of Livescribe, the handwritten text is searchable.
We expect this to be a key tool for enhancing fieldwork accessibility for students with additional needs.
We will be trialling the pen with a group of students in the next week or two who are visiting New York as part of their human geography programme, so check back for a update later this month.
