Tech Tool: Microsoft Office OneNote

By Darin Hartley and Mike Tholfsen

Paperless readiness: learning the OneNote way.

With economic worries, and a renewed focus on the environment, sustainability, and conservation, it is imperative to leverage development tools and systems that align with these overarching goals.  As organizations challenge to cut costs, drive efficiencies, and create learning that is as sticky as possible, any tool that can embody and enable these tenets will become extremely sought after and valued.  Microsoft’s OneNote application is a tool that when used properly—leveraging sound instructional design techniques—can play that role.

What is OneNote? 

Office OneNote 2007 is a digital notebook that provides users one place gather notes and information, enabling users to find what they are looking for quickly and share notebooks easily with others in order to manage information overload and work together more effectively. OneNote 2007 is part of the Office Enterprise, but it also can be used as a stand-alone tool with Office 2003 and works well with Microsoft SharePoint. Unlike paper-based systems, word processing programs, e-mail systems, or other productivity programs, OneNote 2007 delivers the flexibility to gather and organize text, pictures, digital handwriting (think Tablet PC), audio and video records, and so forth in a single digital notebook on your computer.

OneNote efficiencies

Cost reduction. Cost cutting in organizations will happen at macro levels in the organization, and traditional training organizations can be early targets for budget cuts.  Proactive efficiencies and cost reduction leveraging collaborative tools that have concrete print, fulfillment, and other cost savings will serve most learning organizations well. 

The cost of paper, printing, binding, labeling, storing, shipping, and ultimately shredding traditional paper-based learning materials, should not be underestimated. According to a Project Update from the Environmental Defense non-profit organization, costs for reams of paper can be as much as 31 times the actual paper cost, when the costs associated with storage, printing recycling, disposal, and postage are added. (See source document at http://www.edf.org/documents/2860_Citigroup_CopyPaper.pdf.) For a change, wouldn’t it be great to go back to organizational leadership to say, for example, “Our training team has cut printing and related costs down by 12 percent this year,” before the fiscal microscope is identifying standard budget reductions such as headcount, program development budget, and so forth.

Improved search and portability. Paper-based learning materials, including workbooks, handouts, and binders can be effective, but are rarely referred to after the core learning event is complete. In many offices there are scores of three-ring and tape-bound binders from past courses that have not been touched since the last interoffice move. 

Part of the issue here is the “lack of searchability” associated with the binders and other traditional paper-based resources.  Additionally, the multiple binders and paper-based collateral are not portable.  Transporting multiple paper-based books can be cumbersome.  Many paper-based materials aren’t available online (or on a lap top) and can have low reusability.

If learning organizations had tools or an application to reduce printing and associated costs and enable increased collaboration simultaneously, the learner and the learning organization benefit immensely.  Microsoft’s OneNote is an application that can help in those and other print and fulfillment related areas, including:

·         Materials can be distributed via SharePoint or other electronic means including e-mail or USB.  There are no packaging, shipping, postage, storage, fuel, and international regulations related to shipping that can be associated with traditional training documentation.

·         IT Involvement is not required to set up learning distribution sites.

·         Developers may be able to increase development time. Because the training documentation will be distributed electronically, the lead time required for actually printing paper documents can be added to the final development cycle.  Have you ever had to make printing changes last minute on training courses you have developed or facilitated?  

Using OneNote

For the learner, using OneNote is quite simple. The OneNote package is initially downloaded on to a computer, and the learner then navigates across folder tabs or pages within the folder or by clicking on hyperlinks or other files that may be embedded on the page.

For developer’s who already use other MS Office products, using OneNote will likely be second nature.  Text, graphics, links, files, and other digital assets (including audio and video files) can be added to any OneNote package leveraging familiar Office product tools and commands.  Additionally, the collaborative capabilities of OneNote enable courseware developers to co-author rich courses. With offline and merging abilities, course development can be done by different authors in different locations.  Finally, for developers, there is no programming involved with OneNote, which means there are no other tools required for complex programming and/or other advanced technologies to create materials.

For both developers and learners, there are multiple other benefits associated with using OneNote for learning:

·         It is an MS Office-based tool. For organizations already using Microsoft Office, it is a synergetic application with existing tools.

·         Uses a standard “notebook and file” analogy that resonates immediately with most users. The electronic pages in a OneNote package even have tabs on them, much like a traditional folder.

·         OneNote can be used on SharePoint or other file servers and OneNote files can be worked on collaboratively.

·         The end-user can annotate OneNote Notebooks to enhance them for subsequent use.

·         Richer content, such as audio and video files, can be embedded via a drag-and-drop function.

·         Instant search capability is a part of the OneNote package. Words and phrases can be searched inside single or multiple notebooks, as well as inside graphics or audio files.

Examples

Microsoft and other companies are leveraging OneNote to develop and deploy a variety of learning content and performance support. The Management Development Group at Microsoft saved a tremendous amount of printing costs and USB Drive costs by converting some of its courses to the OneNote format and the participants have enjoyed the materials and capabilities it provides.

Another example comes from Microsoft’s 15,000 certified trainers (MCTs), which span the globe. MCTs spend time in the classroom teaching IT pros, developers, and information workers how to use and deploy Microsoft products and technologies. The MCTs have many sources of information that they use in the classroom:  PowerPoint slides, student course materials, instructor-focused preparation notes and teaching tips, to name a few. OneNote provided Microsoft Learning the ability to unify all these different sources of content into a single OneNote notebook. Instructors have everything they need in one place, can add annotations or addition content, and can share their notebooks amongst other MCTs in the community. The MCTs have been very excited to use OneNote and have said, “This is one of Microsoft’s secret gems.  This is the PERFECT solution for us.”  MCTs have more direct contact with Microsoft’s customers regarding Microsoft technologies and products than most and are very effective evangelists. Placing these licenses in the hands of these people provides excellent exposure for OneNote to the world.”