Annotation

Overview

An annotation tool is a tool which allows the user to make additions to a document, image, or other file without changing the original file. Annotations can be physical, such as a post-it note, but most are electronic and provide the ability to add stamps, text comments, and highlighter to an online document. Annotations provide a unique educational advantage as students can share ideas while preserving originality and integrity of their work.

Annotations have a substantial research base and it has been shown in general students who annotate their work attain more academic success, understood what they learned more deeply, and score higher on tests than students who do not make annotations (Slotte and Lonka, 1999). More specifically, annotation tools have been shown to increase class participation and motivation (Wu-Yien et al., 2007). Annotations also improve organization of work and promote attention (Yang et al., 2004; Davis & Huttenlocher, 1995). One of the most rigorous findings is annotations improve reading comprehension and critical thinking (Archibald, 2010; Mendenhall & Author, 2010). Annotations have also been demonstrated to improve writing and cause students to rely less on summarization and more on critical evaluation (Wolfe, 2008). Finally, as annotations are inherently somewhat collaborative, as they involve making visual changes to work, they have been shown to positively affect the academic performance of not just the user, but the user’s peers (Kawase et al., 2009).

Electronic annotations are generally subcategorized into social annotations and personal annotations, because many annotations are internet dependent and contain sharing tools. Social annotation programs are generally superior to personal annotations, with reasons cited being the increased motivation derived from group collaboration (Novak, Razzouk & Johnson, 2012). Annotations in a group discussion form have been compared empirically to using other online collaborative tools, such as discussion boards and message boards, and students using annotations made comments more frequently that were more technical and more specific (Brush et al, 2002).

Annotations have significant variability in how they are positioned, which affects use. The simplest annotations will cause footnotes to appear at the bottom of the screen with the student’s comments. These annotations are the weakest, and tend to be forgotten or missed (Zellweger et al, 2000), and actually reduce note taking because of increased eye travel distance across the page (van Ostendorp, 1996). Post-it note format annotations and interlinear annotations (notes appear between lines of text) are relatively effective for sharing works in progress, but have been shown to get confused with primary text when working with published material (Cabanac et al, 2007). Margin-based annotations have the least general drawbacks and make the most use of screen real estate (Wolfe, 2008).

The type of annotation made also affects how much use will be derived. Wolfe (2008) found annotated texts provoked 50% more comments than non-annotated texts, and students were significantly more likely to comment about a passage that included both positive and negative annotations. Furthermore, the types of comments students made flipped from mostly comprehension and little critical evaluation to mostly critical evaluation when both positive and negative annotations were provided with a reading passage; this effect was also more pronounced in novice readers than experienced readers (Wolfe, 2008).

There is debate in the literature over how much personal annotations help over merely quiet reading. A meta analysis by Novak, Razzouk, and Johnson (2012, citing Kirschner, Paas, & Kirschner, 2009; Laughlin, Bonner, & Miner, 2006) showed as a general rule personal annotations do not increase critical thinking skills and reading comprehension any more than reading the textbook alone, because they lacked a collaborative social component. This supports the Wolfe meta study which found various effects by giving students pre-annotated work, which is by design somewhat collaborative in itself.

Annotations have a steep learning curve; Archibald (2010) found students performance using annotations was weaker than controls in the short term, but pulled ahead of controls significantly after a one-month delay. This study cited elevated cognitive load and a need for more instructional time to adapt to using annotations. These findings are supported in other findings, where students cited reading annotations as distracting and overwhelming (Novak, Razzouk, and Johnson, 2011). It was also found some students using collaborative annotations were distracted by the social dimension and failed to make and use the annotations; this trend was seen in students with weaker social skills and weaker time management skills (Gao and Johnson). As a general rule, Novak, Razzouk, and Johnson recommend a minimum of 4 hours of training before seeing a positive return on annotation use.

Annotations are a highly researched and effective tool that improve most areas of learning, particularly comprehension and critical thinking. Annotated readings provide increased comprehension, particularly to novice readers. Making annotations one’s self has an increased benefit to already skilled students. Annotations have a steep learning curve and can actually impair performance when building up the skills to incorporate them. Despite this, most students display significantly increased motivation and engagement when making annotations or reading texts that are annotated. Social annotation technology is consistently superior to personal technology, with the possible exception of students that are highly distractible. Margin-based annotations are superior to footnotes and in-text stickies. The recommended use for annotations is therefore not as a quick-fix, but an ongoing support to push higher level cognitive skills.

Research Rating: There is empirical evidence, both experimental and quasi experimental to substantiate how annotations are used. However, younger children have significantly less data.

Advantages:

Highly researched
Enhance critical thinking and comprehension
Benefit novice and advanced readers in different ways
Social dimension enhances motivation for students
Usually very cheap to implement

Disadvantages:

Learning curve, take instruction from teachers and student skill to implement, to the point of significantly decreasing performance when first implementing
Without the collaborative social dimension, positive effects are less robust
Best annotation tools require electronic texts

To Consider

Most of the studies cited are on older students. Because annotations are affecting higher order skills (critical thinking, meta cognition), they are recommended for high school and older students. Annotations also tend to clutter the page, which causes issues with students who suffer from distraction removal difficulties and focusing problems (such as ADHD).

Special Consideration: Workflow

Product	Price	OS Compatibility	Internet Reliance	Features	Optimized Use
Streamer	Free trial, $/month subscription	Windows, Mac, Chrome	Yes	Captioning, Note-taking, Translation into almost any language, Streaming, and Speech generation; encrypted protocol for private information	Meetings, conferences and communication needs for personal, professional, and school use
MathType	$, Free Trial	Windows, Mac, Chrome	No	Select equations from menu	Installed in Google Docs
OneNote Equation	$$	Windows, Mac	Yes	Select and draw equations
Mobi 3	$$$$	Windows	No	Tablet with various tools, including picture library, ability to make phone calls with synthetic text, and home appliance control
Allora 2	$$$$	N/A	No	Personal keypad with text screen and text-to-speech software, allowing typing phrases to be spoken by the tool.
GoTalk	$$$$	iOS	No	Phone app with selectable pictures, requests, and directions
Augmentive Picture Books	$$	N/A	No	Physical bag with velcro or pockets and cards with pictures for making requests
Proloquo2Go	$$$$	iOS	No	Phone app with selectable pictures, requests, and directions
TobiiDynavox	$$$$	N/A	No	Tablet device; uses touch-pad and eye tracking to receive input from users and generate speech.	Only available by referral
Microsoft Translate	$$, Free Trial	Mac, Windows, Chrome	Yes	Part of Microsoft Cognitive Services, conducts real time translation of speech and text on websites, programs, dictated information, or given document	All purpose, versatile
PowerPoint	$$	Windows, Mac, Chrome	Yes	Present live captioning and subtitles in power point slides. Customization of caption style and automatic, real-time captions in 12 spoken languages	Professional presentations, accessibility compliance
Rocket Book	$$$	Any	Yes	Smart notebook that uploads notes online, can scan, send directly as email, and is searchable	Sync between different online systems, easy transcription, scanning and email
Read and Write for Chrome	$$$	Chrome	Yes	Suite of many features and technologies.	Reading documents in Google platforms, including Google Docs and Google Classroom.
Popplet	$	Web, iOS	Yes	Easily create colorful maps made of text boxes and link together	Organization of information, flexible for all ages
Search Engine Autocomplete	Free	Any browser	Yes	A basic feature of most search engines such as Google. Press space bar after a target word or phrase to see list of commonly associated topics based on internet searches. Does not provide definitions.	Basic internet proficiency required. Tends to give generic results. Adult filtering recommended.
Question Analyzer	$$	Any browser	Yes	Returns a list of commonly asked questions about a target word or phrase.	Uses internet trend data. Good for modern topics or public knowledge. Simple interface.
AnswerThePublic	Free	Any browser	Yes	Generates list of questions sorted into questions, associations, and comparisons based on target word or phrase. Clicking on any question will start a google search. Presented as visual map or list.	Large volume of results, not intuitive for children. Good for developing an established topic for highschoolers and above.
Moz	Free, $$	Any browser	Yes	Generates phrases related to input phrases based on internet searches. Adds questions, common searches, or similar topics. Provides links.	Adults. Needs to be taught; not intuitive for children. Helps refine search terms; find better keywords.
DiY	Free	PDF	No	PDF with examples and lists of ways to invert and innovate existing concepts.	When topic is not known or vague. Doesn't use keywords.
Portent Idea Generator	Free	Any browser	Yes	Often returns pop-culture. Generates random opinions or ways of tackling a target idea. Accepts phrases and single words.	For when a topic is already known, choosing an attitude, stance, or approach to the topic. Often gives silly answers. Not good for research.
Word Association Network	Free	All browsers	Yes	Generates massive list based on a single word, sorted by verbs, nouns, and adjectives. Cannot filter to reduce volume. Large database, accepts most words. Provides pictures, definitions of target word. Words listed by relevance.	Research and writing with keywords. Older students, advanced students. Provides high volume of data to search through. Doesn't generate repeat words.
Word Storm	Free	Any browser, requires flash	Yes	Creates a map of related words to a target. Closer words are more relevant. Can click on any word to create a new search about that target. Exportable as picture.	General or simple writing assignments. Visually easy to use. Single words only. Database limited, often won't accept complex or unusual words.
Essay Jack	$/month (single license), $$$/month (bulk for classrooms)	Any web browser	Yes	Sentence starting prompts, database of simple writing tips, example/model statements and essays; collaboration and online group editing, shared reviewing	Grade 8 to university; peer to peer reviewing and sharing
Scanning Pens	$$$	Windows, Mac	No	Pocket-sized Reads text aloud in English, Spanish or French
Mechanical Mouse	$	N/A	No	Can be wired or wireless; available at most general stores
Wheelchair				Consult a doctor or physiotherapist when purchasing a wheelchair
Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) HAL-5 Suit	$$$$			Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use.	Helps to reteach the brain how to move limbs and torso after traumatic injury.
ReWalk Rehabilitation Walking Rehabilitation	$$$$			Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use.	Helps adjust center of gravity and gait during rehabilitation activities
ReWalk Personal 6.0 Walking Assistant	$$$$			100m 10mins (On flat ground)	To assist users who have very limited to no use of their legs with walking.
Oxford Picture Dictioary	$$$	All	No		13 bilingual versions; website or app
Adobe Scan	Free	All		App for devices
Microsoft Lens	Free	Windows, MAC		App for devices
TreeSize	Free	Windows	Yes	Clickable files similar to windows displays hard drive in branching trees
BumpTop	Free	Windows, iOS	No	Creates a virtual desk surface; software is no longer being developed but can still be downloaded	Intended for touch screens
Drop Box	Free, $	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android	Yes	2GB of storage free
iCloud Drive	Free, $	Windows, Mac, iOS	Yes	5GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing	Integrated into Apple Products
Google Drive	Free, $	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes	15GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing	Multi-user Collaboration. Integrates with Google Classroom
Box	Free, $	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android	Yes	10GB of storage, more to pay	Compatible with other programs
Microsoft One Drive	Free, $	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android	Yes	5GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing	Multi-user Collaboration
Cram	Free	Any browser	No	Share custom made flash cards through Google Drive or print out cards
Paper Card	$	N/A	No		When printing / physical cards are preferred
Microsoft Word	$$	Mac, Windows, Chrome	No		As part of office 365 suite
MapFactor	Free	Android, iOS, Windows	Yes	Voice controlled, voice directions	App for phone / tablet
Google Maps	Free	All	No	Voice controlled, voice directions	Desktop (website) or app (phone / tablet)
Waze	Free	Android, iOS, Windows	Yes	Voice controlled, voice directions	App for phone / tablet
To Doist	$	iOS, Android	Yes
Any ToDo	$	iOS, Android	Yes
Google Keep	Free	iOS, Android, Windows, Chrome	Yes		For Android and Windows users
Apple Reminders	Free	iOS	Yes		For iPhone users
Microsoft Outlook	Free with Office 365	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android	Yes	Share events with other users, sync between multiple devices	Sync with Microsoft products; ideal for office work
Apple Calendar	Free	Mac, iOS	Yes	Sync between multiple devices	Sync with all apple devices; ideal for personal work
Google Calendar	Free	Windows, iOS, Mac, Chrome, Android	Yes	Share events with other users, sync between multiple devices	Sync with gmail and all google accounts; ideal for personal or classrooms
Paper Agenda	$	N/A	No	Various sizes of paper agendas; hardback and paperback	Personal organization and planning, cheap
Crayola	$	N/A	No	Wide range of color options for pens, pencils, markers, crayons
Incompete	Fre	All browsers	Yes	Generate custom free graph paper through website	Hand written graphing assignments; unique grid displays
iPad	$$$-$$$$	Mac / iOS	No	Digitizer for iPad tablet	Hybrid between laptop and phone, good for sharing and multiple users
Google Pay	Free	All browsers	Yes		Tracks all spending linked to google account; can connect debit and banks transactions
Mint	Free	iOS, Android, Windows	No	Can connect different credit cards, banks, spending patterns into one central app	Personal spending and budgeting
Apple Pay	Free	iOS	No	App which tracks spending, savings	Personal spending and budgeting
Khan Academy	Free; by donation	All	Yes	Thousands of math problems sorted by grades 1-8
Prodigy	Free	All	Yes	1200 math skills for grades 1-8 with classroom student tracking and feedback	Classroom
IXL	Free	All	Yes	Website features hundreds of math problems for each grade from K to 12	Home practice
Dragon	$$-$$$	Windows		One of the most advanced voice recognition software on the market	Easily compatible with external programs such as Microsoft Office, major browsers and social media services. Highly practical.
Phillips Voice Tracer	$$$	N/A	No	Handheld device	Personal dictation, 360 sensitivity for group meetings and multiple speakers
Keyboarding Without Tears	$-$$	All	No	Levels sorted by grade level, very child friendly progression through levels	Early keyboarding practice, grades K-5
CoWriter	$, Subscription	Chrome Plugin	Yes	Includes translation and speech recognition
Word Talk	Free	Windows	No	Speak incorrect words outloud and correct them	Word plugin
vBookz	$	iOS, Mac	No	16 languages, interactive cursor for readers to control generated speech and rate, small size optimized for mobile devices	PDFs on mobile devices
Read and Write	$$ (personal copy) $ School or subscription	All	No	Highlight and comment on text and documents	Suite of products, includes Text to Speech, Word Prediction, Personal Dictionary, many other features
iAnnotate	$	iOS, Mac	No	App that add notes and comments to documents, PDFs, excel, images, excels, and web pages	Personal mobile devices
Kami	$/year	All	Yes	Browser plugin, can highlight, paste notes, text, images, underline on PDFs and text documents	Classrooms and schools; purchase per year supports 150 students
Acapela Voice	$	Mac, Windows, iOS, Android	No	Over 100 synthetic voices in 30 languages
Mac iOS Voices	Free	Mac, iOS	No	Mac products come with default voices
Microsoft Voices	Free	Windows	No	Microsoft products come with default voices
NextUp	$	Windows	No	Variety of different voices and accents in many languages	Desktop and laptops
Tumble Books	Subscription, $$$/year		Download, Cloud	1100 books for grades K-6, multiple languages, supplementary quizzes, lesson ideas and videos	School age children
Onyx Boox	$$$$				Anywhere
Rescue Time	Free to $$$	Mac Windows Android Linux		Set daily goals. Receive a productivity score.
Dasung E-Ink Paperlike Pro	$$$$	Windows Mac IOS	No	Multiple display modes Easy setup	Outdoor environments High glare situations
Barnes & Noble Nook Glowlight 3	$$$	Windows Mac	No	Night-mode Physical page turn buttons Strong battery life	Anywhere
Kobo Clara HD	$$$	Windows Mac	No	Colour changing front light Strong battery life	Anywhere
Amazon Kindle Oasis	$$$	Windows Mac	Yes	Waterproof Support for audiobooks Uses Amazon e-book store	Anywhere
Amazon Kindle	$$$	Windows Mac	Yes	No Backlight Uses Amazon e-book store	Well-lit room
Focus At Will	Free to $$$	Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome	Yes		Use with headphones
Spotify	Free to $$$	Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome	No
Brain.fm	Free to $	Windows Mac iOS Android	No		Use with headphones
Noisli	Free to $$	Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome	Yes
One Focus	$$	Mac			All browsers
Waste No Time	Free	Windows Mac		Website and app blocker.	Chrome and Safari
Focal Filter	Free	Windows			All browsers
Freedom	$$	Mac Windows iOS Android		Website and app blocker. Blocked list is synchronized between devices.	All browsers
Stay Focused	Free	Mac Windows Linux		Can be a complete block or timed limit	Chrome
Qustodio	$$$	iOS Windows Android Mac Kindle Nook		Controlled by parents
Limitly Screen Time Control	Free	Android		Controlled by parents
Screen Limit	Free to $$$	iOS Windows Android Mac		Can be synchronized between multiple devices. Controlled by parents.
Time Doctor	$$$	iOS Windows Android Mac		Controlled by students or parents
iOS 12	Free	iOS		Controlled by students
Gyrobi	$	N/A	N/A
Fidget Foot Band	$	N/A	N/A		Must be tied to a chair
Thinking Putty	$	N/A	N/A
Fidget Puzzle	$	N/A	N/A
Stress Ball	$$	N/A	N/A
Sony WH-1000XM2	$$$$	N/A	N/A	10 hours of play.	Wireless.
AKG N60NC Wireless	$$$$	N/A	N/A	15 hours of play.	Wireless. Compactable, travel friendly.
Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC	$$$	N/A	N/A	20 hours of play.	Wireless. Headband lacks padding. May be uncomfortable for long term use.
Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2	$$$$	N/A	N/A	20 hours of play.	Wireless. Styling may not be comfortable for everyone. Should try on before purchasing.
Bose Quiet Comfort 2015	$$$$	N/A	N/A	20 hours of play.	Not wireless.
No Products Available				Currently we have no specific product examples. This may be because the technology is very new, there are far too many products to provide a concise list (e.g. laptops), or it doesn't make sense to list (e.g. carbon paper)
ReWalk Personal 6.0 Walking Assistant	$$$$	N/A	N/A	Legs, 100m 10mins (On flat ground)	To assist users who have very limited to no use of their legs with walking.
ReWalk Rehabilitation Walking	$$$$	N/A	N/A	Legs Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use.	Helps adjust center of gravity and gait during rehabilitation activities
Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) HAL-5 Suit	$$$$	N/A	N/A	Arms, Torso, Legs Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use.	Helps to reteach the brain how to move limbs and torso after traumatic injury.
Microsoft OneNote	$$, Subscription	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes
Microsoft OneNote	$$, Subscription	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes	Allows users to create and save custom writing templates.	Classrooms. Teachers create templates for student use.
Microsoft OneNote	$$, Subscription	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes	Built into a word processor, optimal for drafting documents.
Microsoft OneNote	$$, Subscription	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	No	Capture a digital note and annotate with free-form drawing tool, sticky notes, text; can add music, sounds, images and basically anything else to notes	Alongside other Microsoft software (Word, Excel, etc)
Microsoft OneNote	$$, Subscription	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes	Takes texts from locked images and pulls them into a separate viewing window. Original text formatting is not preserved.	Text documents with little to no spatial elements/formatting (e.g. a shopping list).
Microsoft OneNote	$$, Subscription	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes	High voice quality available. Cloud sharing available.	Reading documents.
ScanSnap SV600	$$$$	Windows, MAC		Book, Single Sided
Scanmarker Air Pen Scanner	$$$$	Windows, MAC		Pen, Single Sided
IRIScan Book 5 WiFi	$$$$	Windows, MAC		Wand, Single Sided
ScanSnap iX500 Color Duplex Desk	$$$$	Windows, MAC		Feed, Double Sided
Brother ImageCenter ADS-3600W	$$$$	Windows, MAC		Flatbed Scanner, Single Sided
Cubing				Students are asked to consider a topic from multiple different perspectives. Students are given a cube with different activities on each side and roll the cube 2-4 times to complete each activity.
About-Point				This summarizing strategy allows students to organize their writing based on the main idea and supporting details.	Reading
TOWER + EDITS				Acronym: Think, Organize, Write, Edit, Rewrite, and Embellish, Delete, Insert corrections, Tally progress, Submit grading	Progress monitoring and metacognition
Four Square Writing				A rectangle is drawn and divided into four smaller rectangles of equal size. In the centre of the shape an additional rectangle is drawn, making a total of 5 rectangles. Students are required to write the topic sentence in the middle rectangle, three supporting sentences in the other rectangles, and finally a summary sentence in the bottom right rectangle.	This technique is used for individual paragraphs.
Clicker Docs	$$	iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome	No	Customizable word list	App can be modified for each individual’s needs
Docs Plus	$$$$	iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome	No	Customizable word list	Use topic-specific dictionaries for projects
Co:Writer Universal	$, Subscription	iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome, Android	Yes	Customizable word list	Use topic-specific dictionaries for projects
Word Q	$$$-$$$$	iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome	No	Customizable word list	iPad features are limited, best on Mac or Windows PCs
Google Docs	Free	Chrome	Yes		Cloud computing
Microsoft 365	$$, Subscription	Chrome	Yes		Cloud computing
Pages	Free	Mac	No		Local hard drive
Microsoft Word	$$$	Windows, Mac	No		Local hard drive
Infogalactic	Free	All browsers	Yes		Subject specific information
Wikia	Free	All browsers	Yes		Pop-culture and gaming news
Encyclopedia Britannica	Free	All browsers	Yes		Encyclopedia
Wikipedia	Free	All browsers	Yes		Encyclopedia
Doppel	$$$	N/A	No	Vibrations simulate heartbeat to function as mood regulator
Spire	$$$	N/A	No	Measures breathing and heart rate; alerts during periods of high stress
Thync	$$$$	N/A	No	Can be activated to encourage mood to a “relaxing” state or “heightened” state
Watchminder	$$	N/A	No	Delivers mild, silent vibration and text message at period times throughout day
Apple Watch	$$$	N/A	No	Monitors various bodily signals relating to fitness: heart rate, blood pressure; can set goals, signal thresholds
Pilot Translation App	$$$	Mobile devices, pending 2018	Yes		Ear pieces for conversation or lecture dyads; language learning app works independently on mobile devices and computers
Google Translate	Free	Android	No		Mobile devices and computers
iTranslate Converse	Free	iOS	No		Iphone, Apple watch
BrailleTranslate.org	Free	Any browser	Yes		Short Texts or Phrases
Robobraille.org	Free	Any browser	Yes		Short Texts or Documents
Jaws	$$$$	Windows, Mac	No	Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text	Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content
DBT Duxbury	$$$$	Windows, Mac	No	Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text	Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content
Hal Screen Reader	$$$$	Windows	No	Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text	Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content
Ectaco	$$$	N/A	No		For short phrases; travel communication; spoken or text input, spoken and text output
Premier Literacy	$$$$	Windows, iOS, Mac, Chrome	No		Literacy Productivity
Read and Write Gold	$$$	Windows, Mac, iOS	No	Suite of many features and technologies	Support independent student research
Widgit Go	$$$	iOS	No		English, French, Spanish
Widgit Online	$$$, Subscription	All browsers	Yes
Pixwriter	$$$	Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome	No		English, Spanish
Clicker5	$$$$	Windows, iOS	No
Symwriter 2	$$$	Windows	No		English, French
Premier Assistive	$$$$	Mac, Windows, Chrome	No		Reading – Advanced OCR and TTS
WYNN	$$$$	Mac, iOS	No		Reading – Study tool, TTS and OCR.
Read and Write Gold	$$$$	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	No		Reading and Writing – Limited capacity with PDFs
Kurzweil	$$$	Windows, Mac, iOS	No	Suite of many products	Easy to use, wide range of tools, great highlighting function.
Mindomo	Free, $$$, Subscription	Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, iOS,	No		Has an outline function built in
Inspiration / Kidspiration	$$-$$$	Windows, Mac, iOS	No		Has both templates for typical writing tasks and an outline function
Microsoft Word	$$$-$$$$	Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, iOS, Android	No		Using bullets can be used to create an outline and templates can be downloaded online
Draft Builder	$$$	Windows, Mac, Chrome	No		Breaks the writing process into three manageable steps
Google Sheets	Free	Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome	Yes	Available for mobile	Collaborative spreadsheet
Numbers	Free	Mac, iOS	No	Available for mobile	Spreadsheet App
Microsoft Excel	Free, $$-$$$	Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome	No	Available for mobile	Electronic graphing and data input tool
Zoho Sheet	Free, $	Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome	No	Available for mobile	Cloud based collaborative spreadsheet
Digital Modulation (DM) System	$$$$			Achieves the same purpose as FM systems, but uses digital rather than analog radio waves to transmit sound. Improved sound quality, higher intelligibility, reduced noise and a shorter delay between message transmission and reception.
Dynamic Personal FM System	$$$$			Rather than receiving a fixed FM amplification , this device is sensitive to the noise level in classrooms and adjusts the individual’s FM in response. This allows for adaptability to changing noise levels.
Desktop FM System Receiver	$$$$			Listeners receive the auditory signal through a compact device that can be worn. Typically used for children with APD who do not use a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
Personal FM System Receiver	$$$$			Listeners receive the auditory signal directly to their personal hearing aid or cochlear implant processor.
Dynamic Soundfield Amplification System	$$$$
Classroom Sound Field Amplification System	$$$$
iPhone 6	$$$	iOS 8	Some features	16+ GB, 4.7" screen, average camera, 720x1334 resolution, 7.5 hours constant use of battery
Vodaphone Smart V8	$$	Android 7	Some features	32+ GB, 5.5" screen, Good camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 1 day moderate use of battery
Lenovo 2	$$	Android 6	Some features	16+ GB, 5.5" screen, average camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 3 days moderate use of battery
Redmi Note 3	$$	Modified Android	Some features	16+ GB, 5.5" screen, Poor camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 1 day moderate use of battery
Samsung Note 8	$$$$	Android 8	Some features	64+ GB, 5.8" screen, Excellent camera, 2960x1440 resolution, 9.5 hours constant battery use
Pixel 2	$$$	Android 8	Some features	64+ GB, 5.0" screen, Excellent camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 9 hours of constant battery use
iPhone X	$$$$	iOS 11	Some features	64+ GB, 5.8" screen, Excellent camera, 2436x1125 resolution, 2 days moderate use of battery
Lumia 640	$$	Windows 8.1	Some features	16+ GB, 5.0" screen, average camera, 720x1280 resolution, 30 hours constant use of battery
MAGic	$$$$	Windows	No	Up to 60x, font smoothing, text to speech upgrade option, integrated color contrast
Zoomtext Magnifier	$$$$	Windows, Mac	No	Up to 36x, font smoothing, text to speech upgrade option, integrated color contrast
Windows Magnifier	Free	Windows	No	Up to 4x, Separate function text to speech and color contrast
MAC Zoom	Free	Mac	No	Up to 40x, Separate function text to speech and color contrast
Online Utility	Free	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes		Identifying difficult words, to help instructors prepare texts
Simplish	Free	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes		Poor simplification but creates list of difficult word definitions
Rewordify	Free	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes		Decode short passages and highlight changes
Simple English Wikipedia	Free	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome	Yes		Personal Research
Optically Controlled inferace					See our page on Eye Gaze Systems
Head-Controlled Interface				A head-mounted camera may be used as an alternative pointing device for people with limited hand/arm movement and control
Mouse Pen				Allows the user to hold a pen-shaped device in their hand and use it to move around the device screen.
Touchscreen				Touchscreens are very commonly available and allow users to interact with their device by touching the screen where they would like to interact with the device.
Trackpad				Trackpads are rectangular sections typically found on laptops and are touch-sensitive, allowing the user to use their fingers to move a cursor around a computer screen.
Trackball					See our page on trackballs
Joystick					See our page on joysticks

Exact prices change frequently, which is why only approximate ranges are listed.

$ - Under $5

$$ - Between $6 and $50

$$$ - Between $51 and $250

$$$$ - Over $250

References

Archibald, T. N. (2010). The effect of the integration of social annotation technology, first principles of instruction, and team-based learning on students' reading comprehension, critical thinking, and meta cognitive skills. PhD Dissertation, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.

Brush, A., Bageron, D., Grudin, J., Borning, A., & Gupta, A. (2002). Supporting interaction outside of class:

Anchored disccusionss vs. Discussion boards. Paper presented at the Proceedings of CSCL 2002.

Cabanac, G., Chevalier, M., Chrisment, C., & Julien, C. (2007). Collective annotation: Perspectives for information retrieval improvement, RIAO 2007. Pittsburgh, PA.

Davis, J., & Huttenlocher, D. (1995). Shared annotation for cooperative learning. Paper

presented at the CSCL'95.

Kawase, R., Herder, E., & Nejdl, W. (2009). A comparison of paper-based and online annotations in the workplace. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 4th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning: Learning in the Synergy of Multiple Disciplines, Nice, France.

Mendenhall, A., & Johnson, T. E. (2010). Fostering the development of critical thinking

skills, and reading comprehension of undergraduates using a Web 2.0 tool coupled

with a learning system. Interactive Learning Environments, 18(3), 263–276.

Novak, E., Razzouk, R., & Johnson, T. E. (2012). The educational use of social annotation tools in higher education: A literature review. The Internet and Higher Education, 15(1), 39–49, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.09.002.

Slotte, V., & Lonka, K. (1999). Review and process effects of spontaneous note-taking on text comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psycholgoy, 24, 1-20.

van Oostendorp, H. (1996). Studying and annotating electronic text. In J.-F. Rouet, J. J. Levonen, A. Dillon, & R. J. Spiro (Eds.) Hypertext and cognition (pp. 137–148). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Wolf, J. (2008). Annotations and the collaborative digital library: Effects of an aligned annotation interface on student argumentation and reading strategies. Computer Supported Collaborative Learning. 3, 141-164.

Wu-Yuin, H., Chin-Yu,W.,&Mike, S. (2007). A study of multimedia annotation of Web-based materials. Computers & Education, 48(4), 680–699. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2005.04.020.

Yang, S. J. H., Chen, I. Y. L., & Shao, N. W. Y. (2004). Ontology enabled annotation and

knowledge management for collaborative learning in virtual learning community.

Educational Technology & Society, 7(4), 70–81.

Zellweger, P., Mangen, A., & Newman, P. (2002). Authoring fluid narrative hypertexts

using treatable visualizations. Paper presented at the ACM Hypertext.

Written by Francis Wall, Last Revision March 2018

Notation Format

DECODING

ATSelect