Electronic Notetaking Course 2008

Assessment Day: Friday 4 July 2008

Venue: Scottish Sensory Centre, Edinburgh
Duration: 3 hours

ENT Course: Monday 1 to Friday 5 September, 2008

Venue: Scottish Sensory Centre, Edinburgh
Time: One week, 10 am - 4 pm each day
Course Fee: £450

Introduction:
Electronic notetakers (ENTs) take notes on a laptop for a variety of clients in an assortment of situations, using dedicated software. These clients are generally students or professionals who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted or have learning difficulties.

ENTs take notes in lectures, seminars, meetings, conferences, workshops, group discussions, and interviews. ENT work is unparalleled in the opportunities it offers for learning completely new subjects and meeting a wide variety of people. Qualified ENTs are also well paid and generally earn from £15 to £20+ per hour. 

This course will suit people who:

• can touch-type at a speed of at least 60 wpm
• have excellent English skills
• have basic IT skills
• have a broad base of subject knowledge
• are a university graduate (or expect to be soon).

"Being an electronic notetaker in an academic context gives me an opportunity to satisfy my curiosity about certain academic subjects while also feeling that I am doing socially useful work." Alexander Downey, electronic notetaker

"Students have said that with an electronic notetaker, they feel more a part of what is going on around them, as they can work out who is speaking quickly."
Ann Marie Cooper, electronic notetaker

"The assistance of an electronic notetaker is invaluable to someone in my situation.  There are several advantages: firstly, the speed in which I receive the information; secondly, getting prompts on particular information that I might feel is paramount; and thirdly, having the notes available immediately it means I can develop the notes from my memory."  Peter Nicholson, law student

The course fee includes:

• payment to the SQA for the certificate
• course materials
• access to SSC laptops and software
• tuition
• tutor time (correction, feedback on assessments and support by letter/email/telephone).

Please note that the course fee is not refundable.

Places on Course:   8

Course Tutor:   Jenny Webster

Application Process:
Applications will be acknowledged by email or acknowledgement postcard. After the closing date all received applications will be passed to the Course Tutor. Information regarding the arrangements for the Assessment day will be sent out in the middle of May.  If you have a preference for a morning or afternoon assessment, please indicate this on the application form.

Please use the attached pull-out form to apply for this course and return it to: The Administrator, Scottish Sensory Centre, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AQ by 23 May, 2008.

NB: the application form asks for an SQA Candidate No which you may already possess if you have attended a Scottish school or college and undertaken a National Qualification exam since 1999. If you do not have any previous SQA awards, a number will be allocated to you.

The decision regarding acceptance onto the course rests with the Course Tutor. If you are selected, a place on the course will be offered as soon after 2nd June as possible and payment of course fee will be expected with your written acceptance of the offered place.

The Electronic Notetaking Course is an intensive five-day course. This week is followed by work placements (15-20 hours) and an assessed portfolio. As places are limited to 8 the SSC will be assessing candidates in relation to touch-typing (minimum 60 wpm), grammar, spelling, punctuation and IT skills for these places on Monday, 2nd June. Applicants who can touch-type, but have not achieved the required speed and/or accuracy may also be considered. The SSC is a GTC-registered CPD provider and this course is accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

Course Content:
The course will cover the principles, contexts, ethics, and conventions of electronic notetaking, including information on equipment, practical dilemmas, Deafness and disability, health and safety, memory improvement, software use (the course will use NoteED® software) and professional development.  The course manual covers in detail, information on ENT clients, IT skills, practical skills, language skills, employment, work placement and assessments (written exam, supervised session and portfolio).

You are expected to undertake disability and/or deaf awareness training before working with clients who are deaf or disabled.

Timescale for completion of course elements and award: Successful completion of the course bears an SQA award. In order to be eligible, all elements must be satisfactorily completed within one year.