OneNote Use Case - collaborative note-taking and organisation

OneNote Use Case - collaborative note-taking and organisation

Audience

Teaching staff who are interested in using OneNote or Class Notebook for collective and collaborative student activities.

Prerequisites

LSE account with full access to the MS Office365

What is OneNote?

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook available through Office 365. It allows users to collect, organise, and share notes — including text, images, web links, audio, and video — across devices. All LSE staff and students have access.

Access OneNote via office.com

Does it integrate with Moodle?

No. OneNote does not currently integrate with Moodle at LSE, though links to shared notebooks can be added manually.

Why use it?

OneNote is useful for:

  • Organising course or group notes collaboratively

  • Embedding multimedia and links

  • Supporting shared notetaking in blended or online environments

  • Structuring student work over time with clear sections and pages

Hypothetical Example

In a hypothetical LSE undergraduate course, students are assigned weekly group tasks. OneNote is used to create a shared workspace where each group collates findings, posts discussion summaries, and builds a project outline collaboratively over the term.

How might students use it independently?

Students can create their own notebooks for revision, research organisation, or collaborative study groups. Notes sync across devices and can include photos, recordings, and links.

Digital/Web Literacy Opportunity

Using OneNote encourages habits of digital organisation, multimedia synthesis, and shared knowledge construction — all core elements of digital scholarship and effective study habits.

Similar Tools

  • Google Docs (real-time editing, but less structured interface)

  • Evernote (similar but subscription-based)

  • Apple Notes (Mac ecosystem only)

  • Notion (more complex; good for structured databases and content linking)

Further Resources

 

 

⚠️ Warning about Microsoft Tools

Important Note:
While these tools are currently available via LSE’s Office 365 subscription, Microsoft frequently retires or rebrands services with limited notice (e.g. Stream Classic, Forms Pro, Jamboard deprecation). We recommend avoiding over-reliance on any one tool without a fallback option. Always download or back up critical work and avoid designing assessments around tools with uncertain lifespans