1. The decision to adopt Amanote
The University of Genoa recognized the value Amanote could bring to their students' learning experience and decided to provide it as a solution for efficient and effective note-taking. Tiziana Podestà mentioned:
The fact that the student can record and then store/retrieve his or her annotations directly from Moodle seemed to us to be an important added value for study, in addition, of course, to all the possibilities that the Amanote tool offers and that have expanded over the years.
The university saw the potential in Amanote's ability to integrate with their existing teaching platform (Moodle) and improve students' study processes, ultimately leading to their decision to adopt the tool.
Integration with Moodle, a major advantage
When considering a note-taking solution, the University of Genoa found Amanote to be the best fit for their specific needs, as it offered a seamless integration with their existing learning management system (Moodle). Tiziana Podestà stated:
The biggest advantage is undoubtedly that it can be integrated with the university's teaching platform.
By choosing Amanote, the University ensured that their students would benefit from a user-friendly, context-based note-taking tool, elevating the learning experience without the need for additional training or separate platforms. Amanote's compatibility with the University's existing infrastructure made it the ideal solution for their students.
2. Quick and easy implementation
The implementation of Amanote at the University of Genoa was a smooth and hassle-free process, thanks to the easy to the plug and play Moodle plugin and the dedicated support from the Amanote team. Tiziana Podestà emphasized the positive experience, saying
The implementation of the project was quick and easy. There was a nice collaborative work between the Unige e-learning service and the Amanote team, always available both as support in the start-up phase and afterwards in the feedback phase and in the search for improvement of the tool.
Amanote stands out in the EdTech landscape due to its ability to work seamlessly with existing content, without requiring any modifications or additional workload for teachers. Its retroactive functionality enables students to annotate all pre-existing course materials within the LMS, making it a highly convenient and effective tool for enhancing the learning experience.
3. Usage occurred quite autonomously and spontaneously
The adoption phase of Amanote at the University of Genoa showcased the tool's usefulness for students but also highlighted its user-friendly nature. Tiziana Podestà explained,
The tool was 'advertised' on the student dashboard and a mini-guide made available to students and faculty, but the adoption of Amanote happened rather spontaneously and autonomously.
This seamless integration into the University's existing teaching platform (Moodle) and the spontaneous adoption by students and faculty demonstrate Amanote's inherent value and ease of use.
4. Amanote as a "Quick-Win" for Student Learning Experience
Tiziana Podestà considers Amanote a "quick-win" in terms of implementation effort compared to the impact on the students' learning experience. She attributes this to the tool's ease of use and the evolution of the plugin over the years, making it a valuable asset for users.
Given the ease of use and the evolution of the plugin in recent years, it is undoubtedly a valuable tool for users to improve.
This highlights how Amanote has provided significant benefits to students without requiring extensive effort or resources from the institution. The quick and effective results achieved with Amanote have made it a winning choice for the University of Genoa.
5. Recommending Amanote to Other Institutions
When asked if she would recommend Amanote to colleagues from other institutions, Podestà confidently responds with a resounding "Yes".
The University of Genova's experience with Amanote demonstrates the tool's ability to significantly enhance students' learning experiences. The seamless integration with existing platforms, ease of use, and the continuous improvement of the tool have made Amanote an invaluable asset for the university. The positive feedback from Tiziana Podestà serves as a testament to the benefits that Amanote can bring to institutions and their students.