Digital note‑taking support
Students who have been granted note‑taking support may, using the tool provided by Uppsala University, record audio from lectures and other teaching activities. (Decision by the Vice‑Chancellor, 17 March 2026, UFV 2025/2194)
The digital note-taking support gives students the opportunity to make audio recordings for transcription and summarisation of lectures. The student can actively work with their notes in the tool.
Compared to the current support, where a fellow student shares their notes, this provides a more reliable and consistent quality of support. It also leads to reduced administration and lower costs.
Implementation of digital note-taking support
Digital note-taking support will be implemented gradually and will begin in the autumn semester of 2026, starting with all students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program, the Master of Science in Pharmacy program, or studying at the Department of Archaeology, Ancient History and Conservation.
A phased implementation makes it possible to test how the information should look when digital note-taking support is used. It also provides an opportunity to clarify when the note-taking support should not be used.
The next phase of implementation will take place during the spring semester of 2027.
Information and responsibilities regarding recording
Students who have been granted digital note-taking support may only use it for personal purposes.
The tool is available on the student’s own computer, mobile phone, or tablet, and therefore it is not necessarily visible to others that a student is using digital note-taking support. The recorded audio is embedded within the tool, making it difficult to distribute, and students are informed that further distribution is not permitted.
As is the case today, the note-taking support is primarily intended for use during lectures. There are situations where recording is inappropriate, such as during workplace-based education (VFU), internships, thesis defenses, and other assessed teaching activities. The teacher responsible for the specific teaching activity decides what applies in cases of uncertainty.
Teachers’ integrity and handling of sensitive content
Both teachers and students may find audio recording uncomfortable, and the awareness that recording is taking place can affect teaching. However, the requirements under the Discrimination Act regarding accessibility carry significant weight and justify digital note-taking support.
What is note-taking support?
Note-taking support is an educational support for students with long-term disabilities who find it difficult to listen and take notes simultaneously.