Friday, September 04, 2015
Note-Taking Just Became Easier With Google’s New Voice Transcription Tool
Fast Company | Business + Innovation: As the new school year gets off the ground, Google has updated Docs with a number of features that should help students be more productive and efficient. On Wednesday, Google introduced voice transcription, research capabilities, simpler data visualization tools, and Microsoft Office-style templates, along with the ability to take surveys and more easily check who recently edited a file.
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3 comments:
As a high school student I was very pro Google Docs. It was so easy to use and collaborate with others on, also with it being tied to a gmail account, it was easy to access anywhere - on my phone or any computer. As a stage manager I used Google Docs a lot as well, but always had some problems. In theaters with poor wifi connections they would never load or trying to email out a document would mean exporting it in multiple formats so everyone could view it. Hearing about new updates engages me more to see if all the bugs were fixed. The new feature of voice recognition sound useful as well. Until sometime better comes out, I will definitely be a user!
I must say that Google Docs has been a savior for the last five years. It allows collaboration on group projects/essays, and eliminates the "I can't hand in my essay because I forgot it at home" problem. On a computer, Google Docs is everything you could wish for. after reading this article, I immediately tested out their new "voice typing" feature (its under tools). It was overwhelmingly disappointing. The program "misheard" most of what I said, and at times, it failed to even register that I was speaking. I might have been my microphone/speech habits but I doubt I will be using this feature again. The mobile version isn't much better. The typing has always been... temperamental. The mobile app lacks many of the features I've grown accustomed to on the computer and it blunders the management of multiple editors (this feature is one of the main reasons I use Google Docs).That being said, I will continue to use Google Docs in the future for their file sharing, spreadsheets (this feature is beautiful), and ease of access.
The ability to speak into a microphone and have it transcribe what you are saying is incredible. We use it all the time on our cellphones with features such as Siri, and being able to use the feature in class would be very helpful, but not as the sole way you take notes. Studies have shown that you both pay more attention and retain more information when you write things down. I wish I could have had it this feature in undergrad, as I took a few large lecture classes,as a way to review what i missed when feverishly scratching down what the professor said. Had I sat there while my computer did the brunt of the work, I think I would have been playing games on my phone. With that being said, Im so happy google provides their service for free and know that this service will greatly help many students. It is great that google is adding aspects to their programs intended to help both teachers and students.
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