Physical Notebook or Electronic? Which format?
Discuss your decision about whether you will create a physical notebook with printed documents and page dividers or organize the information electronically.
Jacqueline,
For some reason, that physical notebook seems so easy to grab, doesn't it? The beauty of electronic is that it can be quickly and easily updated, and then everyone has the most current, and up to date information at the touch of a button.
Good to know that your team keeps both at the ready.
Donna Guisado
We keep a physical notebook in hand and we update it very constantly, we also have a small shared folder for the admissions department that we can refer to. I personally find the physical notebook more helpful but the electronic is always there as back up. Both ways are helpful.
Mary,
You will love going totally electronic...but I'm still old school enough to want a paper back up!
I think your institution sounds as if they have all the bases covered. And your accreditation will love that.
Donna Guisado
I think it is important to maintain both physical and electronic forms of the notebook.
There is a single Admin who is responsible for maintaining all promotional and training material, the Director maintains the physical binder. The single Admin handles all the updating to the master file and prints out the latest version for the physical binder. In the physical binder, 2 flash drives are stored to back up the electronic mater. This prevents the loss of the original master and any virus or corruption to the file. In addition a back up is also stored on a secure online cloud server.
We are in the process of scanning all original documents to eventually switch to a paperless office, with the exception of printing at least one original copy as hard copy in a dedicated binder for back up. With today's technology, you can scan a document and convert it to a word document using OCR, or optimal character recognition. Adobe Acrobat Professional does this very well, and is worth the small investment in the software. Acrobat Pro also allows for electronic signatures and password/encryption options.
As an institution, it is a challenge to let go of the old ways of doing things. We're finding that our accrediting agencies have gone completely electronic in the last couple of years which puts pressure on our institution to follow their lead.
Angelica,
I agree! Electronic is also easily updated as well.
Donna Guisado
Hello everyone!
I have started to create an electronic notebook because it will be easy to share with others. It is also easier for me to create electronically because I can organized it well and color code it somehow. Since I am a visual learner it will help me learn and obtain the information easily with the organization and color coding.
Angelica
Markki,
I come from a time when there was NO electronic option...so I too,like to have a printed copy on hand. For convenience sake, and consistent updating as you mentioned, electronic cannot be beat!
Donna Guisado
We have all our information stored electronically and all documents can be shared through the server. This is a great way to keep everything consistent and updated through all departments. Even though we use an electronic system, I prefer to print everything and keep it in a notebook.
Eric ,
I think this is VERY smart! As convenient as technology can be, it can sure make problems when 'unplugged'! Making sure that you have the information readily available under any circumstance is great.
Donna Guisado
I'm creating a physical notebook that would be easily accessable even if the internet goes down or if I need to move it from my office to a meeting room for discussion or to show a student something specific. A physical version in my opinion would be more useful and flexible.
I will be printing the information to create a physical notebook. I believe it will be easy to have it available for quick reference.
Renada ,
Electronic is so convenient to reference. Always good to have the most up to date material available.
Donna Guisado
We previously used a physical notebook and are now using an electronic one. We have found it to be extremely helpful. Everyone knows where it is located and can refer to it at anytime. It's easier to make updates and record when the changes were made.
We already use a physical notebook with dividers. It includes all of the policies and procedures for the Admissions Department. I believe that an electronic notebook may be useful to have also. It may make it easier to update information on an ongoing basis.
An electronic version was a good recommendation, and I think I will begin working on this, so my department will have another resouce to utilize.
Thanks,
Susan Orosco
We currently use a physical notebook with printed documents, but we need to update it and keep it current. I believe an electronic version was a good recommendation to be able to store and send electronically.
Having the physical documents are a very easy way to have access to the information when it is needed. Additionally I ensure that we have it in an electronic format as well. This allows us to update the forms/documentation electronically as they may change and then print them for the convenience to access them.
We have kept and maintained a physical notebook in our offices.
Vina,
You are busy! I too like having printed material available. It's quick and easy to grab. The great thing about electronic is that is often is easier to update on a more frequent basis.
Donna Guisado
