Learning Technology Guide - DEV

Notion*

group worklearning object creatorcommunication

What is it?

Notion is a web-based knowledge management system that can be used to document knowledge and resources.  

What is its purpose?

Notion can be used for  note-taking, setting reminders, saving documents, and assigning tasks. It can be used to build a knowledge database or project management workspace.

How do I use it?

In order to access it, you need to sign-up on the Notion website. There is a free version for a single member. If you sign-up with your MUN email, you are eligible for a free pro account. 

After setting up the account, you can choose a custom-built template from this collection.

For more information, you can watch a YouTube Notion Training tutorial.

Why would I use it?

  • It can be used to collect and document your course, department, and company's resources. It has many built-in templates for various tasks such as Team wiki, Project management, Thesis planning, Sales CRM, Lessons plan. 
  • On a Notion page, you can add text, images, videos, tables, galleries, calendars, and other pages. It has in-built support for latex equations and code blocks. The tables work as a customizable excel sheet with the option to add formulas. 
  • The website-like design of the application allows you to manage all the knowledge and resources that can be accessed and edited by a group of assigned people simultaneously.
  • The pages can also be shared publically as a website for free with a single click.

Usage considerations

The pricing of the account allowing multiple users adds up to be expense depending on the size of the team.

Quick Facts
Category
Productivity and Organizational Technologies
Rating Level 
Web Search
Website
Notion*
Last Modified
29 September 2022
Created
02 September 2021
License Available 
Yes
More Info

Security Concerns
No
Technical Support 
Vendor
Platform(s) 
MacOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeBook

Ratings Information

CITL Rating

Select any category below for details about the criteria for each rating.

Functionality: ★★★
Scale:★★★
Works Well.
Ease of Use:★★★
Works Well.
Tech Support/Help Availability (for Instructors):★★☆
Minor Concerns. No campus-wide technical support is available. Technical support is provided by vendor.
Tech Support/Help Availability (for Students):★★☆
Minor Concerns. No campus-wide technical support is available. Technical support is provided by vendor.
Hypermediality :★★★
Works Well.
Accessibility: ★★★
Accessibility Standards:★★☆
Minor Concerns. The website has been rated good for accessibility by users and groups, allowing screen readers and multiple media. There is no official declaration from Notion about meeting W3C WCAG 2.0 standards.
User-focused participation:★★★
Works Well.
Required Equipment:★★★
Works Well.
Technical: ★★★
Integration/Embedding within a Learning Management System (LMS) :★☆☆
Serious Concerns. There is no out of box integration for the Notion pages in BrightSpace other than as a hyperlink.
Operating Systems:★★★
Works Well.
Web Browser:★★★
Works Well.
Additional Technical Requirements:★★★
Works Well. Additional software and browser extensions are not required but are available for added convenience and functionality.
Mobile Design: ★★★
Access:★★★
Works Well.
Functionality:★★★
Works Well.
Offline Access:★★☆
Minor Concerns. The pages can be added offline from the application. It synchronizes with the web-server when connected online.
Usage and Account Set Up: ★★☆
Sign Up/Sign In:★☆☆
Serious Concerns. Sign-up is required to access the Notion workspace.
Cost of Use:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Pro version and Team version are not available for free.
Archiving, Saving, and Exporting Data :★★★
Works Well. You can download your data as markdown files ot HTML files.
Data Privacy and Ownership:★★★
Works Well. Some aspects of user information are shared. Please read https://www.notion.so/Terms-and-Privacy-28ffdd083dc3473e9c2da6ec011b58ac
Social Presence: ★★★
Collaboration :★★★
Works Well.
User Accountability:
Not Applicable.
Diffusion:★★☆
Minor Concerns.
Teaching Presence: ★★★
Facilitation:★★★
Works Well.
Customization:★★☆
Minor Concerns. It can be used as lecture notes by instructor.
Learning Analytics:
Not Applicable.
Cognitive Presence: ★★☆
Enhancement of Cognitive Task(s):★★☆
Minor Concerns. The tool allows multiple media for the lecture to improve engagement.
Higher Order Thinking:
Not Applicable.
Feedback on Learning:
Not Applicable.

Security and Privacy

There are currently no security or privacy concerns for this tool.

Support Information

Support is available on the notion website help page. You can also request support through a direct email.

Note: Instructional Support is available through CITL. Please connect with Learning Technology Coaches for assistance ltc_citl@mun.ca or visit the Teaching and Learning Exchange in ED 1001, St. John’s Campus.

Contact

Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

230 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's, NL, CANADA, A1B 3X9

Postal Address: P.O. Box 4200, St. John's, NL, CANADA, A1C 5S7

Tel: (709) 864-8000