Mead Map makes note taking easier

Monique Jones, Editor-in-Chief
Published On: 09/ 8/2008

The laptop can be more than just a distraction from class; note-taking is now made easier by the Mead Map, an online program developed by Mead, the makers of products such as the Five Star.

“We’re always looking for ways to help people organize notes,” said James E. Coch, marketing manager of the production department at the MeadWestvaco Corporation.

Mead Map, their newest Web-based innovation in note-taking, began when Coch and others in his division took notes using an application called comapping.

“[We] took some notes and [were] able to share those notes with the team,” said Coch. “[We] contacted the company that invented the application. [MeadWestvaco and the company] are a pretty good team…a good fit.”

Mead Map works like Googledocs, allowing the user to share information across the Internet.

“You can share information with someone who doesn’t have a [Mead Map] account,” said Coch. “You can link to Youtube, Google, and place regular attachments.”

Also, like Googledocs, there is no program or software to download.

The application has been actively commercial for three months, but Coch and his team are in the process of allowing college professors to pilot the application in their own classrooms.

“We believe that [Mead Map] is a great way for professors to interact with their students,” said Coch. “The professor can layout project requirements, and the students can get their group together easier. Everyone can contribute. People can monitor the progress or lack of progress of a group member in real time, and can address the issue before the deadline.”

The product, being piloted by professors across the country, has already yielded positive results.

“An English professor has used it intensively to construct and analyze paragraphs [in the class],” said Coch.

To start using Mead Map, go to meadmap.com and subscribe to a free 30-day trial. After the trial is up, the application is available for $15 for six months (the length of a semester) or $25 for a year.

If UAB professors and students are interested in the program, contact Coch at info@meadmap.com.
 

Email: uabkscope@yahoo.com