In some classes, the lecturer's speech has been automatically transcribed using commercial speech transcription technology. Experiments have also been conducted in which student notes are taken electronically with the aid of pen-based technology at the student's desk. A time line provides an index to the audio, video, slides, and visited Web pages. While viewing a slide, students can click on the instructor's annotations to replay the audio and video at the time the note was written. Clicking on a visited URL opens a browser at that location.
Students can also replay the entire lecture without any interruptions.
Students can conduct a word search to find the specific lecture segment covering a particular topic, which is useful for re-visiting difficult subject matter. The computing technology allows students and instructors to summarize, then go back later to re-create and review what happened in class. In class, students can listen to what the professor says and actually participate in the discussion and ask questions without worrying about trying to write down notes. Surveys of students who have used the system for at least one whole term indicate that 56 percent spend less time taking notes during lecture. Classroom 2000 is a hit with instructors, too.