Student profile – Sam
Sam is a first-year Physics student with ADHD and a motor impairment. His degree involves technical lectures, complex equations and formulas, and problem-solving sessions. The nature of his course demands long periods of concentration, rapid note taking, and the ability to swiftly transition between theoretical concepts and practical applications. For Sam, however, these expectations create a combination of challenges.
Despite his passion for engineering, Sam often feels overwhelmed and frustrated by the academic demands. He is a dedicated student who genuinely wants to succeed, but his conditions make it difficult for him to keep up with the pace of his studies. Sam works hard to manage his challenges, but at times, he feels like he’s falling further behind as compared to his non-disabled peers.
Study challenges faced by Sam during his lectures & seminars
- Sustaining focus and attention – Sam struggles to focus for extended periods, especially when lectures jump between multiple concepts quickly or lack clear signposting. His ADHD causes his mind to wander, and it’s hard to stay engaged during lengthy or fast-paced explanations. This results in missing important details, even in topics he’s genuinely interested in.
- Physically taking notes – Sam’s motor impairment makes it difficult to take notes as quickly as his peers. His handwriting is slower, and typing for long periods is tiring. This means he often misses important information, and by the time he finishes writing one point, the lecturer has already moved on to the next.
- Following structure and flow – Engineering lectures often move between complex theory and practical applications. Sam finds it hard to follow the flow, especially when there’s a lack of structure or when concepts aren’t broken down step-by-step. This results in confusion and difficulty in linking theoretical knowledge with real-world applications.
- Processing and responding in seminars – Seminars are a struggle because they require active participation and quick responses. Sam’s ADHD affects his working memory, making it difficult to keep track of the ongoing discussion while formulating his own thoughts. His motor difficulties also mean that even jotting down quick notes during a discussion is hard, and he often feels like his ideas slip away before he can express them.
Study challenges faced by Sam after his lectures & seminars
After class, Sam faces the daunting task of revising content from lectures he struggled to keep up with. His notes are incomplete, scattered, and often contain incorrect or missing equations. The speed at which the class moves, combined with his difficulty in keeping up with note taking, results in a jumble of barely coherent information.
As he tries to work through dense materials, he lacks a clear structure to guide his revision. The mental load of trying to piece together what he missed leads to frustration and demotivation. Sam understands the material in theory, but without a way to capture and organise it clearly, he feels like his grasp on the subject is slipping away.
How Jamworks helps Sam overcome these challenges
Jamworks doesn’t make learning “easy” for Sam, but it significantly reduces the barriers that make studying harder. By helping him capture his lectures, Jamworks helps Sam structure the content he struggles to keep up with. It relieves some of the cognitive load, enabling him to focus on understanding the material rather than getting bogged down by incomplete notes or missing details. With Jamworks, Sam can engage more effectively with his lectures, ensuring he doesn’t just passively listen but actively learns.
1. Capture – class recording
Challenge – Sam’s ADHD makes it difficult to maintain focus during long, fast-paced lectures. Combined with his motor impairment, which slows down his ability to write or type quickly enough, he often misses important details. This results in incomplete, messy notes and causes him to lose track of the lecture. As a result, Sam struggles to fully engage in the class and often feels disconnected from the learning process.
Solution – With Jamworks’ lecture recording feature, Sam records the entire class without the pressure of writing everything down in real time. Instead of struggling to keep up, he stays fully engaged, knowing he can revisit the audio afterwards—rewinding or speeding up sections at his own pace. It gives him the freedom to listen actively, follow the discussion, and take part without the constant distraction of note taking.
Outcome – Sam is now able to absorb information more effectively and with far less stress. Without the anxiety of missing something important, he can concentrate on understanding the content in the moment. His learning feels more relaxed, more confident, and much more in tune with his needs.
2. Structure – Key Points, Automatic Highlights
a. Key Points
Challenge – After class, Sam’s notes are often a confusing mess. His motor difficulties slow down his ability to write quickly or legibly, and his ADHD makes it tough to stay focused when the lecture jumps between complex topics. As a result, Sam ends up with incomplete calculations, incorrect formulas, and little explanation of how or why something was used. When it’s time to revise, he’s left staring at a jumble of notes that he can’t make sense of—leading to overwhelming frustration and disconnection from the learning.
Solution – Because Sam records his lectures using Jamworks, he uses the Key Points feature to automatically generate structured notes from the recording. Jamworks extracts main ideas directly from the audio, breaking them down into clear headings, explanations, bullet points, and logically ordered sections. It even captures complex equations and formulas accurately—something Sam can cross-reference to check for gaps or mistakes in his original notes. This allows him to follow the logical flow of the lecture without relying solely on what he managed to write down.
Outcome – With Key Points, Sam’s notes are now clear, organised, and easy to follow. This reduces his cognitive load, allowing him to spend less time deciphering and more time understanding. Jamworks doesn’t replace his learning—it removes the chaos and confusion that used to stand in the way. The structured format of the notes gives Sam exactly what he needs: a clear path through the content, so his ADHD doesn’t get overwhelmed by fragmented notes and his motor difficulties aren’t a barrier to catching important details. The clarity helps him feel more confident, more in control, and better prepared when it’s time to revise.
b. Automatic Highlights
Challenge – When Sam replays a lecture recording, it’s one continuous stream of content. While he could create small audio snippets to help with revising later, his motor difficulties make multitasking—listening while pressing buttons to separate snippets—too overwhelming. His ADHD causes him to zone out, and his motor impairment leaves him too tired to press the buttons at the right moments. As a result, he often misses topic changes or forgets to separate sections altogether, leaving him with a recording that feels just as chaotic as the live lecture. This leaves Sam feeling defeated and unsure of where to even start when revisiting the material.
Solution – After the lecture, Sam uses Jamworks’ Automatic Highlights feature to break down the recording into manageable sections. Jamworks automatically detects topic shifts in the recording and segments the content accordingly. Each section is clearly labelled with a heading, a full transcript, and a concise summary. These summaries also capture complex STEM equations and formulas, so Sam has all the important details at a glance. He doesn’t need to organise anything manually or worry about missing crucial content. Instead, he simply reviews the structured sections, using the summaries and equations to fill in any gaps.
Outcome – When Sam revisits the lecture, he can jump straight to the section he needs—saving time and avoiding the frustration of re-listening to everything. The segmented structure reduces cognitive overload, helping him stay focused and calm. Reading the transcript while listening keeps him engaged, and the organised layout gives him the clarity his brain craves. Jamworks removes the multitasking barrier that used to leave him exhausted and defeated. Now, instead of feeling lost, Sam feels equipped to study more effectively—making the most of his energy, focus, and time.
3. Engage – Focus reading, Simplify, and ADHD mode
a. Focus reading
Challenge – Sam struggles to stay focused while reading Key Points, transcripts, and summaries generated by Jamworks. His ADHD makes it hard to concentrate for long periods, and his mind tends to wander. He often loses his place or misses key information, which makes it difficult to absorb what he’s reading. Without a clear way to anchor his attention, Sam feels frustrated and finds it hard to retain the material.
Solution – When reviewing his notes, Sam turns on the Focus Reading feature. This feature automatically bolds the first few letters of each word, helping to guide his eyes smoothly across the text. Whether he’s reading Key Points, transcripts, or summaries, the bolded letters act as a visual anchor that holds his attention and reduces the chance of zoning out.
Outcome – With Focus Reading enabled, Sam no longer struggles to stay engaged with dense passages of text. The bolded cues help him stay on track, cut through distractions, and read more confidently. As a result, he processes information more quickly, retains it more effectively, and leaves study sessions feeling empowered rather than overwhelmed.
b. Simplify
Challenge – Sam often struggles to understand certain parts of his lecture content—especially when complex concepts or technical terms are involved. His ADHD makes it hard to process dense explanations quickly, and when the material feels unclear, his focus slips and frustration builds. On top of that, his motor impairments make working through derivations or solving problems manually even more exhausting, leaving him discouraged.
Solution – When Sam comes across a difficult concept while reviewing his notes, he uses the Simplify prompt in the JamAI chatbot to get instant support. JamAI rewrites the complex explanation into clear, easy-to-understand language. If the original material includes technical jargon or dense theory, Simplify breaks it down using everyday words, step-by-step explanations, and even relatable analogies or stories. Sam doesn’t need to search elsewhere or wait for help—JamAI checks in with follow-up questions, asking if anything still feels unclear or needs further clarification. This two-way interaction helps Sam stay engaged in the learning process and fully understand the content on his terms.
Outcome – With the Simplify feature, Sam no longer feels stuck when facing complicated material. He can get quick, personalised explanations that make even the most complex topics feel manageable. This reduces anxiety, boosts his confidence, and allows him to stay engaged—no matter how difficult the content might be. By helping Sam understand concepts clearly in the moment, Simplify keeps him actively engaged in the learning process, rather than shutting down or zoning out. The feature doesn’t just help him understand his lecture content—it empowers him to keep going.
c. ADHD Accessibility Profile
Challenge – Sam often feels overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information on his screen—whether he’s reviewing a lecture recording or going through his notes. His ADHD makes it hard to focus on just one section at a time, especially when visual clutter pulls his attention away from what matters. This constant overload leaves him feeling anxious and scattered, making it difficult to retain key points or stay engaged with the material.
Solution – To reduce distractions, Sam activates the ADHD Accessibility Profile. His screen dims, leaving only a focused strip brightly lit for navigation. This instantly cuts through the clutter, helping Sam stay locked in on the content he needs to review. The interface is still fully functional, but now it’s shaped around his focus, giving him the clarity and calm he needs to study effectively.
Outcome – With the ADHD profile enabled, Sam’s screen becomes a space that supports his concentration instead of sabotaging it. The reduction in visual noise helps him stay present with the content, and the simplified layout reduces the mental strain that usually drains his energy. As a result, Sam is able to stay engaged for longer periods while studying—absorbing the material with more clarity and less frustration. This focused, distraction-free environment empowers him to get the most out of his revision sessions, right when he needs to be fully immersed in the content.
The positive impact of recommending Jamworks
With Jamworks, Sam no longer feels like he’s fighting an uphill battle. Instead, he’s empowered to capture every key detail, structure his notes for clarity, and engage with complex information in ways that work for him. The personalised support Jamworks offers goes beyond just assisting with note taking—it’s about helping Sam, and students like him, succeed without being held back by their conditions.
However, Jamworks doesn’t do everything for students—it’s not about removing the effort from learning, but about making that effort more manageable and focused. By reducing barriers and streamlining the learning process, Jamworks helps students like Sam stay on track so they can focus on learning and understanding their studies. The features we’ve discussed also help reinforce learning, improve understanding, and enhance retention. Recommending Jamworks means providing a tool that supports independence, builds confidence, and fosters academic success.
