Typing notes just doesn’t cut it anymore. Embed live content for a more interactive learning (or teaching) experience, or just an easier time jotting down and maintaining notes.

Maybe you already are familiar with OneNote Class Notebooks and Learning Tools for OneNote. With the right kind of embed, you can use OneNote to capture anything from anywhere.

You can use OneNote like a digital whiteboard with the right embed. Office 365 subscribers on OneNote 2016, OneNote Online, OneNote 2016 from Office 365 ProPlus, OneNote for Mac, and iOS support live embeds.

Test It Out With a YouTube Video

Copy the YouTube video URL link from the address bar of the browser.

Paste the video URL on the page where you'd like to add the video. You can also click Insert > Online Video > Click OK. The same process is true for a YouTube playlist or for any other type of interactive content now supported by Microsoft OneNote.

Microsoft maintains an updated list of content sources that are supported by OneNote. You can use documents, videos, audio clips, and more in your OneNote Notebook. Look at the list.

Services like Microsoft Forms, Quizlet, Scribd, Slideshare, Sway, and even Spotify can go a long way in enhancing your notebook. More sources for embedded content are in the pipeline.

Three examples:

• A content source like GeoGebra is invaluable for creating interactive instructional notebooks that can be shared around a math class.
• You can also share live code snippets from an online tool like Repl.it which is a collaborative coding platform for educators, learners, and developers.
• Tried Office Mix? You can bring an entire Office Mix presentation inside OneNote and tailor it for your class.

Marjolein Hoekstra has put together a single OneNote page that demonstrates its embedding capabilities with many of the content sources.

Pro Tip: Want to embed a non-supported content source (for e.g. an animated GIF) in OneNote? Microsoft Sway is a simple presentation tool that also supports a few more embeds. This Office Help page lists 22 of those sources. It is a workaround but you can piggyback objects like an animated GIF on Sway and embed it in OneNote.

How Often Do You Use OneNote?

Would it be wrong to say that OneNote is one of the most underrated programs in the Microsoft Office suite? But as Brad Jones demonstrates, you can get a lot out of your notes by coupling it with right kind of embeds. Pay special attention where he shows you how to link to a specific part of a YouTube video.

Tell us about the kind of embeds you use with the Microsoft software. Or, the kind of embed you would like to see it support.