notice there are points for content & format
Text "Plus": Blogs & Wikis
Blogs and wikis are still primarily alphabetic text based technologies. They are "plus" that they generally make it very easy to add pictures and videos (among many other things) to the mix. Blogs and wikis are good course/content repositories and/or portfolios.
Blog example assignment for "robust" notetaking.
notice there are points for content & format
These are generally "typical" note taking prompts we ask of students.
Student example including a lot of work from the course; a repository/archive/portfolio of learning.
Example of a student group project presented as a wiki website.
Archived Presentations: Slideshare, Voicethread, Prezi
To either save class time, or archive a presentation, consider having your students upload their PPs and/or adding audio.
Slideshare allows you to match up an audio file w/slides in a PP. You can then embed the resulting presentation in blogs, wikis, and Bb.
VoiceThread allows you to add audio w/in the program and allows others to respond to each slide using text, audio, video and/or writing on top of the slides.
You and/or your students can also do screencasts over a PP presentation to add audio and make a video.
Another free screencasting application.
Prezi is just an alternative to PP (no audio; however, it is very easy to embed videos).
Creative Alternatives
This is really about rethinking the final project, does it have to be a traditional "paper." Could it be presented in some other format that might include images, audio, video, etc.?
Example mindmap with images, links, notes (and it could have attachments).
Alternatives in Process : Search Engines & Mobile Devices
You might use some of these fun technologies to better facilitate different steps along the process. Also, consider...do they actually have to finish the "full" paper? Might a proposal, annotated bibliography, or review of literature meet your learning objective?
Admit it, you use Google first as well! Consider assigning students to use different search engines and/or specific databases to start their searches. Ask them to track the terms they use, the results, etc.
Most of those mobile devices are recording devices (images, audio, video...even 'ol skool text), have students use phones and other mobile devices to capture raw materials and data and/or reflections on seeing examples of course concepts "on the town."