hearAll Assessment Recorder - good tool for assessing students in groups

The hearAll Assessment Recorder from Learning Resources is a digital recorder that has four microphones so that it can capture sound from all directions. It charges via a USB connection to your computer, which is also how you transfer files from it. A full charge should last about 4 hours of recording. It works with PC's and Macs, is compatible with MP3 and WAV files, has 128MB of memory for up to 3 hours of recording, and is easy to use. It also has a built in speaker to listen to files.

The files can be downloaded from the device onto your computer and then shared with other teachers, parents or specialists, as well as added to a student's e-portfolio.

It can be used to record group discussions for later assessment, language and speech learning and practice, and much more. A teacher can listen to the recordings to make sure all students were participating, to evaluate speech or language skills, and it's great for practicing foreign language skills. 

It's very easy to use. It has a small screen and only a few buttons for recording, navigating the menu, and for controlling the volume. 

It has a list price of $99, but can be found discounted often. While that may seem expensive, the four microphones are unique to it and truly allow full capturing of audio. 

Disclosure: I received a free hearAll recorder to review for this article.