Why Bother Taking Notes?
An excerpt from Texas Tech University's Note Taking in the 21st Century
This is a question many students might ask, especially if they have access to lectures and lecture notes outside of the classroom. Indeed, it’s a fair question! Nevertheless, the body of research on note-taking reveals that in general, taking notes in class and reviewing those notes later positively impacts student learning (for instance, Bligh 2000; DeZure, Kaplan, & Deerman 2001; Kiewra et al 1991). While this might not be “news” to many of us in higher education, given the ubiquity of slideware programs like PowerPoint that make it easy to simply provide students with copies of our presentations, it is smart to stop and highlight the specific reasons to encourage note-taking in our students.
First, research shows that students recall more lecture material if they record it in their notes (Bligh2000), and ultimately perform better on tests of recall and synthesis than students who do not take notes (Kiewra et al 1991). More specifically, note-taking serves two distinct functions for students: external storage and cognitive encoding.
External storage: Notes obviously serve as a place to keep knowledge and information for later review – the purpose most students likely see as the primary purpose. This is undoubtedly a vital function, particularly when paired with review of those notes (Kiewra 1985; Kiewra et al 1991).
Encoding of information: What students might not realize is that the note-taking process also serves a vital function in helping to write the information on the brain. The literature (Foos, Mora & Tkacz 1994; Katayama 2005) shows that people better retain materials that they have generated themselves (i.e., personal notes) than materials generated by others (i.e., someone else’s notes), and that students actually begin to learn and memorize during note-taking, particularly when engaged in deep comprehension (Piolat, Olive, & Kellog 2005; Williams & Eggert 2002).
Ultimately, the combination of both functions makes note-taking a crucial part of successful learning. In other words, simply reviewing any notes is less effective than reviewing notes you took yourself, but just taking notes without engaging in review is not an effective strategy alone.
An excerpt from Texas Tech University's Note Taking in the 21st Century
This is a question many students might ask, especially if they have access to lectures and lecture notes outside of the classroom. Indeed, it’s a fair question! Nevertheless, the body of research on note-taking reveals that in general, taking notes in class and reviewing those notes later positively impacts student learning (for instance, Bligh 2000; DeZure, Kaplan, & Deerman 2001; Kiewra et al 1991). While this might not be “news” to many of us in higher education, given the ubiquity of slideware programs like PowerPoint that make it easy to simply provide students with copies of our presentations, it is smart to stop and highlight the specific reasons to encourage note-taking in our students.
First, research shows that students recall more lecture material if they record it in their notes (Bligh2000), and ultimately perform better on tests of recall and synthesis than students who do not take notes (Kiewra et al 1991). More specifically, note-taking serves two distinct functions for students: external storage and cognitive encoding.
External storage: Notes obviously serve as a place to keep knowledge and information for later review – the purpose most students likely see as the primary purpose. This is undoubtedly a vital function, particularly when paired with review of those notes (Kiewra 1985; Kiewra et al 1991).
Encoding of information: What students might not realize is that the note-taking process also serves a vital function in helping to write the information on the brain. The literature (Foos, Mora & Tkacz 1994; Katayama 2005) shows that people better retain materials that they have generated themselves (i.e., personal notes) than materials generated by others (i.e., someone else’s notes), and that students actually begin to learn and memorize during note-taking, particularly when engaged in deep comprehension (Piolat, Olive, & Kellog 2005; Williams & Eggert 2002).
Ultimately, the combination of both functions makes note-taking a crucial part of successful learning. In other words, simply reviewing any notes is less effective than reviewing notes you took yourself, but just taking notes without engaging in review is not an effective strategy alone.
TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE NOTETAKING
Adapted from information from the Academic Skills Center at Dartmouth College and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan.Texas Tech University Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center July 2012
A GENERAL NOTE:
Taking good notes during class is an important part of the learning process – even when your instructor provides lecture notes, outlines, or PowerPoint slides. The process of note-taking actually helps you learn and cognitively store the material in addition to providing you with something to review later.
Effective note-taking is more than just writing quickly, too! Here are a few tips to help you take the best notes possible.
BEFORE CLASS
Do your assigned readings and review any notes your instructor has provided for you prior to class. This will help you prepare for the class period and recognize if there are questions you might need to ask or material in need of clarification.
Stay organized. Keep your notes in one place you can easily access later.
DURING CLASS
Pay attention to cues from the instructor and prioritize information. Instructorsoften give signals during class about what’s important (which doesn’t always include saying “write this down, it’s important!”). Look for cues such as:
o Material written on the blackboard or whiteboard
o Repetition
o Emphasis through tone of voice, body language, number of examples, or time spent on a
subject.
o Word signals (such as “first, second, third…” or “Now we’ll discuss…”)
o Reviews, summaries, lists, and questions
Keep your notes brief. It is time-consuming to write down every single word spoken or
provided on a slide! Here are some strategies for efficient note-taking:
o Abbreviate. Think of meaningful ways to shorten words you have to write frequently.
(For instance, b/c for “because,” w/ for “with,” or nat’l for “national”…)
o Write key words and shortened phrases rather than complete sentences.
o Use meaningful symbols when possible. (For instance, use an arrow to indicate results or
causality, = to indicate equivalent relationships, or develop your own system!)
o Leave space to fill in additional information if you fall behind.
o Make notes for yourself, such as circling terms you don’t understand or writing question marks.
Make your notes accurate and complete.
o Write down key points, theories, definitions, formulas, facts, etc.
o Make note of diagrams and charts, and do so correctly.
o Write down important examples connected to key points.
o Keep your notes organized. Try using bullet points, indentations, numbering, outlines, or
other graphic organizers (such as charts, matrices, lists, etc.) Date your notes and
consider adding page numbers as well.
o While you should keep your writing brief, this is to allow you to write as much important
information as you can. Studies show that students who take more notes perform better!
AFTER CLASS
Review your notes regularly, not just the night before an exam.
Compare notes with classmates to supplement or clarify your own.
Identify concepts that are still confusing or unclear, and ask your instructor for assistance.
Reorganize your notes as needed
o Try summarizing the information or creating additional outlines, diagrams, concept
maps, and charts.
o Use various colored pens/highlighters to help identify important information.
Evaluate the quality of your notes.
o Are there lots of errors or gaps?
o Are they helping you study? If not, think about making changes to your notetaking
methods.
o Ask your instructor or TA to review your notes and make suggestions for
improvement