Taking better notes - Students

LEARNING SKILLS Taking better notes

Overview of this workshop

•  Why take notes? •  Note taking 101: the basics •  Note taking in lectures •  Note taking for reading Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/arvindgrover/4406311783/

COPYRIGHT © LEARNING & TEACHING CENTRE I LEARNING SKILLS GROUP 2015

Why take notes?

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DISCUSSION

Why do you take notes? How do you take notes? What do you do with them? Source: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2755/4357529719_5548c4fce6_z.jpg?zz=1


Why take notes?

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SOME GOALS WHEN NOTE TAKING

• Engage with (concentrate on) what you are reading/ hearing • Remove detail you don’t need, record key information • Make your notes clear enough to understand in 10 weeks’ time • Include facts + critical thinking

These notes are too vague


Note-taking 101

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FLOW OF ACTIVITIES

PREPARE

•  Orient yourself to the topic •  Think of your purpose

NOTE

•  Summarise

REVIEW

•  Re-read, and add if you need to •  Add critical comments


Note taking 101

DO evaluate as you listen/ read. What is the purpose of the lecture? Your purpose for reading? (main points, definitions, explanations, short phrases/sentences which really ‘click’)

DON'T note everything (examples, statistics on ppt, sections introduced with “by the way…”)

DO note key words. DON'T try to write every word.(leave out a, the, so, because…)

DO use abbreviations & symbols. < > é ê è ç ✔ ✗ ★

DON'T write words in full.

DO use charts and visuals to organise information and show the relationship between ideas.

DON'T write full sentences.

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DO/ DON’T FOR NOTE TAKING


Note taking 101

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REVIEW YOUR NOTES

Do you need to add anything? What did you think was most important? Do you have too much information?

Important ideas identified, topic written on LHS


Note taking 101

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•  Make connections with information you already know

•  Note anything you didn’t agree with •  Search for more explanations of

concepts you did not understand

THINK CRITICALLY


Note taking 101 FILING YOUR NOTES (PAPER OR DIGITAL)

file:///Users/vanessa/Desktop/Screen%20Shot%202015-02-11%20at%204.11.07%20PM.png

9 COPYRIGHT © LEARNING & TEACHING CENTRE I LEARNING SKILLS GROUP 2015

Note taking in lectures

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BEFORE THE LECTURE

•  Check the unit guide to understand how topic relates to the subject •  Do set readings/ background reading •  Get familiar with the terminology •  Download the ppt

Source: Holimage 2008 COPYRIGHT © LEARNING & TEACHING CENTRE I LEARNING SKILLS GROUP 2015


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DURING THE LECTURE: LOOK FOR CLUES

•  Non-verbal: body language facial expressions, gestures

•  Voice: pause, speed, intonation,

volume

•  Lexical: Key words, signalling phrases



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Introducing a main point The next point is of major significance... The main point to remember is...

Showing the relationship with a main point As a result... Thus we can see...

Introducing an example For example.../ For instance.../ A case in point...

DURING THE LECTURE: TRANSITION PHRASES


Activity

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h9p://vimeo.com/61598778 h9p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-‐B4VcaytOA

WHAT CLUES DOES THIS SPEAKER GIVE YOU?



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Review your notes and add to them: Check that you can identify the structure of the lecture - main points, sub-points, how the lecture developed from one point to another.

Express parts of the lecture in another form: a table a diagram, or a flow chart, talk about it Look for connections - between your lecture notes and what you have read or heard in other lectures.

AFTER THE LECTURE


Note taking for reading

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PURPOSE AND METHODS

What is your purpose for reading? •  To get an overview of the lecture content •  To check the definition of an unfamiliar word •  To search for facts for an assignment •  …

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Research_Journals.jpg


Note taking for reading

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DIFFERENT METHODS

List Notes Cornell Method Sketch notes Synthesis matrix Source: https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8235/8531463113_b2da30dcb4_b.jpg


Different types of notetaking

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LINEAR

Points are arranged down the page, in the order they appear in the text. •  Sub-points are indented, like this. Disadvantages: •  May include too much detail •  May copy text rather than deeply understanding it •  Notes may not show connections between ideas/ sections of text


Note-taking for reading

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CORNELL NOTES


https://www.flickr.com/photos/geographyalltheway_photos/9468077200/

RHS: Take notes LHS: Review your notes. Write key words, definitions, brief phrases, predict test Qs Bottom: summarise lecture/ reading in your own words (can include diagrams/ equations)

Different types of notetaking

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SKETCHNOTING

Use diagrams, images and words to record the main ideas and relationships between ideas


Activity 2: note-taking

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1. You have 15 minutes read and take notes! 2. Use one of the methods discussed:

•  Cornell or •  sketchnotes Hint: If you get stuck, work/compare with a neighbour!

ONE TEXT, TWO WAYS



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SQ3R NOTES



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SKETCHNOTES


Notetaking activity

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•  How successful were you with the different notetaking techniques?

•  Did you find one easier to use, or both equally hard?

•  Would you consider changing the style of notes that you take?

LESSONS LEARNED

Synthesis Matrix

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Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Theory used

Defini[ons

Thesis/ Posi[on/ Stance

Evidence/ data


Discussion

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REFLECTION ON THIS SESSION

Share ONE new note taking strategy you will try & HOW you will use your strategy

Source: Gaylor 2011


Thank you!

Taking better notes - Students

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