Note taking and note making

By the end of this session, you should: • Be aware of how to take notes in lectures • Understand how to take notes when reading • Be able to distinguish between note taking, annotation and note making • Be aware of a variety of note-taking and note-making techniques • Be aware of strategies for processing your notes

Why write notes?

• Process – note taking as a learning tool – Clarify your thinking – Forces you to be selective – Organises your ideas – Helps you to remember • Preparation for written assignments • Preparation for a seminar • For review and revision before exams

Note-taking in Lectures

Making notes from lectures • Historical tradition of students listening to, engaging with and reflecting on words of wise leader to develop their own knowledge • Lectures: • give you access to the work of a researcher, a leader in the field, which gives you a shortcut to intense and significant information • seed your thinking and research on a particular topic • enable you to become familiar with the discourse of the subject – the language, the arguments and the evidence that apply in the subject • If you engage actively with lectures they can be powerful learning experiences in which you learn how to think, how to construct arguments and how to use evidence within your particular discipline.

Burns and Sinfield (2004)

Before lectures

• Be aware of what is coming up –Read course documentation and module outline • Do some preparatory reading –Familiarise yourself with new terms or language –Look at the reading list • Review notes from previous lecture(s) • Make a note of any questions you have

During lectures

• Actively listen –The beginning is important –Listen out for cues: “There are three main causes of…” “For example…” “On the other hand…” “Generally accepted…” or “a controversial view…” References to other sources • Make effective notes “..people who were cue conscious tended to get upper seconds… those who were cue deaf got lower seconds” (Miller & Parlett, 1974)

What do you need to take away from a lecture?

• A summary • Main ideas/concepts • Line of argument • Some illustrative detail • Information about other sources of information/ ideas •

Poor notes can confuse or mislead

Note-taking when Reading

What are you reading for? What do you need notes for?

Background reading, setting context Ideas to support an argument Ideas to develop or inform an argument Ideas to challenge an argument

Reading and making notes

What you are looking Reading for technique Notes

Facts and specifics Scanning Searching text looking for key words and phrases, moving your eye fast and not attempting to take in whole sentences, like using a telephone directory

Highlight the desired information. Note the source.

To gain, consolidate or revise overview, background knowledge, or broad understanding a) Skimming b) Ladder reading a) Moving your eye quickly over the text, not necessarily from top left to bottom right, perhaps with a pointer to keep your eye moving at speed; b) Reading subheadings, beginnings and endings of paragraphs and/or sections

Forming mental images of the main issues and ‘big picture’, which you might draw, mindmap or otherwise summarise in notes.

To develop a full understanding of principles and details, assessing and evaluating evidence and ideas Critical in depth reading Reading carefully, slowly, and possibly repetitively while raising questions to analyse and interrogate the text;

make detailed notes; think critically; requires a high level of concentration

Before, during and after

• Before – What do you already know?

– What do you need to know?

• Whilst – Skim for the gist – Scan for key points – Read in more detail – annotate?

– Write notes • After – Organise – include bibliographical details – Review

Techniques for Note-taking & Note-Making

Speed note-taking

if u cn rd ths, u cn lrn spdwrtg Abbreviations – see handout Use

colour,

CAPITALS, Ask yourself questions

Annotation

DO

• Write key words or phrases in the margins • Note related ideas and contrasts with other texts • Read a paragraph first, then go back to highlight • ‘Less is more ’

DON’T

• Highlight or underline everything • Highlight or underline nothing • Only highlight or underline • Highlight as you read • Highlight or underline in library books

Note-making • Write your own summary or interpretation of what you have read • Don’t copy chunks of text • Distinguish quotes, summaries, your ideas in your notes • Set up a system to record complete bibliographic details, so you know for sure where your notes have come from

Note-taking techniques Methods – Linear – Pattern notes, such as mindmapping – Cornell or 3-column note-taking

Linear

• Use indentations/subsections • Use bullet points or numbering • Don’t just make a list • Leave good margins

Pattern notes, mind-mapping

Cornell or Three Column Note-taking 5 Rs – Record, Reduce, Recite, Reflect, Review • Use the right hand side for notes - Record • Use the left hand column for ‘cues’ and any questions you have • Use the lower part to summarise - Reduce and Recite - Reflect and review

Other ways of representing content http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html#

Using your notes

•

Build an overview

to make your reading effective • Survey and preview, then: PUT YOUR PEN DOWN • AFTERWARDS make notes quickly to build an overview • Ask yourself: – Which parts answer my assignment question?

– Which questions are relevant for the seminar?

– What will I need for the exam?

Using your notes: Read, Review, Respond

• What is the line of reasoning?

• Evaluate line of reasoning: • Relevant?

• Sufficient reasons?

• Logical progression?

• False premises?

• Flawed reasoning?

• Identify evidence • Evaluate evidence • Identify writer’s conclusion • Evaluate whether evidence supports writer’s conclusion Adapted from Cottrell (1999)

Processing your notes

• Label and file your notes • Cross reference with any handouts • Read through your notes. Fill in any details from your additional reading or research • Link new information to what you already know • Discuss with others, compare notes, fill in gaps

Bad notes filing

Good notes filing

Review of objectives. Are you ……… • Aware of how to take notes in lectures • Aware of what to think about when taking notes when reading • Able to distinguish between note taking, annotation and note making • Aware of a variety of note-taking and note-making techniques • Aware of strategies for processing your notes

References • Burns, T. & Sinfield, S. (2004) Teaching, learning and study skills: a guide for tutors. London: Sage • Cottrell, S. (1999) The study skills handbook. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan • Miller, C.M.I. & Parlett, M. (1974) Up to the mark: a study of the examination game. Guildford: Society for Research into Higher Education