Proper note taking is crucial to educational success, especially at the college/university level. Therefore, learners must find efficient strategies and conventions for each course. Through this process, students learn and remember information from lectures and educational activities like class discussions (Gillies and Washbourne, 2017). Arriving at the choice method(s) involves active evaluation and experimentation, but the rewards are more significant than any effort it costs. The skill of taking effective notes is the cornerstone of efficient learning. This essay will discuss the importance of note taking, the significance of the stages involved in this process, and four of the most effective methods available.
Effective note taking is important for several reasons associated with information reception and retention. Notes taken during lectures often have information that is not available elsewhere (Peverly and Wolf, 2019).
For instance, the lecture might offer an insight they have learned from experience working with the delivered material that students cannot find anywhere else in academia. Taking notes facilitates optimal listening and concentration because one has to pay careful attention to what is being said before recording (Morehead et al., 2019). Choosing what to note down increases understanding of the material because students engage closely with the content and evaluate each element for importance. Notes give students an idea of what the lecturer considers necessary because instructors often structure their classes around what they deem essential and leave out any extra information (Salame and Thompson, 2020). Thus, by taking notes, learners gain access to the most critical content and save themselves from reading through unimportant information elsewhere.
Further, on the importance of taking notes, learners remember material better when they record key ideas. Repeated exposure records information in long-term memory and notes allow students to go back to what they were taught multiple times (Peverly and Wolf, 2019). Notes create a robust study guide for use during exam preparation. For instance, test questions on any topic will come from the content delivered in class and having a record of the same allows the student to read the body of information they are based on (Morehead et al., 2019). Therefore, note taking avails critical benefits and it is important that the process is understood from start to finish.
The period before note taking is very important and involves reviewing notes from previous lectures, either on the night before or early on the day of the class. This stage takes a few to several minutes, where the student goes over major ideas taught from the last session or recites specific facts to help them learn and practice the content. This makes for active learning, which facilitates long-term information retention (Peverly and Wolf, 2019). For example, learners can use these rehearsals to create questions they can ask their professors before, during, or after class, which will help them stay attentive and retain knowledge (Salame and Thompson, 2020).
Preparation before class provides the background knowledge and preparation needed for effective listening (Gillies and Washbourne, 2017). It is at this stage that the student collects materials like pens and notebooks they will need to take notes, secures a good sitting position, and reviews the lecture’s outline.
During note taking, it is essential that the student uses conventions and strategies that facilitate the recording of top-quality notes. This stage is characterized by concentration and attention to the material, which includes active listening and critical analysis of what is being heard before writing down the resultant information (Morehead et al., 2019). Students should use their own words rather than putting down what the instructor says verbatim. Indeed, for effective note taking, the learner needs to be selective, only putting down key concepts, main points, and what is relevant (Gillies and Washbourne, 2017).
For example, if the lecturer gives multiple examples, students should record only one or their main ideas. The process should use consistent symbols and abbreviations to speed it up, make it more efficient, and make later reviews easier (Peverly and Wolf, 2019). This way, the student has an effective way of recording and remembering the overall argument.
Finally, the stage after note taking is important because it is how the student re-engages and reviews what was taught in class. This stage allows the student to fill in gaps, answer questions, reorganize content, and relate notes to learning outcomes. (Salame and Thompson, 2020) For example, if learners miss some crucial piece of information in class, it is via this stage that they can consult with their classmates and acquire the same. This is the last phase of note taking, and executing all will result in reliable notes that will set up academic success.
There are different methods for taking notes, each with its approach and processes. The Cornell Method is the work of Professor Walter Pauk at Cornell University. This is one of the most recommended conventions because of its flexibility and usefulness. It is convenient, helps identify priority, and is an easy way to capture notes (Ahmad, 2019). This convention follows a rigid format of four boxes; a header, two columns, and a footer. The header is at the top of the page and holds identification information like the date and course name. The two columns follow immediately after, one much wider than the other. The narrower column, also called the “recall column”, is placed on the left of the page and the other, the “notes column,” is on the right (Witherby and Tauber, 2019).
The notes column holds the primary information recorded by the student using their preferred strategy. Students note secondary information in the recall column, for example, key ideas, keywords, clarifications, and questions about the information in the notes column (Ahmad, 2019). The footer holds the summary of the class in the student’s words (Ahmad, 2019). This can be an assessment, evaluation, or wrapping up what has been learned.
The primary importance of the Outlining Method is that it allows the student to prioritize the material. The convention used is that key ideas start at the left of the page, followed by indented subordinate ideas whose details are indented further (Gillies and Washbourne, 2017). This method is also convenient because it facilitates further organization. For example, the learner can use Arabic numbers for the first level, capital letters for the second, Roman numerals for the one after, and lowercase letters for the following. Students can also use different colours to differentiate concepts from each other. This convention takes time to grasp, and a good idea is to use the course outline to determine the hierarchy of the information the instructor will present.
The value of the Listing Method lies in its simplicity, depth of material and straightforwardness. This method is geared to capture as much of what is being taught as possible (Gillies and Washbourne, 2017). It is also the easiest method to learn because most students use it naturally (Witherby and Tauber, 2019). This is the traditional way of taking notes that involves listening to the content and recording. Another importance of this method is that it can supplement the others (Salame and Thompson, 2020). For example, students can take notes via this approach and transcribe them to a concept map or outline during the review process. It is also easier to generate summaries from content captured via this method. For instance, that is possible because this method results in substantial content that helps capture the main argument better.
The Mapping Method’s primary importance is that it relates each idea or fact to others, facilitating material comprehension. This approach involves graphically representing the content taught in class (Gillies and Washbourne, 2017). The significance of this method is found in the fact that concentration, critical thinking, and active participation are crucial to its successful implementation (Witherby and Tauber, 2019).
As such, the learner benefits from immediate knowledge and understanding as they are part of the process. For instance, the resultant graph is a visual representation that allows the student to see the connection between different concepts and ideas and develop an overall understanding of the course content (Gillies and Washbourne, 2017). For example, a student can generate a concept map around green energy. They will break it down into different types: wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, and others. They can then repeat the process for each type, stating how it is obtained. By representing this process graphically, they will end up with the realization that green energy is the type that is generated from renewable sources.
This discussion has covered the stages, strategies, conventions and methods used in note taking. Note taking’s importance lies in facilitating a more profound comprehension of taught content. The different stages, before, during, and after, are significant because they allow the learner to record top-quality information. Each method discussed above, The Cornell Method, The Outlining Method, The Listing Method, and The Mapping Method, provides students with approaches that result in accurate and comprehensive notes. Note taking is the cornerstone of academic success and includes various stages and methods every student should incorporate into their learning.
References
Ahmad, S.Z., 2019. Impact of Cornell Notes vs. REAP on EFL Secondary School Students’ Critical Reading Skills. International Education Studies, 12(10), pp.60-74. Web.
Gillies, A. and Washbourne, K., 2017. Note-taking for consecutive interpreting: A short course. Routledge. Web.
Morehead, K., Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Blasiman, R., and Hollis, R. B., 2019. Note-taking habits of 21st century college students: implications for student learning, memory, and achievement. Memory, 27(6), pp. 807-819. Web.
Peverly, S. T., and Wolf, A. D., 2019. Note-taking. In J. Dunlosky and K. A. Rawson (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of cognition and education (pp. 320–355). Cambridge University Press. Web.
Salame, I.I. and Thompson, A., 2020. Students’ Views on Strategic Note-Taking and Its Impact on Performance, Achievement, and Learning. International Journal of Instruction, 13(2), pp.1-16. Web.
Witherby, A.E. and Tauber, S.K., 2019. The current status of students’ note-taking: Why and how do students take notes? Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 8(2), pp.139-153. Web.