Notetaking Revisited
Helpful hints for school students or those of us who read to gain knowledge, learn something new, and improve who we are.
Handwritten – you old #2 pencil might be your best friend. Some note takers on laptops might be so efficient they can get nearly every word from a lecture, but it might be something to consider as handwritten notes are the start of learning as they tend to remember information better according to a study in Psychological Sciences. It’s a more cognitive process, and you may find you develop a shorthand and add underlines or highlights or other markers to key ideas. If you are still committed to technology, consider using a tablet with a pencil/stylus to write your notes. It will be digital handwriting. If its legible, many apps can convert it to text and you’ll have options for highlights and annotating, inserting pictures or illustrations too.
Outlining – like handwritten notes but requiring you to synthesize and think critically about what you are writing. You can mold it to the material presented and it generally is sufficient for later study. You can also enhance it later with comments, highlights or illustration or reference to a textbook. As you outline, be sure to leave room for additional thoughts as you review what your noted. Mark up with questions or highlights for additional clarity.
Cornell Method – a bit more holistic method by dividing the page into three main sections with the left margin reserved for note cues for future review. Cues can be main topics, keywords, or potential test questions and are intended to trigger your recall of the main points of the lecture. Clarify what was said, reveal relationships, show continuity, and indicate context, Just be sure to enter the cues soon after the lecture while it is still fresh in your mind.
The center of the page is the main note taking section. And the largest area. Try to write your notes in your own words rather than verbatim. This way you’ll be mentally processing what is said.
Leave the bottom quarter of the page for your summary. Think about what was said and outline or summarize the key points soon after class as you can. Maybe note important pages numbers here for further review. https://thinkinsights.net/consulting/cornell-method-great-notes/
Mapping – this method is not just for geography or brainstorming. Start with the key concept at the center of the page and draw lines to words that flow from the initial topic and then add sub-topics. Use colors if you can, draw arrows to indicate the flow of information or relationships. The mapping method is particularly useful in classes where the content is dense or complex. It’s also well-suited for recorded online lectures that can be paused, rewound, and reviewed since it can be one of the more time-consuming methods of taking notes. Finally, if you know yourself to be a visual learner, mapping may result in the most effective notes for your learning style. Here’s a popular app for mapping with comments on techniques. https://www.mindmeister.com/blog/effective-notes-using-mind-maps/
Charting – the lecture is laid out in a table format. It requires one to think about what is said and categorize it. Since there is little room for writing, shorthand notes and abbreviations are useful. For lectures that are straight forward, this works well, but for professors who tend to go off in a tangent in the middle of the class, it can be more difficult to chart than other methods.
Sentence method – a tried and true method. Write out a complete sentence to capture the main idea/concept. This is very linear and easy to review at exam time. What this lacks in organization may be supplemented by using other methods within the sentences. This method works in fast paced classes.
Flow notes – a style that has no style. There are few rules and less structure. You go with the flow to get the material down on paper or tablet. Use doodles, arrows, diagrams, highlights, to link ideas and mark important concepts. This as other methods, requires immediate review after class to make sense of what you put down lest you forget that brilliant comment.
Note taking and study skills are not taught enough in schools. We go to school to learn, and it’s helpful to learn how to learn with good note taking. Try the different methods and see what works for you. It will probably be a combination as some work better for some subjects and some not so well. The goal is to learn and retain information.
For more see:
https://e-student.org/note-taking-methods/#boxing-note-taking-method
https://www.brainscape.com/academy/how-to-study-effectively/
YouTube has more on this topic.