NOTE-TAKING ADVICE

The Notetaking Process

Notetaking: involves condensing or reducing large amounts of

information into more manageable units. requires you to think carefully about information, break it

down, analyze it, and select what is important to learn. is a multisensory process that uses visual, kinesthetic, and

auditory encoding. for individual chapters may include using more than one

notetaking system to create study and review tools.

The Importance of Notetaking

Taking notes combats memory fading and interference. Effective notes back up and reinforce memory. Research shows a high correlation between the quality

of notes and test performance and grades. Studying from effective notes is more time efficient than

rereading chapters multiple times. Well-developed notes provide you with effective study

tools to rehearse and review. Using effective notetaking strategies saves you study

time.

Essential Strategies for Textbook Note-taking

Understanding what you read before taking notes.

Be selective by capturing only main ideas and supporting details so your notes are a condensed version of printed materials.

Paraphrase or reword.

Include textbook reminders in your notes to review specific sections or charts in the textbook.

Label your notes. Use spaced practice to

make several contacts with your notes over different time periods.

Use feedback strategies, such as reciting, visualizing, or Look-Away Techniques.

Review your notes immediately and on an ongoing basis.

Annotation

Learning Objectives:

Discuss and apply strategies for marking or annotating textbook passages.

Annotation

Annotating: the process of highlighting, underlining, making marginal notes, or marking specific information in printed materials.

Annotating: is an active learning process. holds information longer in working memory. reduces the risk of information fading. incorporates the Twelve Principles of Memory.

Essential Strategies for Annotating

Highlight the complete topic sentence (the main idea sentence).

Selectively highlight key words, phrases, or details that support the topic sentence.

Circle terminology and highlight key words in the definitions.

Enumerate steps or lists of information by adding ordinals.

Make brief marginal notes to emphasize important points or integrate information:

-list of key ideas

-study questions

-vocabulary terms

-definitions

-comments/questions

-brackets

-abbreviations

Essential Strategies to Study Annotations

Reread out loud only the annotations; it will sound fragmented.

Verbally string the ideas together by adding your own words to connect ideas.

Recite without looking. Write summaries to

reinforce learning.

Use spaced practice, immediate and ongoing review.

Use previously discussed strategies:

-Understand first.

-Be selective.

-Paraphrase for marginal notes.

-Add reminders.

-Use feedback.

The Cornell Note-taking System

Learning Objective:

Discuss and apply the five steps of the Cornell system for taking notes.

The Cornell Note-taking System

Record Take notes in the right column.

Reduce Condense notes in the left column, the 2 ½” wide recall column.

Recite Explain information in the recall call; talk out loud and in complete sentences. Check accuracy.

Reflect Use a variety of strategies to work with the information in new ways.

Review Use immediate and ongoing review.

Cornell: Record Step

Tips for Recording Notes

Introductions: Create and underline a heading for the information; then list and number key points.

Headings and Subheadings: Copy and underline headings and subheadings in your notes. Number key points under each heading or subheading.

New Headings: Add new headings if you want to reorganize or insert more helpful headings.

Marginal Notes: Take notes on any important marginal notes in the textbook

Tips for Recording Notes

Double Spacing: Double space before beginning a new heading; this chunks or groups information into meaningful units.

Sufficient Information: Avoid being too brief; record sufficient details to support main ideas.

Meaningful Phrases or Sentences: Check that phrases or shortened sentences are clear and will not lose meaning at a later time.

Annotations: Use your annotations to guide you in deciding what information to place in your notes.

Tips for Recording Notes

Number Details: Number details under headings to create a stronger impression and organize information into meaningful units.

Minor Details: Indent or use dashes to show minor details under main supporting details.

Graphs and Charts: Copy smaller graphs or charts into your notes, or summarize conclusions about the graphs. Include textbook page numbers for reference.

Summary: Write a summary or a conclusion at the end of

your notes.

Cornell: Reduce Step

Tips to Create the Recall Column Copy Headings: Place headings from the right column

directly across into the left column; then underline the headings to add structure to your notes.

Reread Your Notes: Reread notes. Add more notes if your notes are too vague or limited.

Add Study Questions: Write brief, abbreviated study questions across from the information in your notes.

Add Key Words to Define: Write only the term to define, but do not write the definition.

Do Not Write Too Much: Do not include answers or you will only read with little to recite in the next step.

Explain information in the recall column by using complete sentences.

Use feedback. Pull the paper down to check your accuracy.

Adjust the recall column if you need more cue words for reciting.

Cornell: Reflect Step

Think and ponder. Take time to think about the topic, relationships, and importance of the information.

Line up your recall columns to see an informal outline and overview of the chapter and your notes.

Write a summary at the bottom of your notes.

Write on the back side of your notes. Make lists of information, write study questions, add diagrams, or jot down questions for class.

Make study tools such as index cards, visual mapping, charts, or mnemonics.

Cornell: Review Step

Theories of Forgetting

Describe each of the following forgetting theories:

Decay Theory Displacement Theory Incomplete Encoding Interference Theory Retrieval Failure Theory

Forgetting and Memory In the Decay Theory, why does forgetting occur? What strategies can prevent the decay process? What is the relationship between the Displacement

Theory and the theory of overloading working memory? How do retroactive and proactive interference differ? What strategies combat the effects of the Incomplete

Encoding Theory? Why does retrieval failure occur? What does Ebbinghaus’s Curve of Forgetting show? When does the greatest initial drop in memory occur?

Two- and Three-Column Note-taking Systems

Learning Objective: Discuss and apply effective strategies for creating two- and three-

column notes.

The Two-Column Note-taking System

Step 1: Write the topics, vocabulary terms, questions, or math problems in the left column.

Step 2: Write any explanations, details, or definitions in the right column.

Topic

Voc. Term

Study Question

Formula

1.

2.

3.

Definition

Answer

Example

The Two-Column Notetaking System Simplified Cornell format Effective for textbook and lecture notes Effective for factual information,

discussions, and math processes Width of columns can be adjusted to match

the notetaking situation

Tips for Creating Two-Column Notes Be Selective: Only include important information. Use the Read-Record-Recite Cycle: Read

one paragraph, pause, take notes, and then recite. Write Items in the Left Column: The kinds of

items will vary depending on the textbook or lecture content.

Space Your Notes: Leave a space between each new group of items.

Tips for Creating Two-Column Notes Sketch Diagrams or Charts: Sketch in the left

column and explain or summarize in the right column.

Practice Your Notes: Cover your right column. Recite. Uncover to check your accuracy.

Highlight Difficult Sections of Your Notes: Highlighting signals sections to practice further.

Use Immediate and Ongoing Review.

Three-Column Notes

Write the topics in the left column.

Identify labels or categories of information in the middle and the last column.

Work with all three columns: cover a column, recite, and then check your accuracy.

Topic

Topic

Problem

Problem

Source 1

Definition

Rework

Steps

Source 2

Example

Solution

Example

Ways to Use Three-Column Notes Use to take notes for comparative reading. Use to define and expand or show

applications for vocabulary terms. Use to write math problems, provide a

column to rework problems, and a column with the steps to solve the problem.

Use to compile textbook and lecture notes.

The Outline Note-taking System

Learning Objective:

Discuss and apply effective strategies for taking informal outline notes.

Creating Formal Outlines

The Informal Outline Note-taking System

Outlines provide a skeleton or overview of the chapter’s structure and sequence of topics.

Modify the formal outlining rules for lower-level information by using bullets or dashes for minor details instead of numerals or letters, such as 1), a), b), 2), a), b), c), and d).

You can create outline notes:You can create outline notes: beforebefore reading to get an reading to get an overview of the chapteroverview of the chapter during during the reading process the reading process to organize notes of key pointsto organize notes of key points after after reading a chapter to reading a chapter to create a new kind of study tool.create a new kind of study tool.

How to Study from Outline Notes

Read and explain line by line. Recite what you know about the topic. Speak in complete sentences. Integrate and link ideas and show relationships.

Check your accuracy or completeness of information you recite.

Add clue words to the right of the lines or items to guide your reciting the next time you review your notes.

Repeat the process of reciting Repeat the process of reciting from the outline.from the outline.Use the outline to write a Use the outline to write a summary.summary.

Discussion Questions

Why are note-taking skills essential skills for students to master?

Which Principles of Memory are activated when you create and study from textbook notes?

What strategies are effective for annotating or marking your textbooks?

How should you study from highlighting?

What are the Five R’s of Cornell?What are the Five R’s of Cornell?Can a Can a reflect process or step reflect process or step be used in be used in all note-taking systems? Why or why all note-taking systems? Why or why not?not?Which notetaking system do you Which notetaking system do you

prefer? Whyprefer? Why??

Terminology

Annotating Marginal notes Verbally string ideas Five R’s of Cornell Reduce Step Recall column Reciting

Reflecting Two-column notes Three-column notes Formal outlines Informal outline notes Roman numerals Arabic numerals

Discussion Topics

1. Regardless of how many years it has been since you were in high school, did your high school experience prepare you for the demands of college academics? Did you learn strategies to read and understand difficult textbooks? Did you learn effective notetaking systems and strategies to study your notes? Explain with details.

2. How will you use the five different 2. How will you use the five different note-taking systems to take notes note-taking systems to take notes from your textbooks? Are the five from your textbooks? Are the five notetaking systems you learned notetaking systems you learned in this chapter similar to or in this chapter similar to or different from what you different from what you previously used to take textbook previously used to take textbook notes?notes?

Discussion Topics

3. Taking notes engages the reader in the learning process, but the process of taking notes is not enough to boost memory and learn the information in the notes. Why is studying your notes so important? What strategies can you use to gain the most benefits from your notes?

4. What are the advantages and 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of copying or using disadvantages of copying or using someone else’s notes to study?someone else’s notes to study?

After handwriting textbook notes on paper, After handwriting textbook notes on paper, is rewriting your notes by typing them is rewriting your notes by typing them on a computer beneficial or a waste of on a computer beneficial or a waste of time? Explain your reasoning.time? Explain your reasoning.