Note Making

Not Note Taking

Objectives for this topic

a. Stimulate your thoughts about what you do in this area.

b. Help to make you aware of strengths and weaknesses

c. Encourage an ‘active learning’ approach

Definition we use the words 'note-making' rather than 'note-

taking' as it more accurately reflects a process where you are actively involved, rather than the idea of passively copying the words of others word-for-word without thought or discrimination.

Note-making from written sources involves reading, questioning, evaluating, summarising and paraphrasing. Whether you are at university or at work you will need to make notes to help you remember and understand complex issues. By actively engaging in the process you will find that note-making is not a painful or boring process, but is one of the steps on the road to understanding.

Where do we take notes from?

From written sources: books, articles.

From lectures. From audio devices:

Radio, TV, telephone.

Why do we need to make notes?

To record and store information Permanent record of lecture Relevant information from book

To organise information - revision To act as memory hooks - retention To aid understanding, process ideas Efficient note-making is absolutely

essential to effective learning.

Importance of Notes Purpose is crucial – have questions to answer

Variety of styles for varying needs active learning – helps concentration Creates material for later use in exams or

essays/projects – aids retention Personal record of understanding

(cf using somebody else’s notes). Own words – avoids plagiarism Make bibliographic record - at this stage!

Notes from lecturesActive or Passive?

Copying down what you see on a screen or black board. A or P?

Writing down things the lecturer says. A or P? Writing down your own thoughts and ideas. A or P? Asking the lecturer questions. A or P? Asking yourself questions-jotting them down to research

later. A or P? Answering questions posed by the lecturer Doing calculations, solving problems, evolving a personal

response Yawning, shuffling, fidgeting, watching fellow students Thinking about other things Looking at the lecturer, blackboard or the screen Discussing things with students near you, when directed to

do so by the lecturer.

Using SQ3R Survey. Question. Read / Listen Recall, Review

See “Efficient Reading” on S4L or attend the workshop

Survey - Lectures Are the lecture notes available in advance

(e.g. on WebCT)? You can however still prepare for the lecture in

advance. What is the lecture going to be about? Title? Where does this fit in to the subject area/module? What do you know about this topic already? Can you read a book chapter or an article

beforehand? General background? This will give you an overall map or framework in

your mind; can fit the new information into this.

Question - Lectures

Pose questions in your mind or on paper - before the lecture. What do you expect to learn?

Amend the list as lecture progresses what is not clear? further reading suggests itself

You may even get the opportunity to pose the questions directly.

Listen Attend Listen Participate Make notes Ask questions if opportunity Talk to other people (when appropriate!)

Remember, listening is an active learning process not a passive process of mere recording of information

Listening Skills

Many people admit to being a bit “hard of hearing”, but fewer admit to the much more common condition of being “hard of listening”.

Phil Race Professor of Education Development

University of Glamorgan

Making Notes - Lectures

Don’t try to write everything down Listen for ‘sign-posts’ “Secondly,…” What is the main point of this bit? Summarise in own words Flag topics you want to re-visit

further reading, alternative view Leave room for re-visiting

wide margin; double spacing

Survey – Printed Material Read the ‘blurb’ or preface (book) Read the abstract (journal article) Look at the table of contents

of relevant chapter or section Are there sub-headings?

What do I know already? (e.g. lectures) Any summaries?

Bullet points? List of learning outcomes? Tables? Charts? Diagrams?

Identify what needed – NOT whole book!

Question – Printed Material Have in mind the questions you want

answered by your reading Will give purpose and focus brainstorm on the essay topic For research proposal I need…. Write a list of questions

Continue to question… How does this fit with prior knowledge? Is this information useful to my purpose? What further questions have arisen?

Read “Pre –read”

Title, date, abstract, conclusion (article)

List of objectives, introduction, any “boxes”, summary at end of section

Skim-read or scan for relevance Read only relevant text Tables, charts are information-rich Read actively – critically, evaluate. Make notes in next stage

Making Notes – Printed Material This assists in Recall Write down key-words from each

paragraph/section Express the main ideas in your own

words – counters plagiarism Full bibliographic ref. for that source

See “Quote, Unquote” for details Direct quotation – copy exactly

Remember page number if from a book

Ways to make notes from written sources. 1.Key word outlines. 2.Prose summaries. 3.Diagrammatic notes.

(spider diagrams, mind maps) Leave room to add comments later

Half width of page; well spaced Write critically – question arguments

Author’s perspective? Alternative views? relate to own existing knowledge

Everything needed from that source Should not need that book, article again!

Review Re-read lecture notes within 24 hours

Great aid to long-term memory Handwriting, spelling, abbreviations!

Critically review your notes: Are the original questions answered? More information needed? What sources? Relate to previous learning; look back at

earlier lecture, or other, relevant notes Do you need to expand on your notes so

that you can use them better later?

Create your own short hand.

greater than ..... less thanvery much greater/less thanleads to/causes, impliesincrease(s) ..... decrease(s)about (concerning)therefore ..... becausesix hundred thousand about (approximately)Question (strongly!)subject-specific terms: e.g. psychology, -ical:consistent abbreviations !

Create your own short hand.

greater than ..... less than > <

very much greater/less than » « leads to/causes, implies → =>increase(s) ..... decrease(s) ↑ ↓about (concerning) retherefore ..... becausesix hundred thousand 600K

about (approximately) c. ~ Question (strongly!) ? (? ? ?)subject-specific terms: e.g. psychology, -ical: Ψconsistent abbreviations !