STUDENT SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE

Student Learning Centre

Making the Most of Lectures

Maria Graal

www.le.ac.uk/slc
Session Outline

• The purpose of lectures and note-making

• The challenges of making notes in lectures

• Strategies for making the most of lectures

The purpose of a lecture

A lecture can provide the

overview or ‘big picture’ of a
subject

You have to do additional

reading to research the detail
within the overview according
to your own study goals
The purpose of a lecture

A lecture can provide a

detailed study of a specific
area within the subject

You have to do additional

reading to research the
broader context according to
your study goals
Why are you making notes in lectures?

• What do you want your notes to achieve?

• Do they need to serve more than one purpose?
• Does the purpose change for different lectures?
Reasons for note-making in lectures

They help with… They also help to…

• concentration • record information

• understanding • prompt questions

• recall • highlight areas of interest

Note-making isn’t just about having something to

refer to later – it’s part of the learning process itself
Lectures and note-making

• What’s difficult about making notes in lectures?

Strategies for making the most of lectures

Preview & Identify Listen for

Review your focus structure

Choose the Leave

Team up
best layout space
Preview and Review

Preview During Review

Pre-lecture
Follow up work
reading will help
Make notes will help you
you to
according to reinforce your
understand and
your study goal understanding
engage with the
and aid recall
lecture


Identify your focus

 Understanding is your
priority
 You make brief
keyword notes
 You follow up the
lecture by making
detailed notes on your
selected area
Identify your focus

 Collecting the
information is the priority
 You make detailed
notes
 You follow up the
lecture by reviewing your
understanding of the
content

Listen for structure

• I shall now discuss…. • An example of this is….

• My next point is…. • This can be seen when….

• Finally…. • Evidence for this can be

found….
• On the other hand….
• Alternatively….

• Others have argued…. • In conclusion….

• Turning now to…. • To summarise….


Choose the best layout

What? Who? When?

Headings colour
Sub-headings
Space
1. numbered lists

• bulleted lists
abbreviations

Page no.
Choose the best layout

Lecture X


Leave space

2 columns
(or double-
spaced)
Diagrams/ THING 1

charts

THING 2 THING 3

Questions
Own words & thoughts


Team up

Collaborating with friends in lectures is useful for:

• comparing notes to fill in any gaps
• discussing the content to clarify your understanding
• identifying how the lecture relates to the rest of the
module


Summary

• Be prepared - get to know the course structure and do pre-lecture reading.

• Be organised - have a system for storing notes and take a selection of
pens and pencils to the lecture.
• Listen for structure - watch out for signposts that help you follow the
lecture.
• Choose your focus – balance listening with making notes according to
your study goals
• Make note taking an active process - summarise in your own words,
make good use of space, colour, symbols and images.
• Leave gaps - if you miss a point, don't get further behind by panicking about
it, just leave a space and check it out with another student.
• Actively review your notes after the lecture, making additions and
corrections as you read.
• Use the Student Learning Centre for further advice and information.