Come and

visit us

Note taking &

note making
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Content

Introduction ........................................................................................................... 3
Stage 1: Before the lecture ..................................................................................... 6
Stage 2: In the lecture ............................................................................................ 6
Stage 2: taking notes from readings ....................................................................... 9
Stage 3: reviewing notes from lectures................................................................. 11
Stage 4: making notes .......................................................................................... 12
Stage 5: Constructing a synthesis/summary ......................................................... 17
Readings.............................................................................................................. 18

-2-
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Introduction

Before thinking about how to make notes or take notes, it is important to reflect on
WHY you would do this. There are many good reasons. The following are just some
reasons. Taking an making notes may help you to

concentrate;

remember important information;

process information;

clarify learning material;

stay awake;

keep your brain active through multi-tasking (listening, watching, writing,
paraphrasing);

have material to discuss with other students;

gather material for assignments;

prepare for examinations and other tests;

Good notes are essential for effective learning and the development of understanding
at university. If you have taken the time to make good notes you not only have a
personal resource that you can use as you revise for terms tests and exams, but you
are also more likely to have confidence in your knowledge of the topic.

Making notes about a topic involves several stages (see Table 1).

Table 1: Stages in note-making

Stage Process Purpose
1) Preparing for lectures and Read the recommended Provides a general overview of
labs readings before the lectures topic and the areas that might be
difficult to understand.

2) Taking notes from single Record information from a Provides understanding of part
sources such as a lecture, particular source (using a of a topic - Making links with
lab or the text book strategy that suits you). knowledge you already have –
building on that knowledge.

3) Reviewing lecture notes Review notes made during the
lectures (individually and/or in
small group) by correcting,
adding to, and summarising
notes
4) Making notes – Construct your knowledge
assembling more detailed about the topic, identify the
information about a whole structure of the topic, the main
topic from several points or key ideas.
lectures and labs and the
text book
Aids further consolidation and
understanding of notes made
during the lecture, and provides
a good basis for revision
Helps in developing a network
of sub-topics or parts and the
links between them until you get
a sense of the whole, and how
the whole and the parts relate
together to make meaning.

5) Constructing a working Summarise or synthesise your Provides basis for revision in

synthesis, précis or knowledge in ways that you can preparation for assignments and
summary sheet remember it. exams.

-3-
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Another way to conceptualise the note taking/making process:

Table 2: pictographic format of the note taking and note making process

STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5

Making notes –
assembling more
Constructing a
Taking notes from detailed
Reviewing working
Preparing for single sources such information about
FOCUS notes from synthesis, précis
lectures and labs as a lecture, lab or a whole topic from
lectures or summary
the text book several lectures
sheet
and labs and the
text book
Review notes
made during Construct your
Record
the lectures knowledge about Summarise or
information from a
Read the (individually the topic, identify synthesise your
particular source
WHAT recommended and/or in small the structure of knowledge in
(using a strategy
YOU DO readings before group) by the topic, the main ways that you
that suits you – see
the lectures correcting, points or key can remember it.
later sections).
adding to, and ideas.
summarising
notes
Helps in
Aids further developing a
Provides
consolidation network of sub-
Provides a understanding of
and topics or parts and
general part of a topic - Provides basis
understanding the links between
WHY overview of Making links with for revision in
of notes made them until you get
YOU DO topic and the knowledge you preparation for
during the a sense of the
IT areas that might already have – assignments and
lecture, and whole, and how
be difficult to building on that exams.
provides a the whole and the
understand. knowledge.
good basis for parts relate
revision together to make
meaning.

-4-
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

In summary: the difference between note-taking and note-making:

Taking notes is only the first stage in the note-making process. It often involves
writing down information from different sources such as lectures, labs and your text
book – other people’s knowledge.

In contrast, note-making involves a process of personal understanding. When you

make your own notes you are learning about the topic and so you are much more
likely to remember it. This may sound time-consuming. Yet, it is much more
efficient and effective in terms of learning than trying to sort out lecture notes and
read text books in great haste before an important test or exam. It provides you with a
well-prepared personal resource of information.
Note-taking

Summary of what you have read or heard

Key points, main arguments and ideas

Examples and evidence to support these
Note-making

Your own resource of information

Compilation of different sources (lectures, readings, labs, etc)

Why Should I Go To Lectures?

Many lecturers make their lecture notes available on Blackboard. Because you are
busy, you may start to feel that lectures aren’t important. But if you rely only on
handouts and Blackboard, you may miss out on important information.

There are also other benefits to attend lectures:

prepared lecture notes may appear as ‘flat’ knowledge. All the material may
appear as equally important, and it may be difficult to decide what you should
know, and what is less important. It may also be difficult to identify the key
concepts, or difficult to see the structure of the knowledge.

lecturers may emphasise certain points in the notes that are more or less
important; They may also point to knowledge that must be known as a pre-
requisite for other knowledge;

lecturers may add information that is not in the notes;

the lecturer may talk about assessments, or make important announcements;

furthermore, you can often ask questions, and hear questions that other
students ask;

lastly, attending your lectures can help you to keep your study schedule on
track.

-5-
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Stage 1: Before the lecture

Many lectures and tutorials are supported by recommended readings. You will
improve both your note-taking, and your ability to remember and understand, if you
prepare for lectures and labs beforehand by reading these materials. As you read,
think about the following questions:

Table 3: prepare for lectures

Useful questions Example re HUBS 191 lecture 1

What is this lecture or lab about?
Introduction to the systems of the body.
How do the topics in this lecture or lab link to
The lecture gives the structure of lectures for the
those of previous lectures or following lectures?
semester.
Yes, I don’t quite understand the meaning of
Is there anything that I found difficult to
homeostasis.
understand?

Stage 2: In the lecture

A good way to make sense of new knowledge, and to understand and remember it, is
to recognise the particular structure of the information. You often have the full
information in the textbook, so there is no need to take detailed notes about
everything in the lecture.

a) At the beginning of the lecture

The following strategies may help you keep track of the order of your notes, the
topics, and the aims of the course:

• prepare a lecture note-taking sheet (see e.g. Table 5 below);

• write the lecture title/description/outline, date and page number at the top of the
page.

b) During the lecture

Typically, certain parts of a lecture provide the

structure of, or orientation to, the topic – a way of
thinking about it. Listen for this:

• In the introduction, or the first few minutes of a lecture, lecturers often explain
what they will cover in the 50 minutes. Some lecturers show an overview with the
topics they will cover. This may provide a clear idea of the main headings that
you can use for your notes.

-6-
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

• At the end of a lecture, some lecturers summarise the main points. This is a good
opportunity to check whether these main points come through in your notes.
Some lecturers also summarise at different parts throughout the lecture. These are
good moments to take notes.
• Through transitions signalling a change of topic or key point during the lecture.
Many lecturers use words or phrases called transition or signal words that show
the relationship between various points, or the importance of information. An
awareness of such transition or signal words or phrases will help you to keep track
of the topic, and organise your notes. Table 2 includes some of these words.

Table 4: Examples of transition or signal words

Word function Examples
Contrasting – denotes debate and argument However, but, despite, on the other hand, conversely

Supporting material – nb ensure you
distinguish between principle/rule & example
Repetition – denotes importance/emphasis
Emphasis – denotes importance/priority
Number list and order – shows structure
For example, similarly, further, furthermore, for
instance, as an example
Too, also, in addition, even more, to repeat, in other
words
Most importantly, especially, specifically, and most
important, a major dvelopment
Then, first, second, etc., finally, ultimately

Summarising – identifies important points From this we see, to wrap up, for these reasons, in
brief, in summary
Concluding Therefore, finally, as a result, in conclusion, in
summary
Concession In light of, of course, even though, given that

Amplification In other words, that is, i.e., for example

Cause and effect Because, consequently, therefore, if...then, accordingly

Reasons The reason why, because, that is why, there are three
reasons for this…
Importance - denotes priority Now this is important, remember that, the important
idea is that, the basic concept here is…

Adapted from the following web-sites:

http://www.yorku.ca/cdc/lsp/notesonline/note3.htm (retrieved 01/02/2006)
http://www.wvup.edu/Academics/notetaking_strategies.htm (retrieved 01/02/2006)

Other strategies that can be used during the lecture include:

• listen for and record key words, definitions, etc.

• develop a code for certain kinds of information., e.g., underline/capitalise key
words so that they stand out when you come back to your notes later.
• develop a personal shorthand of words that are used repeatedly.
• use your own symbols and abbreviations to emphasise what is important.
• summarise the material provided on the white board/OHP/powerpoint; many
lecturers, however, provide copies of the lecture slides;

-7-
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

• develop the skill of listening for understanding and then noting down key points.
Try not to copy everything word for word. Instead, use your own words because
this will help you make sense of the information later.
• listen for the links between the ideas, definitions, explanations, examples, proofs,
references, etc. These will help you later.
• listen for hints of what is important. At different points in a lecture, lecturers
emphasise key points with phrases like: “this is important”, or “if nothing else,
remember this...”, or “this may be in the exam”.
• leave plenty of space for adding notes after the lecture, to clarify aspects you are
confused about, or to fill in bits you missed; you may want to use multiple
question marks, “??”, to indicate these parts in your notes.
• where possible, identify the structure of the lecture in your notes. Many lecturers
have a number of main points, with sub and sub sub points. This will help you in
understanding how the different points relate to each other. For example:

1. Main point A

sub point 1
• sub sub point 1
• sub sub point 2
2. Main point B

sub point 1
• sub sub point 1
• sub sub point 2
• sub sub point 3
3. Main point C
etc.

There are many different ways to make notes during lecture. The main point is that
you have to be able to make sense of the notes after the lecture. You may already have
a system that really works well for you. If that is so, you may want to stay with that
method. You may also want to experiment with other ways, or adapt a method to suit
your working style.

Whatever your method, it is worthwhile to leave some space in your lecture notes to
add/change notes after the lecture (see stage 3).

The following example is one way of note-taking that makes it easy to review your
notes after the lecture. This way of working is called the “Cornell” method. You
divide your lecture pad in a number of sections. In the notes column you make your
actual notes during the lecture. You also leave plenty of space between different parts
of your notes:
• you may have missed some bits of the lecture, or
• you may wish to elaborate more on one aspect to clarify something after you have
checked a textbook or other source.

-8-
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Table 5: Example of note-taking format in a lecture

TOPIC: the history of Otago university COURSE: hist100
DATE: 26/02/2007
LECTURE 1 PAGE: 1
Notes. summary
Otago uni established 1869. first lect. 1871. 3 profs. Buildings in town

Initially three disciplines; Medicine, mining & ???

Gradual growth. First large expansion in 1970s. Second fast growth since 1990. >
200% increase. Why???

In 2006 18,000 students  effect on resourcing & staffing  request more $$ from
govt

Students pay higher tuition fees. Government demands more and more
accountability from universities.

Overall summary:

 See stage 3 for an explanation what you do with these notes after the lecture.

Stage 2: taking notes from readings

Many students struggle with their readings at university

because of the complexity and volume. If this a big issue
for you, the Student Learning Centre runs workshops on
Effective Reading that will help. Be aware that, in first
year, different courses will require different kinds of
information.

As you approach each reading:

• ask yourself: “What do I want to get from this reading?”
o an overview of the topic?
o elaboration of the lecture notes?
o to get some examples?
o collecting information/material for an assignment?
o finding support for a point you are making in an assignment?
• then: read the text with the purpose in mind, and make notes that reflect this
purpose.

-9-
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

For most of the readings:

• focus on central ideas and key terms;
• using a pencil, highlight and underline key ideas and concepts in the text in order
to focus your attention; however, do not use this too much (otherwise everything
will look important);
• when you take notes, use your own words rather than copying from the text book.
This will make you think through the meaning of the material.
• keep accurate references. See suggested note-taking format below.

Note taking formats for readings

There are many different ways to make notes during lecture. The following example
is just one way to take notes from readings.

Table 6: note taking from readings format 1 Write here all the
details in the
reference style of
your course
Topic: note-taking COURSE: univ101
van der Meer, J. (2006). First-year students’ note-taking DATE: 26/02/2007
PAGE: 1
techniques: a resource. Dunedin: Bestpress.
Notes Notes Relevance/meaning/response/questions
/ comments/ follow up

12 First-year students do not learn how to Good way to express it. I wonder
take notes ‘by osmosis’ whether other writers have used this
phrase?

Summary of first
chapter

14 One student said: “I had no idea where to Does that mean that all first-year
start. It felt like everything was students can’t see the structure of the
important” lecture?
Or was that in a particular kind of
lecture

20 Reference to Brown who has done a Check reference: Brown, G. (2005)

similar study about first years. Brown First-year students and note-taking. Good way to keep
track of references
asserts that staff take a ‘cavalier’ attitude NY: Allpress you want to follow
up without having
24 to go back to the
Note-taking should be explicitly taught I wonder whether any university is reading
in first-year courses doing that.
The implications could be that staff
themeselves have to reflect on how
they teach, and how that helps students.
This may in fact help them to change This could be the
the structure of their lectures. start of a point
in an essay
argument

Adapted from UNSW Learning Centre (2005) Effective note-making from written text. Retreived 01/02/2006 from
http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/notemake.html

- 10 -
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Another example:

Table 7: note taking from readings format 2

TOPIC: Tissue types COURSE: HUBS 191

DATE: 27/02/07
Page: 2
Page Notes Response/summary
Textbk Epithelial tissue: covers surface (skin), lines cavities Structure/function: dense cells – skin
p. 146 (stomach), moves substances (absorption etc.) protects!

Little ECM

Strength not necessary!

Stage 3: reviewing notes from lectures

If you have used the Cornell Method, use the summary column of the page for writing
key words and ideas from your notes. You then summarise the whole page in the
summary column at the bottom of the page. Also: where you have left gaps to add
information, or question marks for aspects you were confused about, add the relevant
information (see example below).

Table 8: Example of adding to the Cornell method notes after the lecture
TOPIC: the history of Otago university COURSE: hist100
DATE: 26/02/2007
LECTURE 1 PAGE: 1
Notes. summary
Otago uni established 1869. first lect. 1871. 3 profs. Buildings in town Small beginnings last century

Initially three disciplines; Medicine, mining & ???

Three departments
[added later] home science

Gradual growth. First large expansion in 1970s. Second fast growth since 1990. >
200% increase. Why??? Expansion in 1970s &1990s

[added later] the first expansion was related to the baby boom generation who
reached university-going age Baby boom effect

In 2006 18,000 students  effect on resourcing & staffing  request more $$ from
govt Financial pressure
Students pay higher tuition fees. Government demands more and more
accountability from universities.
Staff and students react
[added later] staff strikes and pressure by students’ association on the
government

Overall summary: gradual growth since 1871 but two growth spurts in 1970s and 1990s.
The financial pressures caused reaction from both government, staff and students.

- 11 -
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

In summary, after the lecture you

• add information that you have missed;
• expand on information that helps further, or a more complete understanding
• summarise the information by using key words, or short phrases;
• summarise the whole page.

These post-lecture activities help you to

• make the notes more useable for revision;
• test your understanding, and
• further aid retention of the information (e.g. for recall in exams).

Try working in a small group

One very good way of reviewing your notes, is to work together in a small group with
other students who have been to the same lectures. Discussing lecture material, and
reviewing your own notes in the process, is one of the most effective ways to clarify
and consolidate your understanding. Furthermore, the active nature of this process
also aids your retention of lecture material. Lastly, it is a good way to stay awake and
make the review process more enjoyable. This process may be especially valuable
when you are dealing with a large quantity of notes and you feel slightly
overwhelmed.

Stage 4: making notes

Note-making is the process of compiling the notes you have taken

from multiple sources, lectures, readings, etc. in an organised way.
There are different ways to organise your material. The way you do
this partly depends on the course you are doing. It may also
depends on the purpose. Some ways to organise your material:
o topics or broad topic areas (e.g., trans-Tasman relationships)
o chronological sequence (e.g. historical material)
o sort of material (e.g. primary, secondary material)
o distinct sub parts (e.g. parts of the body in anatomy)

Why should I make notes?

Helps you see the “big picture” of a subject.

Helps you to actively process information so that you remember and
understand it better.

Helps you to prepare for exams.

How do I make notes?

Organise your material so that it makes sense for you. For example, try to:

- 12 -
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

make links between ideas;

use punctuation (such as exclamation marks), highlighting of certain words,
underlining, capitals, etc;

organise your material visually – sometimes pictures or diagrams are easier to
remember;

write a summary page for each topic (a bit like a contents page) and staple this
to the front of the relevant notes.
Some possible ways to make/organise notes

What works for one students, may not always work for another. Some methods suit
some learning styles better than others1. Some common ways to make and organise
notes are:

Summaries

Tables

Mind Maps

Concept maps

Cause and effect diagrams

Timelines

Summaries can take different forms. Using lists of bullet points, or cues cards are just
two common formats.

Tables are a good way to organise information that is clearly structured. Tables can
be organised in different ways, e.g, in:
• groupings
• typologies
• categories

Below, an example of a typology of learners:

Table 9: example of table use

Learning styles
Type of learners characteristics

Tend to be more drawn to images and

Visual learners diagrams. Prefer lectures with a lot of
overheads, power point slides etc

Tend to prefer more active forms of

Kinaesthetic learners learning. They need regular breaks, and
sometimes walk around to study

1
You may want to do one of the many learning style inventories on the Net. One such inventory is on
the web site of the Noth Carolina State University:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

- 13 -
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Mind Maps

Mind Maps are good to capture a lot of information in a visual way. Mind Mapping
was initially devised by Tony Buzan in the 1970s. Not everyone, however, finds it
easy to make notes in this way.

Other than using Mind Maps to integrate notes, Mind Maps can also be used in other
ways, for example to:

brainstorm ideas;

take notes during a lecture (disadvantage: this can be difficult if you are not
sure of the structure of the lecture);

make notes during reading;

revising before exams;

getting over initial writer’s block or ‘blanks’, during exams or other situations.

The following example of a Mind Map has been generated by computer, and therefore
lacks something of the more free-flowing and colourful characteristics of hand-drawn
mind maps.

less colourful
perhaps I adapt a
Mind Map

more structured Not easy during

difference with Mind
lectures when
Map
good for sociology structure unclear
ideas

suits structured
data
disadvant
sequential learners Concept map
ages

Not everyone is a
work visual learner
s well
very structured data for
Mind
table Note Map
making
clear sequences easy overview

organises
information

global learners
advantages
works not so well
for
data with complex where do I learn
relationships these methods questions
suits visual learners

how do I know what great fun

works for me

how do I know what

my learning style is

- 14 -
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

How to make a Mind Map?

• Put the main topic/idea in the middle of the page.

• identify sub-topics and link them to the main topics.
• Add as many sub (or sub sub) topics/branches as you need to put all the different
aspects of the topic/idea on the map.
• Add symbols, pictures, colours to make it more evocative and meaningful to you.

Concept Maps

Concept Maps are very similar to Mind Maps. Sometimes these two names are used
inter-changeably. Sometimes concept maps:

are more structured;

depict the structure of a ‘finite’ amount of data;

less colourful with fewer, or no pictures.

Example:

transports supports
Connective tissue
e.g., blood
e.g., body and organs
connects
defends
e.g., tissues to each other:
muscles to muscles, muscles to
bones, bones to bones against micro-organisms

characterised
by:

mostly ECM (very few cells).

collagenous fibres: bundles
determines for greater strength

reticular fibres: networks

structural characteristics of made up of support blood vessels and
each type of tissue nerve fibres

Elastic fibres: can stretch

and return to original
length

Take note of the use of verbs on the connecting lines to define the link between each
part. This is an important way of coming to know the meaning of each part of a topic
in relation to the whole.

- 15 -
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Cause and effect diagrams

Cause and effect diagrams (sometimes called “fishbone diagrams”) are good to map a
complex variety of contributing causes to an effect, problem, or a particular situation
or event. They can be used, for example, to chart problems, or events, or to seek
contributing causes that result in a diagnosis.

How to start a cause and effect diagram:

write down the effect, event or problem that you want to map;

identify the main categories that have impacted on the event/effect/problem;

under each category identify as many causes as you can think of; some causes
have sub-causes or sub sub causes.

social

Every body goes out

Hall culture

psychological
Want to make friends
Being bright
Was not cool
At high school
New to Dunedin

Old pattern
Repeats itself
Celebrate my freedom

procrastination
Essay writing

skills none
No explanation
By lecturers
Note making

They have forgotten academic physical

What it is like
To be first-years

- 16 -
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Time line

Time lines are a great tool to organise your notes and information in subjects where
events, or sequences, occur chronologically. Timelines can be two-dimensional (e.g. a
date and the relevant event that took place), or can be more than two dimensional (e.g.
a date, the relevant event that took place and events elsewhere or in a different
context).

Example:
Date Event related to Other events
Otago University
1869 Uni established Women suffrage

1871 First lectures WW2 breaks out.

Increase in students

1939 Drop in students

1945
Increase in students End ww2 soldiers return

1970 Doubling of # students Baby boomers reach 18

1990 Doubling again of # New govt. policy

students

2006 18,000 students TEAC & knowledge wave

conference

Stage 5: Constructing a synthesis/summary

Notes making in stage five, is very similar to the different formats that have been
reviewed in the previous section of stage four.

However, there are some differences:

• the details at this stage are far less than in stage four.
• The summaries/syntheses are often at a higher level of abstraction.

The summary and synthesis that you create at this stage are aimed at
• anchoring knowledge, understanding, relationships and connections for use in
examination situation;
• writing projects (essays, articles, theses, etc.).

As in stage four: try working in a small group on this process. It might benefit your
retention, and make the whole process more enjoyable.

- 17 -
 © 2008 Student Learning Centre, University of Otago

Readings

Buzan, T. (1995) The Mindmap Book. London: BBC Books

Clanchy, J. & Ballard, B. (1997) Essay writing for students: a practical guide.
Melbourne: Longman

Rhoden, C. & Starkey, R. (1998) Studying science at university. St.Leonards: Allen &
Unwin

- 18 -