Note Taking Skills

Objectives
• Define and explain note taking
• Describe the types of note-taking
• Explain how to take notes
• Differentiate between note-taking and note-
making
 Introduction
• Note-taking – sometimes written ‘notetaking’
or ‘note taking’ – is the practice of recording
information captured from another source.
– The writer records the essence of the information,
freeing their mind from having to recall everything
– They are drawn from a transient source, e.g. oral
discussion or lecture
– It is a form of self-discipline
• Note-taking is a central aspect of a complex
human behavior related to information
management, involves a range of underlying
mental processes and their interaction with
other cognitive functions
• Person taking notes must acquire and filter
the incoming sources,
• Organize and restructure existing knowledge
structures, comprehend and write down their
interpretation of the information
• Store and integrate the freshly processed
material
• The result is a knowledge representation and a
memory storage
• Note-taking is an important skill for students
especially at college or university level
• The main purpose of taking notes in lectures
may be to implant the material in the mind
• Notes books are used, or other paper
methods; computers, tablets, or personal
digital assistants are used in the digital era
• Note taking is a race against time
 Divisions of Note-Taking
• Note taking can be broadly divided into linear
and nonlinear methods
• Linear note-taking
– Outlining – tend to proceed down the page using
headings and bullets
– Common system consists of, headings, that use
Roman Numerals, Letters of Alphabets, and
Arabic Numerals at different levels
• A typical structure would be:
I. First Heading
A. Subtopic
1. Detail 1
2. Detail 2
B. Subtopic
II. Second Main Topic
A. Subtopic
Limiting system – inserting new pieces is difficult
in paper and pen.
• In computerized note-taking, whether with a
word processor, an outline like WorkFlowy, or
digital notebook program such as OneNote,
EverNote or TiddlyWiki, provides the
opportunity to revise easily and add more
entries or rows to the outline.
• Non-Linear Note-taking – includes; clustering,
Concept Mapping, Cornell System, Idea
Mapping, Instant Replays, Ishikawa diagrams,
Knowledge maps, Learning Maps, Mind
Mapping, Model Maps, Pyramid principle,
Semantic networks, and SmartWisdom
• Mapping: ideas are written in a tree structure
with lines connecting them together, known as
brain-storming
• Drawn from a central point, purpose or goal in
the center of the page and branching outward
identifying all the ideas connected to the goal
• Colors, small graphics and symbols are used to
help visualize the information easily
• Common among visual learners and is a core
practice of many accelerated learning
techniques, and for planning and writing essays
 Sentence method:
• Every new thought is written in a new line
• Speed is most desired attribute of the method,
not much thought is needed about formatting
layout and create enough space for more notes
• You can number them or bullet them
• Helps the reader identify the beginning and end of
ideas
• It is short and helpful when the teacher or
professor needs to read the notes
 SQ3R
• SQ3R – Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review
• Method of taking note from a written material
• Material is skimmed to produce a list of headings,
converted to questions
• The questions are then considered while reading the
text, to motivate the reader
• Notes are written under sections headed by the
questions
• One makes a summary from memory and reviews the
notes
 Guided Notes
• Provides a ‘map’ of the lecture content with key
points or ideas missing
• Students are to fill the gaps during the lecture
• It helps students in following lecture and
identifying most important ideas from a lecture
• It requires active listening
• It improve students’ recording critical points in
lecture and their quiz scores on content
 Electronic Note-Taking
• Due to many laptops, students can now use
electronic note-taking techniques
• Some use word processor or prepare digital
hand-written notes using graphics tablet or
tablet computer and styli or digital pens/
Requirements for effective note-taking
• Recognizing the main ideas
• Identifying what information is relevant to your
task
• Having a system of note-taking that works for you
• Reducing the information to note and diagram
format
• Put information in your own words
• Recording the source of the information
 Reading & Note-taking strategies
• Be selective and systematic
– Establish the purpose of the reading
• Identify the purpose and function of the text
• Identify how information is organized, e.g.
– Past to present, most to least important, well
known to least known, simple to complex, etc.
• Include your ideas,
– What ideas did you have before
Listening & Note-taking strategies
• Prior preparation to listening can greatly
improve comprehension;
– Have a clear purpose
– Recognise main ideas
– Select what is relevant
– Have a system for recording information that
works for you
 Lecture survival tips
• Before the lecture
– Revise the previous lecture
– Pre-read about the topic
– Check pronunciations
– Rule pages for note-taking
• During lecture
– Be on time and sit near the front
– Distinguish between main points, elaborations,
examples, etc.
 – Listen for structural clues
– Look for non-verbal clues
– Look for visual clues
– Listen for phonological clues
• After the lecture
– Revise lecture notes within 24 hours
– Write a short summary of the lecture
– Attach handouts to your notes
 Use symbols and abbreviations
• Useful when speed is essential,
• Be familiar with symbols frequently used;
– Develop a system of symbols – personal or for the
course
– Be when consistent using symbols and
abbreviations
• The following are symbols
equals/is equal to/is the same as
is not equal to/is not the same as
is equivalent to
therefore, thus, so
because
and, more, plus
more than, greater than
less than
less, minus
gives, causes, produces, leads to,
results in, is given by, is produced by,
results from, comes from
rises, increases by
falls, decreases by
proportional to
not proportional to
 Abbreviations
• These can be classified into three categories:
• 1. Common abbreviations
• Many are derived from Latin.
– c.f. (confer) = compare 
– i.e. (id est) = that is
– e.g. (exempla grate) = for example
– NB (nota benne) =note well
– no. (numero) = number 
– etc. (et cetera)= and so on 
• 2. Discipline-specific abbreviations
• In chemistry:
– Au for gold
– Mg for magnesium
• In the case of quantities and concepts, these
are represented by Greek letters in many
fields.
– A or a (alpha) B or b (beta)
• 3. Personal abbreviations
• Here you can shorten any word that is
commonly used in your lectures.
– diff =different
– Gov = government
– NEC = necessary
 The Five Rs of Note-taking
• Here is an easy way to remember the most important
points of note-taking:
• Record: During the lecture, write all meaningful
information legibly.
• Reduce: After the lecture, write a summary of the ideas
and facts using key words as cue words. Summarizing as
you study helps to:
– Clarify meanings and relationships of ideas
– Reinforce continuity
– Strengthen memory retention
– Prepare for exams in advance
• Recite: To study properly, you must recite all the
information in your own words without looking at
our notes or the text.
• Reflect: Think about your own opinions and ideas as
you read over your notes. Raise questions, then try
to answer them creatively. Record original ideas in
your notebook and review them regularly. Use your
creative ideas when answering exam questions, in
classroom discussions, and when writing papers.
• Review: Before reading or studying new
material, take ten minutes to quickly review
your older notes. Skim over the main ideas
and details. Review enhances your retention
of old material while adding new material to
your memory.
Pauk, W. (1989). How to Study in College (4th
Ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.