Note making for lectures

Why Take Notes?

• act as memory aid Buzan (1999): without active

learning, we forget 98% of the information
in just three weeks
• actively involves you in the learning process
• helps develop understanding
• allows you to reduce information to a
manageable size
• may give useful tips for assignments or exams
Note Making Process

During
lecture
Before After
lecture lecture

Useful
lecture
notes

3
 1. Before the Lecture

• prepare by:
 advance reading
 printing off and reading lecture notes
 if relevant, reading notes from previous
lecture
• especially important where there is
scientific / technical terms and jargon
• tune yourself into the topic by thinking
of questions you might expect it to answer
2. During the Lecture

• listen for framework or objectives, helps structure notes

• don't write everything down
 key words, phrases, short sentences, abbreviations
• listen for signposts
 e.g. 'there are four key points here’
• annotate PowerPoint handouts
• question and challenge as you listen
• note making skills will improve with practice
Note Making Styles: a) Linear notes

• line by line
• short and structured
• headings and subheadings
• abbreviations and key words
• bullet points
 highlight
 key
 points
Note Making Styles: b) Mind Map

Related theme 1
Related theme 2 Central idea

Visual
Not often
used in lectures
Make memorable

Highlighting Good for Reading /

Colour organising revision
after
 Effective note-taking
When you take notes, try splitting your page in three…

Comments Notes
• note your reactions to • write your summary of
what you have read the author’s
• connect your research to conclusions and
what you are reading evidence in one column
• compare and contrast • paraphrase, summarise
the views of authors or highlight quotes

Summary
• make a note of what you think about the material
3. After the Lecture
• review any notes you make
• you might want to:
question some of what you've
written
change something
add further information

It's not enough just to re-read notes.

You have to use them!
Do you absorb information best by:
Identify your Learning Style
• Listening and then writing the information down?
• Describing what you have just heard to someone?
• Creating diagrams to illustrate key concepts?
• Use whichever technique works for you

10
Top tips

 take notes in your own words

 make sure you can read your notes later
 different note making methods for different purposes
 flowcharts for process planning
 tables for comparison
 organise your notes
 title, date, page numbers
X don't cram too much on the page
X don’t leave reviewing notes until exam revision