INFORMATION FOR LEARNING: MAKING IT YOUR OWN Active listening: notetaking in lectures DCU Student Learning Resources Office of the Vice-President for Learning Innovation and Registrar
2 INFORMATION FOR LEARNING: MAKING IT YOUR OWN ACTIVE LISTENING: NOTE-TAKING IN LECTURES Introduction Do you have difficulty listening to the lecturer while taking lecture notes? Do you have difficulty reading or making sense of your notes after you have written them? Do you find it challenging to stay focused in class? Or, do you find yourself daydreaming or blanking out during lectures? Have you ever left at the end of a lecture and could not remember what the lecture was actually about? Good listening and note-taking skills are the keys to successful studying in subjects which are mostly facilitated through the lecture format. Listening actively in lectures and writing clear and organised notes can lead to fewer headaches during study periods, assignment completion, programme reading comprehension and exam preparation. You will also improve the quality of your learning during lectures which will save you time later when trying to create meaning. If you are new to note-taking, be patient: this is a skill that you will develop and perfect over time.
3 Active listening and note-taking skills will be useful to you throughout your life e.g. taking notes of meetings in the workplace. As well as benefiting from active listening, the actual process of note-taking in turn promotes engaged listening! Your notes provide a record of your learning in lecture-time and a prompt for memory during later study. Some analysts state that in just 30 minutes after attending a lecture, you will already have forgotten approximately 50% of its content! It is important to bear in mind that your lecture notes should not be your only point of reference. You should also be taking notes when you do your programme readings (see unit, Active and critical reading ), library research (see unit, Information literacy ) and other activities associated with your discipline (e.g. laboratory work, experiments, field work, other text readings such as paintings, films, events, etc.). You could use your reflective learning journal to make connections between all these activities and in this way deepen and synthesise your learning experiences. (See unit, Reflective learning: keeping a reflective learning journal ) There may be certain themes, concepts and methods of presentation that you should be listening out for in lectures in your particular discipline(s) and perhaps particularly appropriate note-taking strategies too. Over the course of several lectures you will begin to notice their emergence. Ideally, all learning skills should be developed within the particular parameters of your discipline(s). As you engage in the university learning experience you will progressively develop knowledge of subject-specific discourse, and through participating in it come to understand its particular conventions. In the meantime, if in doubt, check with your lecturers. Learning objectives At the end of this unit you will be able to: - understand why you need good note-taking and active listening skills, - work with notes provided by the lecturer, - choose from a number of note-taking formats, - take good notes in a way that suits your particular learning preference(s), - understand that there is more to note-taking than what you do in lectures,
4 - use a systematic approach for effective listening and note-taking i.e. before the lecture, during the lecture, after the lecture, and periodically ). Developing an effective system There is more to successful listening and note-taking than what you do in lectures. This section will outline a series of steps that you can take to enhance your skills under the headings before the lecture, during the lecture, after the lecture, and periodically. 1. Before the lecture - Develop a mind-set geared toward listening. - Read over your notes from the previous lecture while waiting for the next one to begin. - Skim any notes that are available before the lecture (e.g. on Moodle) for key points. - Skim relevant reading assignments to acquaint yourself with main ideas, new technical terms, etc. - Enhance your physical and mental alertness: eat a snack before class, sit in the front and/or centre of the room, and focus your attention on the speaker. - Choose notebooks that will enhance your systematic note-taking: a separate notebook with full-sized pages is recommended for each module. You might wish to mark off the pages into one of the formats suggested later in this handout. - INTEND TO LISTEN. - Be prepared and on time! Paper, pen(s), etc.
5 2. During the lecture - Find a note-taking format that suits you best (see later section on format options). - Listen for the structure and information in the lecture. - Label important points and organisational clues: main points, examples. - WRITE EVERYTHING IN YOUR OWN WORDS. - If you can t catch something, don't let it worry you into inattention! - Leave blank spaces - Subtle details to be filled in later - Additional information on a topic that the lecturer might come back to - Summaries; outstanding questions for reference later - To avoid having to recopy them later! - Use the main ideas that are discussed in class as titles. - Under each main idea note any secondary ideas. - If demonstrations are done in class, make note of them so that you can use them to jog your memory later. - Similarly, always make note of examples to put the knowledge you have gained in a context you will understand later. - Note the titles of theories, laws, and other base elements required in order to understand a chapter. If you have time, write down their definitions. - Write down statistics, references, dates, and proper names. - Use symbols and abbreviations you can create your own, but remember to be consistent. - Resist distractions, emotional reactions or boredom. - Pay attention to the speaker for verbal, postural, and visual clues to what's important.
6 - If your lecturer has an accent you find hard to understand or has mannerisms you find distracting, relax and attend even more carefully to the content of the lecture. - Date and note the module code on all handouts given to you. - If working with loose paper, note the module code, date and number your pages. - Instead of closing your notebook early and getting ready to leave, listen carefully to information given toward the end of class; summary statements may be of particular value in highlighting main points; there may be possible quiz questions, etc. 3. After the lecture - One of the most challenging things about successful note-taking is remembering to review your notes after you have written them. - Take 15-20 minutes - Try to review your notes as soon as possible after the lecture e.g. that evening. - Do your notes make sense? - Do you understand the concepts? - Can you make connections between your notes, your Moodle notes and your readings? - Fill in missing points or misunderstood terms from text or other sources. - Edit your notes, labeling main points, adding recall clues and questions to be answered. Key points in the notes can be highlighted with different colours if this helps. - Make note of your ideas and reflections, keeping them separate from those of the speaker. - Clear up any questions raised by the lecture by asking either the lecturer or classmates. 4. Periodically - Review your notes.
7 - Look for the emergence of themes, main concepts, etc. over the course of several lectures. - Make up and answer possible exam questions. Listen to the tips from a student in the US on note-taking in this video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz-jvsckr1u Note-taking formats 1 Over time you will develop a note-taking format that best suits your personal way of working. In this section you will find examples of five different formats, some of which you might like to try. 1. Two-column strategy For this method divide your page into two columns using the approximate proportions as shown in the diagram. Write your notes from the lecture in the wider right-hand column and add memory cues as you see fit in the left-hand column. Finally, write a summary at the end of your 1 Note: all the diagrams in this section are from Muskingum College www.muskingum.edu, unless otherwise stated.
8 notes. See the examples below. Example 1: Two-column strategy: Archaeology Example 2: Two-column strategy: Science
9 Example 3: Two-column strategy: Mathematics 2. Three-column strategy The three-column format, as exemplified above, is similar to the two-column strategy with the addition of a third column for your reflections, ideas and relevant questions. Example 1: Three-column strategy: Environmental Science
10 3. Outline format I. MOST INCLUSIVE INFORMATION ON A TOPIC (GENERAL) A. More Inclusive 1. Least Inclusive a. least exclusive (1) more exclusive (2) more exclusive (a) most exclusive (specific) 2. Least Inclusive B. More Inclusive 1. Least Inclusive II. MOST INCLUSIVE INFORMATION ON ANOTHER TOPIC (GENERAL) A. More Inclusive 1. Least Inclusive a. least exclusive (1) more exclusive (a) most exclusive (specific) (2) more exclusive Many of us have learned to outline information in our studies. The following is an example of what lecture notes might look like in this format. Example 1: Outline format: Archaeology ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE I. AGRICULTURE COMPARED TO HUNTING-GATHERING A. Advantages of Agriculture 1. More efficient use of land a. agric: 1 sq km supports 50 people b. h-g: 25-30 sq km supports 5-6 people 2. More Stable food source thru year (w/ storage) 3. More free time in non-critical seasons B. Disadvantages of Agriculture 1. Malnourishment a. farmers often deficient in protein 2. Labor intensive in critical seasons 3. High risk if crops/herds fail II. IDENTIFYING DOMESTICATES IN ARCH'L RECORD A. Plants 1. Seeds are bigger in size 2. Seed coats are thicker B. Animals 1. Size changes 2. Finer or thicker fur 3. Different horn shape
11 4. Concept mapping/mind mapping/spider mapping formats For this method you need to reject the idea of an outline, or of paragraphs using sentences. Think in terms of key words or symbols that represent ideas and words. Usually, you write down the most important word or short phrase or symbol in the centre of your page and circle it. Post other important concepts and their words outside this circle linking them with lines and words to clarify their relationships. This map is your personal learning document and you can edit and add to it after the lecture. Some examples are presented hereunder. Example 1: Concept mapping/mind mapping/spider mapping: History Concept Mapping tool download available (free of charge!) from The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) http://cmap.ihmc.us/download This allows you to create concept maps on your computer. Example 3 below has been created using this software.
12 Example 2: Concept mapping/mind mapping/spider mapping: Science Example 3: Concept mapping/mind mapping/spider mapping: Geography Ann Coughlan, 2008
13 5. Hierarchical strategies You could use these formats to arrange information from an inclusive category to more and more exclusive categories. There are various formats in this category including column, network and tree. They are useful for helping you to understand the relationships among related terms or ideas. They are often arranged in a top-down manner; in other words, the main concept is placed at the top of the page and the subdivisions are placed below it. They may also be drawn with the main concept on the left-hand side of the page and the subdivisions to the right of it. Some examples are shown hereunder. Example 1: Network hierarchy: Computer Science
14 Example 2: Tree hierarchy: Sociology Example 3: Tree hierarchy: Biology Which format? Concluding remarks This section has presented a number of different formats that you can use for taking notes in lectures. There is a very large arsenal of approaches at your disposal and only a few have been presented here. There is no best format. You may want to use elements of a few different approaches. Ultimately, you will discover a strategy that best fits your personal needs: this will be the format that enhances and enriches your learning experience.
15 Learning preferences and note-taking strategies Before you read this section you will need to first determine your learning preferences. (See unit, Exploring your learning preferences ). Take the VARK test from that unit to determine whether you have strong preferences for any of the Verbal, Auditory, Read/Write or Kinaesthetic modes of learning. Taking cognisance of the manner in which different learners receive and process information, this section presents note-taking strategies tailored to each of the four styles as mentioned above. All students, regardless of personal learning preferences, may benefit from some of the strategies outlined hereunder. 1. Visual learner: what can you do? - Use the concept-mapping/mind mapping/spider mapping techniques - Convert your lecture notes into picture pages - Recall the pictures made by your pages - Practice turning your visuals back into words 2. Auditory learner: what can you do? - Your notes may be poor because you prefer to listen. You will need to expand your notes by talking with others and collecting notes from the textbook/other notes.
16 - Put your summarised notes onto tapes and listen to them. - Ask others to 'hear' your understanding of a topic. - Read your summarised notes aloud. - Explain your notes to another 'aural' person. 3. Kinaesthetic learner: what can you do? - Your lecture notes may be poor because the topics were not 'concrete' or 'relevant'. - You will remember the "real" things that happened. - Put plenty of examples into your summary. Use case studies and applications to help with principles and abstract concepts. - Talk about your notes with another "K" person. - Use pictures and photographs that illustrate an idea. - Go back to the laboratory or your lab manual. - Recall the experiments, field trip. - Write practice answers and paragraphs. - Role play the exam situation in your own room. 4. Read/write learner: what can you do? - Write out the words again and again. - Read your notes (silently) again and again. - Rewrite the ideas and principles into other words. - Organise any diagrams, graphs... into statements, e.g. "The trend is..." - Turn reactions, actions, diagrams, charts and flows into words. - Imagine your lists arranged in multiple choice questions and distinguish each from each. 5. Multi-modal learner: what can you do? - Use a combination of all of the aforementioned strategies! - Over time you will develop an approach which suits you best.
17 Concluding remarks This handout has described a number of strategies from which you can choose to improve your listening and note-taking skills. Good notetaking skills will help you to pay better attention to a lecture because you will be actively engaged. Remember that there is more to notetaking than what you do in class. The systematic approach outlined in this unit provides a blueprint for action to be taken before, during and immediately after lectures and also at periodic intervals thereafter. Bearing these points in mind and taking into account your learning style and preferred format(s) you can now develop an approach to note-taking which will effectively enhance your learning experience. END OF UNIT: ACTION Consider the points made in this handout. Choose a set of strategies and techniques to develop your own personal system for active listening and effective note-taking in lectures. Record the reasons for your choices in your reflective learning journal. (See unit Reflective learning: keeping a reflective learning journal ). Set aside some time every week to review and reflect upon the links between the meaning you make from your lecture notes and your learning from other activities e.g. your programme readings, handouts, laboratory work, experiments, field work, and other kinds of text readings such as paintings, films, events, etc.