Which note-taking method is not recommended as it focuses on capturing as much of what the instructor says as possible?

by Becton Loveless

Effective note taking is one of the keys to succeeding in school. Students should devote a considerable amount of time reviewing information discussed during classroom lectures. It is very difficult to remember specific details–event major concepts–from classroom lectures without good notes.

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Make clear and accurate notes
Come to class prepared
Compare your notes
Minimize distractions
Organize your notes
Use abbreviations and symbols
Write clearly
Review your notes
Write down questions
Avoid Digital Notes
Overlook the PowerPoints
Note Taking Methods

These note taking strategies will help you to take better notes:

Make clear and accurate notes

Make sure to take legible and accurate notes since it is not uncommon to forget key details discussed during class after it has ended. Frequently, students comprehend the teacher's lecture and think they'll remember everything, so they neglect to jot down specific details only to find later that they can't recall what it was they needed to remember. Students who keep accurate notes can review them later to review key points, recall necessary detail, solidify knowledge and study up on concepts they didn't fully comprehend during the lecture. Additionally, since teachers frequently cover many topics during the course of their lectures, effective notes enable students to concentrate on specific topics that are most relevant.

Come to class prepared

Students properly prepared for class usually take better notes than those who come unprepared. Proper preparation includes completing assigned reading prior to class and reviewing notes from previous lectures. Students who review their notes from previous lectures (1) will have a better context for learning new topics presented in the next lecture and (2) can ask questions about confusing concepts they didn't quite understand from the previous lecture.

Compare your notes

To ensure your notes are as accurate and detailed as possible, compare them with the notes of other students after class is over. This is useful because your colleagues will frequently write down lecture details that you forgot or missed. This strategy will make classroom notes more thorough and precise.

Minimize distractions

Effective note takers avoid classroom distractions. This can include sitting in spots with fewer distractions and not signing up for classes with friends that you might want to talk with during lectures. Some students will even sit in spots where it is difficult to constantly glance at the clock.

Organize your notes

Notes organized by date, class, and subject make it easier to locate specific lecture details. It is also a good idea to keep information from different dates and classes separated or to begin each class with a new piece of paper. A good format for organizing your notes is the Cornell System for Taking Notes.

Use abbreviations and symbols

Since teachers usually cover a lot of information during each lecture, it can be hard to write down everything important they say. This is why we recommend using symbols and that you abbreviate long words and use short phrases in your notes when possible. Many students use the following symbols and abbreviations while taking notes: & (and), w/o (without), eg (for example), ie (that is). When utilizing abbreviations, create a key of your most commonly used abbreviations, so you will not forget what they are.

Write clearly

The most copious notes will be of no benefit if you can't read them. This is why it is important to use good penmanship when taking notes. It is also recommended that you leave space in margins and near key concepts in your notepad, so you can add important details relating to previous lecture topics that are addressed during future lectures.

Review your notes

In order to retain information discussed during lectures, it is best to review notes immediately after class. This will help you better understand the lecture, your notes, and it will enable you to focus on what you just learned for long-term retention. You should review your notes a second time just before your next lecture. This will help refresh in your mind important topics and concepts, and prepare you for the next lecture. You should continue to review your notes on a regular basis between your lectures and your exams.

Write down questions

No matter how intelligent a student is, from time to time they're bound to get confused and end up having questions unanswered by the lecture. For this reason, it is a good idea to write down questions to ask after class, or during subsequent lectures. You can also answer your own questions through a web search, a tutor, another student or by using reference books–but only if you wrote down your questions in enough detail during the lecture.

If you want to increase the effectiveness of your studying and performance on exams, it's imperative to learn how to take good notes. Effective note taking is a key element of the formula for success for successful students.

Avoid Digital Notes

The world has become increasingly digital, and it’s become ever more common for students to take notes using their tablets and laptops. However, research shows that taking notes on these devices, instead of by hand, actually reduces how much a student remembers. According to researchers Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer, people often try and take verbatim notes on their devices, while they often abbreviate their notes when taking them by hand. Students have to be more selective about the notes they take when taking them by hand, so they are more actively engaged in the lecture. This means that students often remember their hand-written notes better than they do their digital ones. Students should consider dropping the digital devices in favor of taking notes using old fashioned pen and paper.

Overlook the PowerPoints

If your instructor has PowerPoint displays on the screen that are heavily text based, you may want to avert your eyes. Human beings only have so much working memory. They can only devote so much of that memory to both listening and seeing the world simultaneously. If you’re sitting in on a class and your lecturer is basically saying the same thing as what’s on the PowerPoint slide, then just don’t look at the PowerPoint. Students who try to listen and read identical content at the same time actually end up remembering less because they strain themselves trying to process identical audio and visual information at the same time. Researchers Adesope and Nesbit referred to this as the “redundancy effect,” when text and speech are identical. The number of mental processes going through a student’s mind is known as cognitive load, and that load gets too heavy when identical information is presented in both visual and audio forms. This leads to poorer learning.

The problem is made worse when students try to write down PowerPoint notes verbatim. Much like with taking digital notes, this reduces the amount of effort they can devote to engaging with the lecture that they’re listening to. To optimize note taking, students should focus on the words being spoken, be selective in what notes they’re taking, and record those notes in physical form. This approach is likely to lead to better memorization and learning over time.

Note Taking Methods

Over time, various methods of taking notes have been developed. These systems were designed to help students take effective notes without too much trouble. After learning the method, students can more effectively follow along in class and take notes as they go. These approaches are designed to reduce the time and attention students need to devote to taking effective notes, leaving them able to focus on the lecture.

Take, for instance, the outline method. The outline method reduces the time that students need to devote to writing out notes by simplifying notes into single sentences divided into subheadings. The top heading includes the main topic, the second heading is the sub topic, and the third heading includes a supporting fact. So, students might write “World War II” as the main heading, “America entered the war because of Japan” as the subtopic, and “Japan bombed Pearl Harbor” as the supporting fact. Simply by limiting the number of notes taken to core ideas, students can devote more time to listening. Because this approach limits how much information is captured, it may not be suitable for information dense discussions, such as science or mathematics lectures.

Another method that can help is the charting method. The charting method involves creating what amounts to a spreadsheet. The first column of the spreadsheet contains the topics being covered, and each subsequent column includes more detailed information about the topic. This spreadsheet approach is best suited for documenting a heavy amount of information, so it’s best when there is going to be a lot of information that needs to be remembered. However, because it is supposed to be used to capture a lot of information, it’s not well suited for use during lectures. It draws too much attention away from listening. However, it’s ideally suited for independent study, when students are taking notes on their own time.

The Cornell method provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes without laborious recopying. After writing the notes in the main space, use the left-hand space to label each idea and detail with a key word or "cue."

Method: Rule your paper with a 2 _ inch margin on the left leaving a six-inch area on the right in which to make notes. During class, take down information in the six-inch area. When the instructor moves to a new point, skip a few lines. After class, complete phrases and sentences as much as possible. For every significant bit of information, write a cue in the left margin. To review, cover your notes with a card, leaving the cues exposed. Say the cue out loud, then say as much as you can of the material underneath the card. When you have said as much as you can, move the card and see if what you said matches what is written. If you can say it, you know it.

Advantages: Organized and systematic for recording and reviewing notes. Easy format for pulling outmajor concept and ideas. Simple and efficient. Saves time and effort. "Do-it-right-in-the-first-place system."

Disadvantages: None

When to Use: In any lecture situation.

Dash or indented outlining is usually best except for some science classes such as physics or math.

The information which is most general begins at the left with each more specific group of facts indented with spaces to the right.
The relationships between the different parts are carried out through indenting.
No numbers, letters, or Roman numerals are needed.

Method: Listening and then write in points in an organized pattern based on space indention. Place major points farthest to the left. Indent each more specific point to the right. Levels of importance will be indicated by distance away from the major point. Indention can be as simple as or as complex as labeling the indentions with Roman numerals or decimals. Markings are not necessary as space relationships will indicate the major/minor points.
Advantages: Well-organized system if done right. Outlining records content as well as relationships. It also reduces editing and is easy to review by turning main points into questions.
Disadvantages: Requires more thought in class for accurate organization. This system may not show relationships by sequence when needed. It doesn’t lend to diversity of a review attach for maximum learning and question application. This system cannot be used if the lecture is too fast.
When to Use: The outline format can be used if the lecture is presented in outline organization. This may be either deductive (regular outline) or inductive (reverse outline where minor points start building to a major point). Use this format when there is enough time in the lecture to think about and make organization decisions when they are needed. This format can be most effective when your note-taking skills are super and sharp and you can handle the outlining regardless of the note-taking situation.

Mapping is a method that uses comprehension/concentration skills and evolves in a note-taking form which relates each fact or idea to every other fact or idea. Mapping is a graphic representation of the content of a lecture. It is a method that maximizes active participation, affords immediate knowledge as to its understanding, and emphasizes critical thinking.

Advantages: This format helps you to visually track your lecture regardless of conditions. Little thinking is needed and relationships can easily be seen. It is also easy to edit your notes by adding numbers, marks, and color coding. Review will call for you to restructure thought processes which will force you to check understanding. Review by covering lines for memory drill and relationships. Main points can be written on flash or note cards and pieced together into a table or larger structure at a later date.
Disadvantages: You may not hear changes in content from major points to facts.
When to Use: Use when the lecture content is heavy and well-organized. May also be used effectively when you have a guest lecturer and have no idea how the lecture is going to be presented.

If the lecture format is distinct (such as chronological), you may set up your paper by drawing columns and labeling appropriate headings in a table.

Method: Determine the categories to be covered in lecture. Set up your paper in advance by columns headed by these categories. As you listen to the lecture, record information (words, phrases, main ideas, etc.) into the appropriate category.
Advantages: Helps you track conversation and dialogues where you would normally be confused and lose out on relevant content. Reduces amount of writing necessary. Provides easy review mechanism for both memorization of facts and study of comparisons and relationships.
Disadvantages: Few disadvantages except learning how to use the system and locating the appropriate categories. You must be able to understand what’s happening in the lecture.
When to Use: Test will focus on both facts and relationships. Contents is heavy and presented fast. You want to reduce the amount of time you spend editing and reviewing at test time. You want to get an overview of the whole course on one big paper sequence.

Method: Write every new thought, fact or topic on a separate line, numbering as you progress.
Advantages: Slightly more organized than the paragraph. Gets more or all of the information. Thinking to tract content is still limited.
Disadvantages: Can’t determine major/minor points from the numbered sequence. Difficult to edit without having to rewrite by clustering points which are related. Difficult to review unless editing cleans up relationship.
When to Use: Use when the lecture is somewhat organized, but heavy with content which comes fast. You can hear the different points, but you don’t know how they fit together. The instructor tends to present in point fashion, but not in grouping such as “three related points.”

Example 1: A revolution is any occurrence that affects other aspects of life, such as economic life, social life, and so forth. Therefore revolutions cause change. (see page 29 to 30 in your text about this.)

Sample Notes: Revolution – occurrence that affects other aspects of life: e.g., econ., socl. Etc. C.f. text, pp. 29-30

Example 2: At first, Freud tried conventional, physical methods of treatment such as giving baths, massages, rest cures, and similar aids. But when these failed he tried techniques of hypnosis that he had seen used by Jean-Martin Charcot. Finally, he borrowed an idea from Jean Breuer and used direct verbal communication to get an unhypnotized patient to reveal unconscious thoughts.

Sample Notes: Freud 1st– used phys. trtment; e.g., baths, etc. This fld. 2nd – used hypnosis (fr. Charcot). Finally – used vrb. commun. (fr. Breuer) – got unhpynop, patnt to reveal uncons. thoughts.

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