2. The Notetaking Process
Notetaking:
involves condensing or reducing large
amounts of information into more
manageable units.
requires you to think carefully about
information, break it down, analyze it, and
select what is important to learn.
is a multisensory process that uses visual,
kinesthetic, and auditory encoding.
3. The Importance of Notetaking
Taking notes combats memory fading and
interference.
Effective notes back up and reinforce memory.
Research shows a high correlation between the
quality of notes and test performance and grades.
Studying from effective notes is more time
efficient than rereading chapters multiple times.
Well-developed notes provide you with effective
study tools to rehearse and review.
Using effective notetaking strategies saves you
study time.
4. Essential Strategies for
Textbook Note-taking
Understanding what you
read before taking notes.
Be selective by capturing
only main ideas and
supporting details so your
notes are a condensed
version of printed materials.
Paraphrase or reword.
Include textbook reminders
in your notes to review
specific sections or charts
in the textbook.
Label your notes.
Use spaced practice to
make several contacts
with your notes over
different time periods.
Use feedback strategies,
such as reciting,
visualizing, or Look-Away
Techniques.
Review your notes
immediately and on an
ongoing basis.
6. Annotation
Annotating: the process of highlighting, underlining,
making marginal notes, or marking specific information
in printed materials.
Annotating:
is an active learning process.
holds information longer in working memory.
reduces the risk of information fading.
incorporates the Twelve Principles of Memory.
7. Essential Strategies for Annotating
Highlight the complete topic
sentence (the main idea
sentence).
Selectively highlight key
words, phrases, or details
that support the topic
sentence.
Circle terminology and
highlight key words in the
definitions.
Enumerate steps or lists of
information by adding
ordinals.
Make brief marginal notes to
emphasize important points
or integrate information:
-list of key ideas
-study questions
-vocabulary terms
-definitions
-comments/questions
-brackets
-abbreviations
8. Essential Strategies to Study
Annotations
Reread out loud only the
annotations; it will sound
fragmented.
Verbally string the ideas
together by adding your
own words to connect
ideas.
Recite without looking.
Write summaries to
reinforce learning.
Use spaced practice,
immediate and ongoing
review.
Use previously discussed
strategies:
-Understand first.
-Be selective.
-Paraphrase for marginal
notes.
-Add reminders.
-Use feedback.
9. The Cornell Note-taking System
Learning Objective:
Discuss and apply the five steps of the
Cornell system for taking notes.
10. The Cornell Note-taking System
Record Take notes in the right column.
Reduce Condense notes in the left column,
the 2 ½” wide recall column.
Recite Explain information in the recall call;
talk out loud and in complete
sentences. Check accuracy.
Reflect Use a variety of strategies to work
with the information in new ways.
Review Use immediate and ongoing review.
12. Tips for Recording Notes
Introductions: Create and underline a heading for
the information; then list and number key points.
Headings and Subheadings: Copy and underline
headings and subheadings in your notes. Number
key points under each heading or subheading.
New Headings: Add new headings if you want to
reorganize or insert more helpful headings.
Marginal Notes: Take notes on any important
marginal notes in the textbook
13. Tips for Recording Notes
Double Spacing: Double space before beginning a new
heading; this chunks or groups information into meaningful
units.
Sufficient Information: Avoid being too brief; record
sufficient details to support main ideas.
Meaningful Phrases or Sentences: Check that phrases or
shortened sentences are clear and will not lose meaning at a
later time.
Annotations: Use your annotations to guide you in deciding
what information to place in your notes.
14. Tips for Recording Notes
Number Details: Number details under headings to
create a stronger impression and organize information
into meaningful units.
Minor Details: Indent or use dashes to show minor
details under main supporting details.
Graphs and Charts: Copy smaller graphs or charts into
your notes, or summarize conclusions about the graphs.
Include textbook page numbers for reference.
Summary: Write a summary or a conclusion at the end of
your notes.
16. Tips to Create the Recall Column
Copy Headings: Place headings from the right column
directly across into the left column; then underline the
headings to add structure to your notes.
Reread Your Notes: Reread notes. Add more notes if your
notes are too vague or limited.
Add Study Questions: Write brief, abbreviated study
questions across from the information in your notes.
Add Key Words to Define: Write only the term to define,
but do not write the definition.
Do Not Write Too Much: Do not include answers or you will
only read with little to recite in the next step.
17. Explain information in
the recall column by
using complete
sentences.
Use feedback.
Pull the paper down
to check your
accuracy.
Adjust the recall
column if you need
more cue words for
reciting.
18. Cornell: Reflect Step
Think and ponder. Take
time to think about the
topic, relationships, and
importance of the
information.
Line up your recall
columns to see an
informal outline and
overview of the chapter
and your notes.
Write a summary at the
bottom of your notes.
Write on the back side of
your notes. Make lists of
information, write study
questions, add diagrams, or
jot down questions for class.
Make study tools such as
index cards, visual mapping,
charts, or mnemonics.
20. Theories of Forgetting
Describe each of the following forgetting
theories:
Decay Theory
Displacement Theory
Incomplete Encoding
Interference Theory
Retrieval Failure Theory
21. Forgetting and Memory
In the Decay Theory, why does forgetting occur?
What strategies can prevent the decay process?
What is the relationship between the Displacement
Theory and the theory of overloading working memory?
How do retroactive and proactive interference differ?
What strategies combat the effects of the Incomplete
Encoding Theory?
Why does retrieval failure occur?
What does Ebbinghaus’s Curve of Forgetting show?
When does the greatest initial drop in memory occur?
22. Two- and Three-Column Note-taking
Systems
Learning Objective:
Discuss and apply effective strategies for creating two- and
three-column notes.
23. The Two-Column Note-taking
System
Step 1: Write the topics,
vocabulary terms, questions,
or math problems in the left
column.
Step 2: Write any
explanations, details, or
definitions in the right column.
Topic
Voc. Term
Study
Question
Formula
1.
2.
3.
Definition
Answer
Example
24. The Two-Column Notetaking
System
Simplified Cornell format
Effective for textbook and lecture notes
Effective for factual information,
discussions, and math processes
Width of columns can be adjusted to match
the notetaking situation
25. Tips for Creating Two-Column
Notes
Be Selective: Only include important
information.
Use the Read-Record-Recite Cycle: Read
one paragraph, pause, take notes, and then
recite.
Write Items in the Left Column: The kinds
of items will vary depending on the textbook or
lecture content.
Space Your Notes: Leave a space between
each new group of items.
26. Tips for Creating Two-Column
Notes
Sketch Diagrams or Charts: Sketch in the
left column and explain or summarize in the right
column.
Practice Your Notes: Cover your right
column. Recite. Uncover to check your accuracy.
Highlight Difficult Sections of Your
Notes: Highlighting signals sections to practice
further.
Use Immediate and Ongoing Review.
27. Three-Column Notes
Write the topics in the
left column.
Identify labels or
categories of
information in the
middle and the last
column.
Work with all three
columns: cover a
column, recite, and
then check your
Topic
Topic
Problem
Problem
Source 1
Definition
Rework
Steps
Source 2
Example
Solution
Example
28. Ways to Use Three-Column
Notes
Use to take notes for comparative reading.
Use to define and expand or show
applications for vocabulary terms.
Use to write math problems, provide a
column to rework problems, and a column
with the steps to solve the problem.
Use to compile textbook and lecture notes.
29. The Outline Note-taking System
Learning Objective:
Discuss and apply effective strategies for
taking informal outline notes.
31. The Informal Outline
Note-taking System
Outlines provide a skeleton or overview of the
chapter’s structure and sequence of topics.
Modify the formal outlining rules for lower-level
information by using bullets or dashes for minor
details instead of numerals or letters, such as 1),
a), b), 2), a), b), c), and d).
32. You can create outline notes:
before reading to get an
overview of the chapter
during the reading process to
organize notes of key points
after reading a chapter to
create a new kind of study tool.
33. How to Study from Outline
Notes
Read and explain line by line.
Recite what you know about the topic.
Speak in complete sentences.
Integrate and link ideas and show relationships.
Check your accuracy or completeness of
information you recite.
Add clue words to the right of the lines or items to
guide your reciting the next time you review your
notes.
34. Repeat the process of reciting
from the outline.
Use the outline to write a
summary.
35. Discussion Questions
Why are note-taking skills essential skills for students to
master?
Which Principles of Memory are activated when you
create and study from textbook notes?
What strategies are effective for annotating or marking
your textbooks?
How should you study from highlighting?
36. What are the Five R’s of Cornell?
Can a reflect process or step be used in all
note-taking systems? Why or why not?
Which notetaking system do you prefer?
Why?
38. Discussion Topics
1. Regardless of how many years it has been
since you were in high school, did your high
school experience prepare you for the demands
of college academics? Did you learn strategies
to read and understand difficult textbooks? Did
you learn effective notetaking systems and
strategies to study your notes? Explain with
details.
39. 2. How will you use the five different
note-taking systems to take notes
from your textbooks? Are the five
notetaking systems you learned in this
chapter similar to or different from
what you previously used to take
textbook notes?
40. Discussion Topics
3. Taking notes engages the reader in the learning process,
but the process of taking notes is not enough to boost
memory and learn the information in the notes. Why is
studying your notes so important? What strategies can you
use to gain the most benefits from your notes?
41. 4. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of copying or using someone
else’s notes to study?
After handwriting textbook notes on paper, is
rewriting your notes by typing them on a
computer beneficial or a waste of time?
Explain your reasoning.
