Note Taking/Making
Note taking (or notetaking) is the practice of writing down
pieces of information in a systematic way.
• There are two main reasons why note-taking is important:
• When you are reading or listening, taking notes helps you
concentrate. In order to take notes - to write something
sensible - you must understand the text. As listening and
reading are interactive tasks, taking notes help you make
sense of the text. Taking notes does not mean writing down
every word you hear; you need to actively decide what is
important and how is related to what you have already
written.
• Notes help you to maintain a permanent record of what you
have read or listened to. This is useful when revising in the
future for examinations or other reasons.
• Good notes should be accurate, clear and concise. They
should show the organization of the text, and this should
show the relationship between the ideas.
What is Note Making?
• Note-making is an advanced
process that involves
reviewing, synthesizing,
connecting ideas from the
lecture or reading and
presenting the information in a
readable, creative way that will
stick in your mind” (Neville,
2006).
Note-taking Note-Making
Writing down most of what you hear or Forces you to think because you have to
read without actually processing the make decisions about what to write
information
Notes usually being copied from the Helps you to pay attention to what you
original source and re-written in a similar are reading, or listening to
format
Notes being taken that are often Note-making is a more intellectual task
unselective, trying to cover most or all of than note-taking as it involves selecting,
the information without highlighting the analyzing and summarizing what you
main points or issues. Taking notes can hear or read. It also involves being able
be useful for study, but it is a passive to strike balance between
approach to study and learning this listening/reading actively and making a
starkly contrasts with the more active record of it. Note-making is, therefore,
approach known as note-making. an active approach to studying
Three stages of note making
Note making doesn’t only happen when you are reading or attending
lectures. There are three stages to making effective notes: before,
during, and after.
• Before: Prepare by finding out what you need to know and what the
purpose of the reading or lecture is.
• During: Note down main ideas and keywords. Find techniques that
work for you.
• After: Reflect and review and then organize your notes.
What your notes should contain
All good notes should contain:
• source information (title, author, date etc.)
• headings to help you identify the key topics
• key points, examples, names, new ideas
• triggers to make your notes more memorable – such as mnemonics,
colour or drawings
• further reading and ideas to follow up later.
The Five Rs of Note-Taking
Methods of Note Taking
Cornell Method:
When taking notes using this method, you
divide your paper into two columns: the
narrower left column (called the "cue"
column) contains keywords, important
terminology, or major concepts, and the wider
right column (called the "outline" column)
contains notes or descriptions associated with
those terms. At the bottom of the page, you
should also include a summary section, in
which you restate the main ideas of the lesson
in your own words.
Outline Method
The outline method uses numbers,
letters, or even Roman numerals
to identify and classify
information based on levels of
importance.
The most important pieces of
information are categorized as
headings, and then supporting or
less significant information is
listed beneath that particular
heading in order of importance or
relationship.
Charting Method
• This method involves using a table to
make your notes. You can have
separate columns for main points,
questions, details etc. This method
pretty much involves you classifying
your information so you can easily
access it.
Sentence Method.
This method emphasizes writing down
complete sentences during a lecture, so that
you are retaining the specific terminology or
wording used by your professor. If the
information is very specific or specialized,
writing down individual sentences can be
helpful.
Mind-Mapping Method
• Visually representing information -
by using bubbles, lines, boxes, or
other visual markers to represent
relationships, sequence, and
importance - can also be an effective
note-taking tool.
Note taking tips
• Always use your own words – translating points into your own words
helps with information retention and understanding.
• Use white space to your advantage by separating major points or
emphasizing sections.
• Don’t try and use as little space as possible – spread out, even if you
only have one main point per page.
• Develop your own type of shorthand to abbreviate your
word/sentences. An example of this will be writing MB instead of
Māori Business.
• It can also be a good idea to maintain a glossary as part of your note
taking for words that are important, or words you don’t understand and
intend to look up.
Digital Note Taking/ Making
• Taking or making notes on digital platform like computer or smart phones is
called digital note taking/making.
• Digital platform can be a powerful tool to help you organize study notes and
documents.
• Digital note-taking has several advantages:
• Flexible: You can add notes directly to PDFs and other file types.
• Organized: Software can organize and index your study material automatically.
• Searchable: You can search for keywords across all your notes in seconds.
• Secure: You can back up notes remotely.
• Collaborative: You can share notes between people without losing access
yourself
HOW?
• Regardless of which programme you use,
you still need to be active in taking notes.
You need to prioritize the right information,
and have a system for editing, condensing,
reworking, and connecting notes.
• The right software is important, but
the right approach is more important.
• The programme or app you choose should
be organized, adaptable, reliable, and easy
to use.
Finding the right software
• Before you select a note-taking programme, ask the following
questions:
• What kind of material will you use?
• How many files will you use?
• Where will you study?
• Will you be collaborating?
The best note-taking apps
• Evernote for taking all kinds of notes
• Microsoft OneNote for a free option
• Apple Notes for Mac users
• Google Keep for Google power users
• Notion for teams
• Boostnote for developers
• Milanote for designers and visual thinkers
• Simplenote for distraction-free note taking
• Standard Notes for secure, encrypted note takin
Tips for Effective Digital Note Taking
[Link] a Note-Taking Tool
• There are many different digital note-taking tools available,
but Evernote, Google Docs and Microsoft One Note are three of the
most popular for students. All are available for iOS, Android and PC
users, and they also offer free subscription options. Each tool allows
you to choose from several note-taking templates, or you can opt to
create your own.
[Link] Distractions
• Avoiding distractions from email, social media or text message
notifications. Not only do these interruptions affect your productivity,
they also decrease the quality of learning.
3. Choose a Method
• Everyone learns differently, so it is important to choose a note-taking
method that compliments your individual learning style.
4. Incorporate Color and Pictures
• With digital note-taking, it is much easier to include multimedia in
your notes – simply copy and paste an image from a PowerPoint or a
website into your digital notepad.
• You can also use color to your advantage by color coding different
subjects and headers.
