Learning outcomes:
- Compare at least two note-taking methods and describe which situations each is best suited for
- Describe strategies for reading articles and textbooks efficiently to locate relevant information
- Apply at least one study technique to a current course and evaluate its effectiveness
Key Takeaways:
- The best note-taking method is the one you will actually use and refer back to; try more than one before deciding
- Writing things down deepens memory retention more than just reading or highlighting alone, even when it feels slower
- Study groups work best when everyone comes prepared and is at a similar level; they are not a substitute for doing the work yourself
- Scanning, skimming, and using the index are legitimate and efficient reading strategies, not shortcuts; use them to find what matters
- Typed and organized notes are easier to search, share, and convert for different needs, including accessibility
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- Why notes are important
- Things you think you might forget
- Things you don't understand and need to look up later
- Writing things down helps put stuff into your memory
- Handwritten vs Typed
- Something to refer back to and can help job memory
- Can help focus, including things like the action of writing something down to help you stay in the moment
- Make connections you didn't see at first
- Things you didn't realize were important at the time but actually are once you know more
- Can be used as prep work for future assignments and classes, such as writing a paper or doing lab work that needs previous knowledge
- Why notes matter
- Ways to take notes
- SketchNotes
- This is a combo of words, doodles and visuals
- This is designed for people that are very visual
- If you enjoy doodling or visually impressive notes this might be for you
- Doodling can improve focus in some people
- Artistic ability not required
- This can also include things like boxes and highlights, colours, and other ways to distinguish high level concepts or headers
- Basic technique is having a header for the page (overall topic), then write/sketch your ideas and what comes to mind as you read/listen
- Try it with something new or an article for a quick way to see if you like it
- Outline Notes
- Can be informal, use indents but doesn't have to have full outline (such as all 1 must have 2)
- Use the format of an outline
- Nest idea to make visualizations easier
- Uses heading and sub headings to organize your thoughts
- Doesn't need to be perfect, this can be a working document and you can make changes later
- You can also do things like take notes and then reorg into an outline to make the knowledge more organized in a way that works for you
- Try it with something new such as an article or video to see if you like this
- Audio Notes
- If you process information better using audio you can do things like record classes (with permissions)
- Take notes and have a computer or friend read it out and record
- Have your textbooks read to you using the computer or a friend (again be careful with permissions and legality)
- Some people also process better when talking so you can record yourself talking through problems (this can be a good use of an AI)
- Use an AI that has voice capabilities as a way to bounce ideas and remember your train of thought
- Effective Note-Taking in Class
- Study groups
- Can be informal or formal
- You can share notes together to see if anything was missed, or important concepts weren't understood
- Explaining a concept to someone else really tests your knowledge
- For some people having a scheduled meeting time can be good for accountability
- You can also talk to others about how they study and see if you want to change your study habits
- See what other people find important and relevant to see if you missed anything or you like the way they take notes
- It can be a way to feel less alone and less isolated
- Sometimes it can feel like you're the only one that doesn't get it even though you probably aren't
- Be careful when picking your group so that everyone is a good match and no one is too ahead or behind ( you don't want to spend the whole time explaining to everyone, or be the one that understands nothing the rest of the group is discussing)
- How to read articles/books quickly
- Scanning for keywords or concepts
- Look at the first sentence of a paragraph as that is usually what the paragraph is about
- Make use of table of contents/index/Ctrl-F to find the part you need
- For articles look at the abstract to see if it's relevant and potentially save yourself some time
- Figure out what you need to know and already know and focus your reading on the part you need
- You can skim articles and books to find information or decide if it's relevant before reading thorough for comprehension
- Libguide how to read articles and books quickly
- Accessibility in notes
- If you need to share with others it's important to make sure you have good notes
- Typing vs hand writing can be a difference in how easy they are to understand
- Short hand unique to you can be hard for others to understand
- Having digital notes can be easier to convert for other people (Such as having them read out loud by a computer or person)
- AI can be a help with accessibility because it can do things like transcripts of recordings or summarize things for you, (WARNING AI is not always right)
- Think about other ways to visualize info such as flowcharts or infographics
- Notetaking software suggestions
- Obsidian
- Free to use with a paid option to sync and backup
- You can make your additions
- Can be tough to learn
- How to use Obsidian Notes: a step-by-step guide
- Goodnotes ($)
- Costs money, but very popular for notes so there are lots of tutorials out there
- Has lots of colour coding and design options
- Comprehensive Guide to Using Goodnotes Classroom
- Notion ($)
- Minimal design, and there is a free version with limited features
- Lots of documentation and tutorials
- Notion guides
- OneNote
- Almost everyone has free access
- Can be setup to make drawings/doodles or outlines
- Lots of tutorials
- OneNote 101: Getting Started with the Basics
- Offbeat suggestions
- Body Doubling
- Literally just working near another person or on the phone with another person
- Doesn't need to be someone in your class/major/school
- Used as a way to keep yourself focused
- Body Doubling: It's Not Just for ADHD
- Check-ins for accountability
- Doesn't need to be someone in your class/major/school
- Check-ins can be as frequent or infrequent as you want
- Listen to or watch things related to the topic in other situations such as driving, riding public transit or even as you go to sleep
- Activity: Try this out! Pick 2 YouTube videos, podcasts or articles on something you enjoy. Try 2 of the note taking methods, and go through the video/podcast/article and try to capture the main points for later reference. Answer the following questions. This should take about 30–45 minutes.
- Which note taking method did you enjoy more?
- Which made more sense to you?
- Which gave notes you think you might refer to later?
- If you had to share the notes with someone which one would you prefer to share?
- Activity: Listen to This Podcast That was created using AI from these materials. Transcript for the Podcast What are your thoughts? Did the AI do a good job representing the materials? Did you find any mistakes? This should take about 20–25 minutes.
- Activity: Go through This AI generated study guide, what do you think? Did it capture the week materials well? How did you do on the self quiz? Do you know all the vocab used?
- Activity: Go through this AI-generated key terms list for this module. How many of the terms did you already know? Were there any definitions you would update or expand based on the lecture notes? Did the AI miss any important terms? This should take about 10–15 minutes.
- Activity: Pair up, each person will pick a topic they find interesting with the goal of teaching someone else about it. Take 5-10 minutes to create some notes on the topic in one of the suggested formats such as outline, sketchnotes, or using flowcharts. Partner A uses their visual sketch notes/flowchart to explain the concept to Partner B, then switch. After you're done each person should evaluate the notes for their partner and ask questions and give feedback on what makes sense and what doesn't. Questions can be asked on the topic to identify where notes could be more detailed. This should take about 45–60 minutes.
- Activity: Try one of the note taking styles for a topic you really enjoy and see what you think. This could be anything from a TV show or movie, to a card game, Twitch Stream or even Video game lore. Pick a topic you enjoy and try each note taking method for at least 30 minutes so you can see what you think. After, go back nd review your notes and see if they are useful and you would refer back to them. If you wouldn't, why not? What is missing? What worked? What didn't? This should take about 30–60 minutes.
- Activity: Try each of the study methods. Go through any of them that sound appealing to you and try them out for at least 1 day. Then review your day, what worked? What didn't? Were you more productive? Why or why not? This should take about 1–2 hours over several days.
- Activity: Choose an AI tool of your choice such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude. Pick a topic you are currently studying in any class and ask the AI to generate a 5-question quiz on that topic. Take the quiz from memory, then check your answers using your actual notes or materials. Answer the following: How accurate were the quiz questions? Did any contain errors or miss the point of the material? How did you do? Where did your notes help you and where were they not enough? Does this change how you think about the notes you keep? This should take about 5–10 minutes.
- Activity: Choose an AI tool of your choice such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude. Ask it to explain two different note-taking methods, for example Sketchnotes and the Zettelkasten method, and compare its descriptions to what is covered in the course materials. Answer the following: Did the AI describe each method accurately? Did it miss anything important or add something not covered? Would you use the AI's description to explain these methods to a classmate? This should take about 5–10 minutes.
- Activity: Create a study plan for an upcoming exam or major assignment you have in the next 2–3 weeks. Identify which topics or sections you are most and least confident about. Decide how you will review and organize your notes, whether you will use a study group or body doubling, and which study method from this module suits this specific material. After the exam or submission, reflect: Did the plan help you feel more prepared? What worked and what would you adjust next time? This should take about 20–30 minutes to create; results visible after the exam or submission.
- Discussion: Think about how you actually take notes now compared to how you were taught to take notes in school. Are they the same method, or have you drifted into something different? If you changed, what drove that shift: a class, a teacher, frustration, or just trial and error? What do you think makes a note-taking approach actually stick for you versus one that sounds useful in theory but doesn't survive contact with real material under real time pressure?
- Discussion: Study habits and approaches to learning vary significantly across cultures, educational systems, and generations. Some students come from environments that emphasized memorization and repetition; others prioritized open discussion, self-directed exploration, or collaborative problem-solving. How has your educational background shaped how you currently study? What habits have you kept from earlier schooling, and what have you had to unlearn or adjust when moving into a new academic environment?
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