NOTE-TAKING FROM SPEECH
Some ways of Developing Listening
Effectiveness
BEFORE YOU START
1
Complete reading preparation before seminars.
This will help you determine what is core material and what is peripheral. If
you can read briefly about the lecture topic beforehand, you will be able
to take more relevant notes.
Later on, we’ll be looking at a reading technique called SQ3R which stands for: Survey,
Question, Read, Recall, Review. So, if you’re struggling to get all the peripheral reading
completed before the lectures, it can also help just to do the Survey and the Question
parts of this method as preparation for lectures (see page 6). This is because if you go
to your lectures with an overview of what is coming and a list of questions you want
answering, it’ll be easier for you to make sense of and remember what you’ve heard.
So…
2.
… Adopt an enquiring attitude
If you actively think about what the lecturer is saying, and consider
how this material relates to other things you know, you will be
involved and attentive and will recall more of what is being said.
Predict some questions that might arise during seminars. Anticipate
issues.
3. Use Action Columns
Some students divide their page with a larger than usual margin, say 6 cm, in which they
mark significant items. Use arrows in the action column to connect points through the
lecture. If your lecturer is presenting you with arguments and ideas on a topic, your
action column notes may include headings like:
The lecturer's
thesis
These personal comments beside the
notes will help you later.
Supporting
and
conflicting
evidence
Add any personal comment such as a
note to check something you do not
understand or to indicate some
information you could use in an
Sources and
references
cited
assignment.
Questions
raised in the
lecture.
4.
Vary your method according to the purpose and type of lecture
Take the amount of notes which serves your purpose. BUT, if you are uncertain it is
probably safer to take more detailed notes than you may need. As long as taking notes
is an active, thoughtful exercise (rather than a passive, mindless chore), you can hardly
be wrong.
If you'll need the
information for exams
and it will be difficult to
find in such an orderly
fashion elsewhere, you
will need to take fairly
full notes.
General
po int
However, if the material is available fairly
readily, you may be better off actively
listening, only making notes of the main
points or difficult parts of the topic.
If the material is being
provided for background
interest and is not for an
assignment or an exam, you
may only need to take very
spare notes and should
listen as actively as you can.
2
Produced by The University of Hull
DURING THE LECTURE
Listen for oral clues as to what is coming next. Prepare, in advance, to receive
that information.
When you hear :’There are X reasons why’, something, or ‘there are X causes
that explain why’, then get ready to make a list.
When you hear: ‘There are several important differences (or similarities)
between A and B,’ listen for comparisons or contrasts.
Use Abbreviations:
These speed up note-taking. Remember: be consistent and keep them simple.
Q.
What do you use? What can you suggest
suggest as useful abbreviations?
Some examples of abbreviations in notes:
e.g.
For example
wd
Would
N. B.
Note well
c.f.
Compare
=
Equals
viz
Namely
≠
Does not equal
>
Greater than/increasingly
<
Less so
&
And
i.e.
That is
∴
Therefore
c’d
Could
∵
Because
Leads to
∀
For all
§
Section
∃
There exists
R
Real
Ωm
Equilibrium
⊥
Normal
⇒
Implies
∑
Sum of
argum
Argument
±
no.
esp
equatn
Plus or minus
Number
Especially
Equation
.
.
.
3
Produced by The University of Hull
NOTES FROM LECTURES: SOME GENERAL TIPS.
•
Head page with topic, subject, lecturer and date. Number and date sequential
pages for each lecture.
•
Allow a wide margin, and space between sections for writing comments later.
•
Use one side of the paper only.
•
Work out the lecturer's format. How does the lecture begin? Is there a blackboard
plan? Are there diagrams to copy? Does she reiterate points? Does he summarise
at the end? This helps you to structure your notes.
•
Use abbreviations whenever possible. Be consistent to avoid confusion.
•
Write by phrases rather than whole sentences. Do not quote at length - you will
lose the next points.
•
Spend time at the end on detailed diagrams and graphs, rather than miss noting
important issues during the lecture.
•
Revise your notes and underline or highlight key points as soon as possible. This is
very important because it helps to reinforce the information you have gathered in
the lecture.
After the lecture – do something with the notes as soon as possible. Spend 10
mins doing a shorter, neater set
of pattern notes. A day later
spend 2 mins recalling,
draw a pattern from
memory and fill in the
gaps. Do this again a
week and then a
month later. This
process of active
revision systematically
transfers information
from your short term
memory to your long term memory.
You can also compare your notes with someone else’s – fill in any gaps.
4
Produced by The University of Hull
NOTE-TAKING FROM TEXT
Before you start
•
Think about being selective in making notes.
•
Analyse your assignment topic before making notes.
•
Think about your purpose for making notes and the information you specifically
need to record. You are rarely asked to write down all you can think of about a
topic. Usually you are required to show that you can interpret and use
information to answer a specific question.
•
You will save a lot of time if your approach to the question is well-directed from
the start.
To that end there is a reading technique that will help. It is called SQ3R, short for:
Survey, Question, Read, Recall, Review.
Read
Question
Recall
Survey
Review
Reading Skills
5
Produced by The University of Hull
Survey
•
contents
•
index
•
date
•
book format
•
how large is the section that I'm going to read?
•
pictures
•
graphs
•
highlighted text
•
first (or last) line of each paragraph
•
why am I reading this?
•
will it give me the information that I
need in order to do this assignment?
Question
h
•
what do I want to know?
•
is this relevant?
•
what is the main idea of this piece?
•
what evidence ?
•
what proof?
When you’re ready to start reading – then highlight / underline / ‘mark up’ the text
(e.g. use brackets, arrows, etc.).
h
Based on your list of questions and reading the first (or last) line of each paragraph, it
should start to become easier to spot which paragraphs are relevant – with a pencil –
scratch out the ones that aren’t.
r
Problems of highlighting:
highlighting Notes have to be taken for a purpose. If you highlight you
might obscure what is relevant to your specific purpose. Do you note the key points of
an article or just the points that are relevant to your assignment?
6
Produced by The University of Hull
DON'T
MAKE
NOTES
FIRST
READ
AFTER
CHOOSING
WHICH BITS
TO READ
MARK THE
BEGINNING
AND THE
END OF THE
SECTION
Read
a.
IDENTIFY
TOPIC
b.
ASK FOR
PROOF
c.
FIND THE
ANSWER
end
RE-READ
this time you
can take
notes
(if you want)
beginning
•
Close the book
•
Jot down summary points - Preferably in a mindmap
mindmap
•
Write down:
- key words
- its message
- the answer to your questions
Recall
•
Identify any relationships between any facts and ideas
•
If you still have any unanswered questions or problems write
them down so that you can plan your next study
study session
SOME TIME LATER (e.g. 2 days later)
Go through your notes - are they useable?
If they are useable then they’re ready for your assignment
If the notes don't make much sense repeat survey stage
Until you can make your notes usable while keeping in mind
questions like: Is this the appropriate text for my current
needs, both in terms of information and way of conveying that
Review
information? If not, where else can I look / who else can explain
this to me?
7
Produced by The University of Hull
GENERAL TIPS. Here are some practical suggestions on noting from texts:
• Avoid the temptation to take too many, or too detailed notes.
• Beware highlighting as it may not pick out the key features that are
relevant to your assignment, but may pick them all out.
• Only pick out the key,
key relevant points,
points depending on your purpose. Always
ask yourself “How does this information relate to the topic I'm
researching?” Be prepared to stop noting and move on if the information is
not relevant.
•
Choose either index cards or A4 paper. Use one side only.
•
Record full bibliographical details for later use.
•
Leave a margin and good spacing for later comments and highlighting.
•
Use Sub-Headings. Invent a short title for each new note you make. This
aids tracking down and assembling information later.
•
Some students colour-code their notes to show different topic areas.
•
Note chapter and page as you progress through a text.
•
Whenever possible, use your own wording in your notes to reach an
understanding of the reading.
•
If you need to use an exact, short quotation, copy it down accurately.
Distinguish a direct quotation by using inverted commas or writing it in
another colour pen. Its source will need to be properly acknowledged in your
work.
•
Label any photocopied material clearly with topic, date and bibliographic
details as applicable. Store with your other notes.
•
Organise and file your notes under subject and topic headings. This can be
done alphabetically with a filing system, with clearly marked
or coloured folders, or in any way that works well for you.
8
Produced by The University of Hull