STUDENT ORIENTATION 2012
Introduction to reading and
note-taking
Sara Steinke
Aims of the session
• Recognise the common pitfalls associated with
reading and note-taking at university
• Look at key reading skills to help you read
more efficiently and effectively for your
studies
• Introduce key note-taking skills to help you
take notes more efficiently and effectively for
your studies
Which of these pitfalls apply to
you?
I try to take down everything
that is said/on the PowerPoint
presentation in lectures.
I am uncertain about how
many notes to take, and what
to make notes on.
I do not take time to organise
my notes so that I can retrieve
them later on.
I only know one way for
note-taking.
I read the words on the page
but am not taking them in.
I spend too much or too little
time on the reading.
I have difficulty expressing
what I have read in my own
words.
I simply do not understand the
material.
I find the language used too
complicated.
Academic Vs Non-academic Reading
In academic reading
the reader is:
• Active
• Selective and interacts
with the reading material
• Has a particular question
in his/her mind
• Re-reads with a purpose
In non-academic
reading the reader tends
to :
• Be passive
• Read from page one till
the end
• Be guided by the author
through his/her narrative
How to take linear notes
• Make headings and
subheadings
• List key words
• Number the points
• Underline, colour, use
capital letters for emphasis
• Use abbreviations
• Add your own personal
thoughts later
• Only use one side of a page
in case you want to add
more
• Note name of authors you
want/need to read in
margin
How to mind map
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Turn the paper sideways, A3 landscape is best
Write the topic in the centre of the page
Write related ideas around this centre
Add secondary ideas to the main ideas
Link up these ideas to show relationships
Use colours, different line thickness, symbols, pictures etc.
Add details to points as you go along
Mind mapping
Advantages
• It is quicker to write/read
• It gives you an excellent overview
• It forces you to be brief
• The relationship between ideas
becomes obvious
• You can add more details around the
map at a later stage
• It is visual, much more easily
remembered than linear notes
Disadvantages
• This type of notes is more difficult to
make when you are new to the
subject
• You may need to make a map of a
map soon after reading or the lecture
to do some tidying up
• Making radial or concept notes takes
some practice before you can do
them easily and efficiency
Linear notes
Advantages
• If an article or lecture is well
structured, your notes will be well
structured too
• It is the easiest method when you
don’t know anything, or very little,
about the subject
Disadvantages
• Your notes are probably too wordy
and messy
• Linear notes do not give you a good
overview.
Think about the following
1.
Write down the three most important
aspects of reading and note-taking for
learning that you have learnt/thought
about in this session? Why were they
important to you?
2.
Are there any areas for improvement in
your reading and note-taking skills that
you need to take action on? If so, what are
you doing to do to improve this aspect of
your learning?
Recap of the session
• Identified key common pitfalls associated with
reading and note-taking at university – which
apply to you?
• Outlined key reading skills to help you read
more efficiently and effectively – SQ3R
• Considered key note-taking skills to help you
take notes more efficiently and effectively –
linear notes and mind mapping
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/
services/facilitiessupport/reading
online resources available on
the Birkbeck Library website
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/get
head-stay-ahead/skills/notetaking
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/get
ahead-stay ahead/skills/reading
interactive tutorials supporting this
Student Orientation programme
Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study
Skills Handbook, 3rd Edition,
Macmillan, London Chapter 6
‘Research skills’ pp.111-136
Northedge, A. (2005) The Good
Study Guide (Milton Keynes,
Open University Press) chapter
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/
5 ‘Reading’ pp.101-128 and
studyskills/learning/reading.asp
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/ chapter 6 ‘Making notes’
pp.128-156
Studyskills/reading/notes.asp
helpful information on reading and
note-taking skills on the Skills4Study
website