Digital Note Taking: An Investigation of an iPad Application as a Strategy
for Content Review and Practice in Intermediate Algebra
Elliott Ostler
University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
United States
elliottostler@unomaha.edu
Neal Topp
University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
United States
ntopp@unomaha.edu
Abstract: The paper at hand describes an informal classroom based research study in which iPads
were used to explore the effectiveness of note taking and test review skills in a community college
Intermediate Algebra course. Two course sections of intermediate level algebra students used iPad
technology with a program application called ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard to complete
homework and review for chapter tests. Students in both course sections were taught how to use
the application and were then given specific directions and parameters for taking class notes and
completing homework problems using the application. An analysis of test data indicated
significantly higher scores (p<.01) for chapters where the ShowMe application was used for note
taking and test review compared to sections where the application was not used.
Introduction
Once school students have reached a level where they have developed a proficiency in writing, the function
of taking notes is an activity that is perhaps the single most popular academic expectation of students attending
courses in nearly every content area. Research on note taking leads us in many directions, but generally suggests
that the simple act of writing to remember has had a positive impact on both immediate learning and on long term
information retention (Armel, & Shrock, 1996; Bligh, 2000; Carrell, Dunkel, &Mollaun, 2004; Faraco Barbier, &
Piolat, 2002; Kiewra et al., 1991). Other research on note taking suggests that a number of additional benefits
(beyond the ability to recall information) such as the synthesis and application of information can come from
effective note taking (DeZure et al., 2002; Garcia-Mila, M., & Anderson, 2007). However, there is often an
underlying assumption that the benefits of note taking are being derived simply because students are recording
information. Research findings regarding the value of note taking as a means to recalling information, the
theoretical models on note taking as a way to synthesize information, and the act of using notes to rehearse or
perform within various contexts of information are all research directions in which a study such as the current
investigation could go. All address important questions. Yet, with so many different possibilities for evidence based
investigations related to note taking, we concluded that in today’s technology driven world (and classrooms) it
would actually be more relevant to pursue a different and somewhat less formal agenda within the context of note
taking. The following narrative therefore, is not intended to provide a formal research investigation within any of
the previously mentioned theoretical contexts specifically, but rather to report on classroom observations about note
taking using digital technologies to enhance the note taking experience and utility. To provide a framework for our
study, we determined the potential value of note taking to be largely influenced by two primary assumptions.
First, we note that a number of historical research studies have demonstrated that the process of taking
notes not only facilitates the recall of factual material, but allows the student to better synthesize and apply new
knowledge (DeZure et al., 2002). Given that note taking has been shown to increase synthesis and application of
knowledge, we argue that the facets of digital note taking that involve rehearsal and memory will be more visible in
the context of subjects such as mathematics, particularly because procedural fluency in mathematics is largely
synthesis and rehearsal based.
Second, we assume that the synthesis of academic content and the application of new knowledge look
different in 21st century classrooms than they have in the past because instruction is often based on digital resources
that are more immediately imposing and overtly relevant to students than what they may find in their course
textbook. Therefore, it is possible to conceive that note taking strategies and needs in a digital age may be different
as well, and that both digital technologies and pedagogy profoundly affect the efficacy of note taking.
Finally, as a supporting side note we have observed that many teachers who expect students to take
comprehensive notes in their classes overlook the fact that note taking in not typically a skill that is formally taught,
and even fewer recognize that the landscape of note taking is potentially changing as drastically as technology
changes. New tablet based technologies provide opportunities for teachers to teach note taking as a skill and also as
a means to interact with information in a rehearsal based format that provides greater opportunities to capitalize on
the synthesis and application aspects of note taking. If the note taking strategies need to look different, if would
follow that pedagogy needs to look different as well. The purpose of the investigation at hand finally distilled down
to the following question: How does instruction sensitive to digital note taking, and practice in digital note taking
using an interactive digital application for iPad, affect students’ procedural fluency on intermediate algebra tests?
Background
Given the popularity of note taking and the assumption teachers have about note taking’s significance as
perennial skill, it is perhaps as important for teachers to consider teaching note taking skills along with the course
content in order optimize the benefits to learning. Recognizing that students need to be instructed in the process of
note taking is reinforced when we are able to closely examine the innate habits and limited note taking abilities of
many students. Though there is not an enormous amount of contemporary research on note-taking that applies to
digital note taking techniques, early investigations on note taking suggest that most students miss large portions of
important lecture information, particularly if the information is only delivered verbally; moreover, students often do
not possess the necessary skills to recognize the most critical information being presented (Johnstone, & Su, 1994).
This problem is compounded further when, according to encoding theorists, the purpose of note taking is as much a
way to process and synthesize information as it is to record it (Garcia-Milla, & Anderson, 2007).
Our discussion of digital note taking suggested that pedagogy is as much a part of successful note taking as
the actual student skills involved note taking. Some teaching styles facilitate efficiency and accuracy in note taking
while others actually inhibit successful note taking. In fact, for a student to attempt to take notes in a fast paced
interactive environment could actually make retention and synthesis more difficult than not taking notes at all. For
example, if students struggle to capture the meaning of information when taking notes, the mental processing
required in recording the information could actually distract the student from other critical interactions that facilitate
understanding and processing at a higher cognitive level. This of course assumes that cognitive processing has to
occur during the presentation of new mathematics content in order for most students to actually comprehend and
react to the information. It is reasonable to conclude that students must interact with the information to truly
internalize protracted processes that require intermediate decision making steps. The distraction of physically taking
notes during these interactive cognitive processing stages can significantly compromise students’ ability to benefit
from the primary purpose of the lesson. To some extent however, the limited quality of student notes not only
indicates a deficiency in note taking skills, but also reflects the level of sophistication in the tasks for which the
notes are being taken. For example, Johnstone and Su (1994) reported that inaccuracies in students’ notes happen
most often when they were engaged in note taking that involves complex tasks such as copying diagrams,
interpreting numerical representations, and transposing mathematical equations, which are necessary for the most
common procedures in mathematics courses.
From a note taking perspective, the general complexity of lectures in mathematics courses, then, begs the
question, how can effective note taking skills be taught in mathematics courses so that students can effectively use
course notes to complete required assignments and to study for exams? Further, what kinds of pedagogical
considerations does the instructor need to understand in order to facilitate digital note taking skills where interacting
with the information is a key component? From an observer’s standpoint, we suggest that effective note taking,
even without the advantages of information based digital tools, requires practiced skills to which school students are
rarely exposed. Further, we have observed that very few students can answer questions about the purposes of note
taking, and they are rarely required to participate in processes whereby they could improve their note taking skills.
We consider the deliberate intent and practice in note taking to be necessary to become proficient.
The note taking intervention designed for the investigation described herein was focused particularly on the
transitional nature of note taking in a digital age. That is to say, we were concerned about how note taking in a
digital age is transitioning to look different than it has in the past. We were specifically concerned with the note
taking skill sets that are no longer needed as opposed to the new skills that are required by both the teachers and the
students for effective note taking to occur. Finally, we were interested in how different styles of instruction help or
hinder the processes of digital note taking. Ultimately however, because so many study questions were emerging as
a product of our discussions and observations, we decided to limit our initial investigation to collecting data within
the context of procedural fluency based on a specific digital note taking protocol that centered on aspects of student
synthesis and rehearsal. This was done in large part because we believed that the results could have an immediate
impact in classrooms.
The current study used the following assumptions for teaching note taking skills using the iPad: 1) the goal
of note taking is not simply to record information, but rather, to interact with it and allow for review of information
both in passive and active formats; 2) the use of the iPad and supporting applications make note taking a dynamic
process that can use other technology based information sources, and therefore require instructional adjustments;
and 3) students develop note taking skills on the iPad as a digital and dynamic method of communication with the
instructor and other students. The primary observation that emerged from this list of assumptions was that studentteacher interaction need to look different in order for the digital note taking protocol to be effective. Indeed, the
student note taking must change, but the way in which the teacher orchestrates the note taking must be very
deliberate and supportive as well.
Method Overview
Two community college course sections of Intermediate Algebra, both taught by the same instructor, were
selected for observation. The sections selected to participate included a total of 37 students (Group 1, n = 20; and
Group 2, n = 17) all coming from a special community college based program designed to serve struggling (At Risk,
first generation college students with high school 1.0 < GPA < 2.0). The program participants were all issued iPads
with a pre-installed set of applications including ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard (Learnbat, Inc.), which was used
for the note taking intervention. Other apps were used periodically as well, including a graphing calculator and an
interactive mathematics glossary app, but not as part of the note taking intervention. The ShowMe application
allows a user to write on the screen of an iPad using their finger or special stylus and also provides a number of
options for recording, displaying, replaying, and sharing the movie based files. These files were to be used by
students to review information in both retrieval and rehearsal formats.
Students in both course sections were taught how to use the ShowMe app with a combination of written
directions and three live demonstrations during the first week of classes. The live demonstrations were conducted
during two successive class periods using the examples from the algebra topics review section taught at the
beginning of the course. Students then practiced developing note-files by completing two completed board
examples from the classroom lecture (direct copy of steps, graphs, and solution) and three problems from the
assigned homework using the ShowMe application.
The ShowMe note-files being completed by the students had to conform to several presentation
specifications, which were outlined in writing and in the training sessions, and included parameters for duration,
content, and accuracy. All completed files were designed to be between two and three minutes and were narrated by
the student, who described the details and reasoning behind each step of the problems as if they were teaching a
virtual class how to complete the same problems. The ShowMe files were then e-mailed to the instructor, who
evaluated them for accuracy. The files were not included in the course evaluation as part of a grading protocol but
were required to be completed prior to taking the tests. Students were not given permission to take the unit tests
until they had successfully completed all of the required ShowMe files.
Each course section took four chapter tests and a final exam, the average of which determined the final
course grade. Both sections were measured using a modified ABAB single subject design, where each group of
students was designated as a subject. The single subject design concept was selected and modified so that attention
could be focused on the learner functions of each group in a series of instructional phases where the ShowMe note
taking intervention was alternately implemented and withdrawn. Students in the first section completed ShowMe
files for chapters one and three and used traditional paper and pencil note taking and homework assignments for
chapters two and four. Students in the second section used the same format but developed ShowMe files for
chapters two and four and traditional methods for chapters one and three. All students from both sections were
allowed to select the note taking method of their choice for the final exam. Results from the final exam were not
used in the final analysis of data. In order to reduce potential treatment bias, traditional paper and pencil note taking
skills were taught and traditional notes were used as a ticket for the chapter test in non-treatment phases of the class
in the same manner as they were used for the treatment phases.
Results
Averages for each chapter test were calculated and used as a way to compare scores in a bi-directional
analysis (both between and within groups). Average scores for each test were compared between the course sections
to reveal if the course section using the ShowMe note taking procedure scored higher than the opposing group and to
determine if each section scored higher on the chapters where the intervention was implemented than on those where
it was not used. Independent samples t-tests were used for the data analysis, which indicated significantly higher
test scores (p<.01) for the ShowMe users on all four tests; the first course section scoring higher on the chapters
where they used ShowMe, and the second course section scoring higher on the opposite two tests. The individual
course sections also scored significantly higher (p<.01) on the tests where they used ShowMe than on the tests
where they used traditional note taking. The t-test calculations were made by averaging the sets of scores for the
treatment phases of the study and comparing them to the averages of the non-treatment phases Table 1 summarizes
the scores for each course section and each test, not including the final exam. The asterisk represents average test
scores during treatment phases. The table also provides the differences between treatment and non-treatment scores
between groups.
Table 1:
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
(Trt vs. No Trt)
Group 1 (17)
91.4*
84.5
89.7*
86.4
p < .01
Group 2 (20)
83.6
92.1*
78.6
94.2*
p < .01
Difference
7.8(p<.01)
7.5(p<.01)
11.1(p<.01)
7.8(p<.01)
Table 1 has been shared for summary purposes only. Information such as standard deviations and exact pvalues have been omitted because in three separate testing instances the distributions violated the assumption of
normality, which significantly compromised the results within standard probability contexts. However, the scores
alone indicate some very positive and useful outcomes, which make additional investigation in the digital notetaking protocols worthwhile.
Discussion
The iPad note taking study conducted here was not intended to be an exhaustive investigation of a
specialized learning theory, but rather, an exploratory look at a classroom ready strategy that could be immediately
implemented to improve student performance in mathematics courses. The iPad note taking skills, supported by the
application ShowMe, appears to have had a profound impact on students’ performance on tests as the data indicates;
however, in talking with students who used the application, many comments emerged about how their higher test
performance of understanding was gained because of the “playback” mode and not from the instruction or the act of
taking notes as we believed. Students felt as if they were being taught by a teaching version of themselves. Students
also appreciated that the practice given for homework was much more focused on depth and understanding of
concepts rather than repetition. Interestingly enough, the test phases that used the intervention were accompanied by
fewer homework problems. Intervention phases typically averaged between 5-10 practice problems rather than the
more traditional 30 that are outlined in syllabi of other instructors. Students also felt like the shorter list of problems
was more manageable even though it generally took them longer to complete because of the accuracy required to
turn in the ShowMe notes.
One of the disadvantages was that students were less likely to take ShowMe notes during class because
they could not narrate them. As a result, they were less likely to take notes at all during lecture and frequently asked
the instructor to stop so they could create animations of the problems that were shown on the board without creating
verbal instructions. They frequently complained that they had to go back and redo the same problems so they could
narrate them, which caused them to report wasted time. This also created more lag time for the instructor, who had
to stop frequently for 2-3 minute sessions during the class period so the students could create the animated note files.
One other unexpected observation that came from this research was that students were reticent to share
their note files with one another. It was the instructor’s initial hope that students would use the notes to study and
share with other students who might be struggling with various concepts. The reason they reported not wanting to
share the note files is that they hated the sound of their voices during the playback. One student even threatened to
drop the class if he was going to be required to share the note files unless they could simply be shared as animated
playbacks of the various problems without sound. The final observation however was perhaps the most powerful
and somewhat contradicted the previous comments made by students. All of the students in both course sections
selected the digital note taking format (using ShowMe) for the final exam. All of them completed additional digital
note files in studying for the final exam and requested feedback on the files even though they were not required to
complete or submit homework problems of any kind prior to the final exam.
Clearly the informal nature of this investigation limits the potential information that can be derived;
however, the evidence does provide a useful exploratory look at both the use of digital technology as a means to
effective note taking as well as forcing us to look at the way we teach. In defining a system of digital note taking
using information such as that described herein, math teachers will potentially find new innovative ways to structure
and organize their classes. It would also be useful to contextualize this study within a theoretical base and also
within an instructional framework that would allow for convincing formal research results to emerge. Ultimately
what we are searching for within this informal investigation context is a way for students to collect and organize
information in such a way as to leverage the benefits of classroom friendly, digital technology so that students have
better, more engaging mathematics experiences. One aspect of note taking that will make this function more
efficient is to coincidently investigate pedagogies that allow for the extra support necessary for making digital note
taking a regular part of the classroom procedures. What ultimately must happen to make note taking of any kind
successful is the kind of balanced curriculum, pedagogy, and student responsibility that makes the information being
offered in school the kind of information that matters in life.
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