ACTION RESEARCH
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
Developed by:
JEFF R SHERMAN
Major Professor:
DR. GREG THOMPSON
April 29, 2010
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
INTRODUCTION
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
“Education is often considered the most important form of human capital” (Becker
1993, pg 1-13). In the United States, vocational education teachers earn an average annual
wage of $53,700 in 2008. In Oregon, vocational education teachers make an average of $51,850
annually (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Depending on the amount of time spent grading
assignments, quizzes, homework, and tests the resulting costs can become a costly investment.
On average in Oregon, it will cost $12,962.50 for teachers who spend a quarter of their time
grading student work.
Creating effective assignments, homework and assessments which increase student
achievement will help create lifelong learners (Fidel, Davies, Douglass, Holder, & Hopkins,
1999). Time can be more effectively used in the classroom evaluating student progress through
teacher-student interaction. “Success rates of 70-80 percent are effective when a teacher is
present to provide immediate feedback and monitor responses” (Michaelsen, Knight, & Fink, pg
53). Knowledge gained in high school classes can impact students for a lifetime. It is the
responsibility of teachers to spend time engaging, motivating, and educating students.
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
In Oregon and in the United States there is a need to improve student achievement
(Oregon Department of Education). There is an increasing amount of pressure on teachers to
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
ensure that their tests and assessments are aligning with course objectives and learning
outcomes (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004). Controversy surrounding education is often about
assessments, falling standards, unreliable testing, cheating, and errors in exam papers.
Assessments are often the cause of conflict, debate, and countless research articles
about the use of formative assessments and examinations, and tying these assessments into
course outcomes and objectives. Assessments often include: essays, reports, case studies,
laboratory-based practical work, individual work, group projects, written tests, and
examinations (Stefani, 2004).
Often teachers are set on using tests and exams because these assessments can be
monitored to ensure students are not cheating, copying, or reproducing someone else’s work.
Studies show that the most reliable way to enhance student learning is through meaningful
assignments. “The most reliable, rigorous and cheat-proof assessment systems are often
accompanied by dull and lifeless learning that has short lasting outcomes — indeed they often
directly lead to such learning… design assessment, first, to support worthwhile learning, and
worry about reliability later. Standards will be raised by improving student learning rather than
by better measurement of limited learning” (Gibbs & Simpson, p. 2-3). Assessments and
coursework should be designed with the sole purpose being student achievement and success.
Students tend to do better on course assignments than on examinations, which validate the
need for effective assignments, projects, and questions which can advance student learning and
save teachers time.
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
Compared to examination scores, assignments are a better indicator of student
performance (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004). Often when students are preparing for tests the
information is placed in the short-term recall portion of the brain, and the information is gone
once the information has been recalled to pass the examination (Marton & Wenestam, 1978).
Learning involved with coursework including: homework, research projects, and assignments
has long term benefits. Information obtained for the purpose of taking a test is often erased
from memory because the information was not made pertinent for students. Examinations
often use recall or revision, which do not incorporate the same kind of learning benefits of
assignments (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004).
In 1997, Gibbs and Lucas conducted an analysis of 1,712 classes at Oxford Polytechnic
and discovered that courses with 100% coursework had an average mark 3.5% higher than
courses which had 100% examinations. Three times as many students failed courses which only
conducted examinations to determine student performance. The format of all of the 100%
examination-style courses consisted of readings, lectures, and examinations. In the analysis,
courses which utilized more coursework and less examination, showed an increase in student
performance (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004).
These results may explain the reasoning behind students performing better nationally in
Biology, Business Studies, Computer Science, and Law courses compared to English and history
classes. Students in hands-on courses often retain more information from their courses because
in-class assignments and other coursework is made relevant. If all courses could find a way to
make information real and relevant, student achievement levels would continue to rise.
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
Higher average coursework grades are useless if assessment grades are worth a
significantly larger amount than coursework. Students consider assignments to be fairer than
exams, and measure a greater range of abilities than exams. Through assignments, students can
use their own forms of organization and work patterns to a greater extent (Kniveton, 1995).
Many schools in Oregon require students to take quizzes, tests, and final examinations, and the
teacher must record those results in grade books. A way to incorporate the use coursework for
assessments would be to allow students to use their notes, assignments, and previous work for
completing assessments; validating the coursework for students.
Peer assessment of assignments have shown to increase student retention and learning,
and at the same time save teachers valuable time of grading the individual’s coursework. A
study by Forbes and Spence in 1991, took a higher education engineering class where students
were completing weekly problem sheets for the purpose of a grade in the class and a
requirement as per the course syllabus. The instructor stopped asking students to produce the
weekly problem sets altogether; student test scores dropped. Students were asked to complete
the assignments not for a grade, but because they would be peer-reviewing the assignments
and the results concluded that test scores increased a considerable amount.
The results of the peer-reviewing assignments showed that student exam scores saw a
dramatic increase after students began correcting the work of their peers; without the
possibility of receiving a grade for the assignment. The increase in student knowledge is
attributed to the quality of engagement in learning tasks between students (Forbes & Spence,
1991). Generating learning engagement is a proven way to enhance student learning. Teachers
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
do not have to spend tremendous amounts of time marking papers and writing assessments to
enhance learning; student interaction will produce learning.
Assessments, examinations, quizzes, and tests are often closed-note, closed-book, and
closed-mouth. Information is expected to roll off the tip of students’ fingers and produce the
results teachers are expecting. These types of assessments, as backed up by research, do not
evaluate the level of knowledge a student possesses (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004).
Assessing for higher order skills should be a focus for teachers, but most tests only
require students to recall information. Curriculum design often focuses on the subject matter
and not the development of critical thinking. When students develop critical thinking and
organizational skills, the information often becomes knowledge which can be retained and
utilized for years to come (Stefani, 2004). The question becomes, how do we develop
curriculum which encourages students to use higher order thinking skills?
Teachers ask students to complete assignments because they find the relevance in the
discovery of the information. Why can coursework not be used on examinations, when teachers
can see the relevance in assigning the work? Why is coursework given a grade if students just
complete the work for a grade? As Gibbs and Simpson reported in 2004, students learn more
from coursework than assessments. If examinations and assessments are going to be produced,
students should be able to use the information they have acquired and peer-reviewed. Less
teacher time will be spent grading assignments and more knowledge will be obtained and
retained by students.
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
METHODOLOGY
The observations took place in the second section of a horticulture class at a medium
size high school in the Pacific Northwest. The classroom was a larger classroom situated on a
seventy-six acre school farm. The students were bussed down from the high school. When
students entered the classroom from the bus they walked past the teacher’s office and into a
well-lit room with many decorations of prior student’s achievements decorating the walls. The
west wall was lined with a magazine and newspaper rack, bookshelves, and baskets for
students to turn in coursework and retrieve graded assignments from the prior day. Also on the
west wall, a door leads to greenhouses. A projector screen and white board establish the front
of the classroom and block the teacher’s office window from students. Students are seated in a
U-shape around the teacher’s podium.
Forty-two students participated in the research ranging from ninth to twelfth grade, and
varying academic levels including students on Individualized Education Plans (IEP) to students
who are Talented and Gifted (TAG). The class met five times a week during the trimester, and
students were evaluated every other week for ten weeks. Students were evaluated on their
organization, note-taking, and quiz or test score. Students were required to keep a binder in the
class which held information on the course, notes, word-of-the-day activities, and assignments.
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
Before information was presented to the class, or directions were given for specific activities
students were asked to write down the important facts and the directions for the day’s
activities.
In the early weeks of the course students were not told by the teacher the notes were
able to be used on tests or quizzes. In the second week of the course the teacher gave a quiz to
the students on the prior two weeks assignments, notes, and activities. The teacher then
explained that any material used in the class could be used to assist in taking the quiz.
The process of allowing students to use notes, assignments, and activities for any quiz or
test was implemented in the following weeks of the course. Overall, four quizzes and one test
were given to students. The graphs below show the total percentage of students who
completed quizzes and tests by using their notebook and the materials within the notebooks.
Graph 1 shows the increase in student usage of notes for the quizzes and tests. Graph 2 tracks
the students quiz and test scores through the five week research period.
Data was also collected on student responses to using notes, and the comments made
during and after the quizzes and tests. That data collection is listed below the graphs under the
heading “Data.”
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
Students Utilizing Notes
120
Percentage of Students
100
80
60
Percentage of Student's
using notes
40
20
Graph 1
0
12-Jan
19-Jan
26-Jan
2-Feb
3-Feb
Average Student Quiz and Test Scores
94.00%
Average Test Scores
92.00%
90.00%
88.00%
Average Student Quiz and
Test Scores
86.00%
84.00%
82.00%
80.00%
12-Jan
19-Jan
26-Jan
3-Feb
Graph 2
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
DATA
JANUARY 12, 2010
Today was the first day of recorded data for students in the class using their notes on a
quiz. Students were told they could use any notes, assignments, or homework from the class
for the quiz. Out of 42 students, 3 were absent, and 12 students had papers in front of them.
When I asked some of the other students why they were not using their notes I received the
following comments:
“I didn’t know we could use notes on the quiz.”
“I left them at home.” –referring to the notes
“I did not take any notes.”
After the quiz was finished, I explained to the students that all of the assignments,
notes, quizzes, and homework from the class can be used on any test or quiz. I suggested
students should use three-ringed notebooks to keep all of their paperwork organized. I offered
students free binders if they needed one. Seven students took free binders to organize their
class work.
JANUARY 19, 2010
Students were asked to take a pop-quiz on hand tool identification. The previous day I
had given out guided notes on the common hand tools used in pruning. The test was given
orally, but students were still allowed to use their notes from the previous day to complete the
quiz. Out of 42 students, 29 were using their notes, 4 were absent the day before, and 4 were
absent for the quiz. I asked two of the remaining 5 students why they were not using their
notes I received the following comments:
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
“I don’t need my notes, I already know this stuff.”
“I left them in my locker” –referring to everything needed for the class
After the quiz was completed I again reminded students that everything handed out or
written on in class is cleared to be used on tests.
JANUARY 26, 2010
A quiz was given today on plant parts and functions. I explained to the students that
their notes could be used on the quiz along with any other materials which have been provided
to them. I was surprised to notice that I still had students asking questions such as; “Can I use
this handout?”
My response was tailored, “Did everyone hear Billy’s question? Can you use this
handout on your quiz? Yes, you can use any handouts, notes, or assignments for the quiz.” Out
of the 42, 35 students were using their notes and had their binders out. Three students were
missing which left me with four students still not using their binders or notes to complete the
quiz.
FEBRUARY 2, 2010
Today I played review jeopardy with the students to cover the pruning lesson from the
previous three weeks. I told the students their notes can be used to answer the jeopardy
questions and that if they do not have the jeopardy information in their notes, to write them in
because the questions would be on the lesson final.
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
Students were responsive to the directions because 37 students out of the 39 students
in attendance were writing the information down during jeopardy and/or using their notes to
try and answer the questions.
FEBRUARY 3, 2010
Today students took the final for the pruning lessons. Every student in attendance had
something from the lesson in front of them answer questions on the final. Only one students
was absent, so 41 out of 42 students used some sort of assignment, note pages, or activity
sheet to complete the final. I asked a few of the students if they liked the opportunity to use
coursework on tests and quizzes and the answer was unanimously yes.
I asked students if they took better notes, and completed more of the work when the
activities could be used on tests and quizzes, and the answer was unanimously, “yes.” Under
five percent of the students explained to me that they took the same quality of notes as if they
couldn’t use them on the test, and the other ninety-five percent of the students said their notes
have improved and they do a more thorough job on the assignments knowing they can use
them on tests and quizzes.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Students learn best from hands-on activities which promote higher order thinking skills.
Simply asking students to recall information from notes three weeks early is not the most
effective use of student knowledge or teacher time. When teachers assess student learning, the
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
activities, notes, and assignments are dually justified when they can be revisited for quizzes and
tests.
Many students have never been exposed to a class setting where the tests aren’t
generated from memory. In the Agricultural Science and Technology classroom notes aren’t just
taken to take notes, but more importantly to reference in the future. By asking students to
reference their notes, assignments, and activity outlines to complete other assignments makes
those class materials valuable to the students.
If assignments, activities, and notes are important enough to assign, students should be
allowed to use them as resources to complete assessments. When students are able to use
their notes on tests and quizzes the effectiveness of the notes increase along with test scores.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arter, J., & Spandel, V. (1990). Using Portfolios of student work in instruction and assessment.
Intructional Topics in Educational Measurement, Retrieved from
https://ncme.org/pubs/items/18.pdf
Becker, G.S., 1993, Human Capital. 3rd ed. (The University of Chicago Press. Chicago, IL.)
Fidel, R., Davies, R., Douglass, M., Holder, J., & Hopkins, C. (1999). A Visit to the information
mall: web searching behavior of high school students. Journal of the American Society for
Information Science, 50. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu doi: 10.1.1.108.1263
Forbes, D. & Spence, J. (1991) An experiment in assessment for a large class, in R. Smith (ed)
Innovations in Engineering Education, London: Ellis Horwood.
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization
Huffman, W. (1999). Human capital: education and agriculture. Handbook of Agricultural
Economics, Retrieved from http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/18264/1/isu322.pdf
Gibbs, G. & Lucas, L. (1987) Coursework assessment, class size and student performance: 198494, Journal of Further and Higher Education, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 183-192.
Gibbs, G., & Simpson, C. (2004). Conditions under which assessment supports students'
learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1. Retrieved from
http://www2.glos.ac.uk/offload/tli/lets/lathe/issue1/issue1.pdf#page=5
Kniveton, B.H. (1996) Student Perceptions of Assessment Methods, Assessment & Evaluation in
Higher Education, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 229-238.
Marton, F. & Wenestam, C.G. (1978) Qualitative differences in the understanding and retention
of the main points in some texts based on the principle-example structure, in M.M. Gruneberg,
P.E. Moris & R.N. Sykes (eds) Practical Aspects of Memory, London: Academic Press.
Marzano, R. (1997). Transforming classroom grading. Retrieved from
http://www2.spokaneschools.org/professionallearning/curriculum/reportcard/documents/Tra
ns%20Classroom%20Grading.pdf
Michaelsen, L., Knight, A., & Fink, L. (2002). Team based learning: a transformative use of small
groups. Retrieved from
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8S8efQkqeqIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA53&dq=effective+
assignments&ots=tel09yKx_i&sig=sVeN89HRh5bfnWSNJfF1Jz2z4k#v=onepage&q=effective%20assignments&f=false
Occupational employment and wages. (2008, May). Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252032.htm
Oregon Department of Education, (2005). Closing the achievement gap. Oregon's Plan for
Success for all Students, 1(1), Retrieved from http://www.ode.state.or.us/pubs/eii/closin
gachievementgapprimer.pdf
Rust, C., Price, M., & ODonovan, B. (2003). Improving students’ learning by developing their
understanding of assessment criteria and processes. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher
Education, 28(2), Retrieved from
http://teaching.econ.usyd.edu.au/groupwork/Assessing/docs/Rust%20Price%20ODonovan.pdf
Stefani, L. (2004). Assessment of student learning: promoting a scholarly approach. Learning
and Teaching in Higher Education, (1), Retrieved from
http://www2.glos.ac.uk/offload/tli/lets/lathe/issue1/issue1.pdf#page=5
Improving Student Performance through Note Taking and Organization