LISTENING AND NOTE TAKING
OBJECTIVE
Effective note taking is an important skill that many students have not mastered. In this presentation
you will be introduced to the skills needed for you to listen actively and take good lecture notes.
Taking excellent lecture notes is an essential skill. Effective note taking is just as important as learning
how to write a term paper or take an exam. This is especially true for any class that includes some
form of lecture to present information.
At the end of this presentation you should:
 Understand what active listening is
 See how active listening will improve notes
 Be familiar with note writing techniques
 Recognize/be able to use notes for review
3 Ways to Listen
PASSIVE LISTENING:
 When you assume that you heard and understood correctly but do not verify it.
 You take a passive role in acquiring information and make no effort to internalize or gain a more
thorough understanding of the material.
COMBATIVE LISTENING:
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When you are more interested in stating your own point(s) of view than in truly understanding
another person’s view.
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You are either listening for openings to speak, or for weak points you can attack.
!
You pretend to pay attention but are really waiting for an opening, formulating a rebuttal, and
planning a vicious comeback that will make you the victor.
ACTIVE LISTENING
•
The most useful and important listening skill.
•
You are focused on understanding what the other person is saying.
•
You listen carefully to make sure you fully understand and learn the information that is being
conveyed.
Get the Right Stuff
LISTEN FOR THE STRUCTURE
 An instructor’s notes are will probably be organized into some kind of outline
 Listen carefully to figure out how the ideas are organized
 Once you understand the organization of the lecture it will make more sense
 If your instructor provides an outline take advantage of it
 Understand the meaning behind the organization. (Why is the lecture organized the way
it is?)
IDENTIFY THE MAIN POINT
AND MAJOR SUB POINTS
 Listen Carefully
 DON’T write everything down
 Keep the lecture’s main point in mind
 Make sure you understand the purpose of the lecture
 Make sure you understand how the points are related
LISTEN FOR CLUES
 Listen carefully for words and phrases that reflect the organization/structure of the
lecture.
 Pay close attention to the introduction, it will most likely indicate the theme and
structure of the lecture. (If the instructor begins with, "Today I'm going to talk about
three ethnic conflicts in the Middle East," then you have a good idea of what's going to
follow.)
 Listen for "signpost" words to indicate a transition for one point to the next, such as
"next" and "finally" and numerical signposts like "first" or "third."
LISTEN WITH YOUR EYES
 Speakers communicate a great deal of information through nonverbal means.
 Watch the instructor, and be aware of how he or she conveys points through the
use of:
 hand gestures
 eye contact
 body language
FINDING MAJOR POINTS
The speaker is usually making an important point if they:
 Pause before or after an idea is presented.
 Uses repetition to emphasize a point.
 Uses introductory phrases to precede important ideas.
 Writes an idea on the board.
DISTRACTIONS

Don't tempt yourself!

Chances are that you will lose focus.

If you leave out distractions you will get your mind back on track faster.

Put away distractions and anything else that might be more interesting than the lecturer.

You are in a class to learn material related to that subject. Do not be do work for your next class.
HE LISTENS WELL WHO TAKES NOTES.
WRITE DOWN THE DATE & TOPIC OF THE CLASS
 This will help trigger your memory when studying.
 Use a standard 8 1/2 “ x 11” loose leaf notebook for organization and review.
 This will allow you to:

keep your notes organized

quickly identify the focus of particular notes

recognize what notes are missing
WRITE QUICKLY
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Get the instructors main ideas.
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Eliminate connecting words:
t
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is, are, was, were, a, an, the, would, this, of.
Eliminate pronouns:
t
they, these, his, that, them.
!
DO NOT eliminate and, in, on
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Use abbreviations to speed up your writing:
+, & for and, plus
w/ for with
= for equals
x for times
w/in for within
- for minus/loss
# for number
/ for per
w/o for without
> for greater than, more, larger
< for less than, smaller, fewer
Arrows can be used to show relationships and changes over time
GET TERMS & DEFINITIONS
→ IF YOUR INSTRUCTOR DEFINES A TERM, MAKE SURE YOU WRITE IT DOWN AND UNDERSTAND
WHAT IT MEANS.
→ If you do not understand either the meaning or importance of a term/word, leave a blank in
your notes where the missing information can be inserted later.
→ When the instructor indicates that something is important, mark it. *This is a strong clue that
something related to the point may be on the test.
DO NOT COPY OUTLINES/POWERPOINTS
THE PROBLEM: A PowerPoint slide is up, and cadets are so busy writing down every word on the slide
that they stop listening to the lecture.

They have now missed information that was presented in the lecture but not on the slide.

This means that Active Listening has stopped.

Use the slide to help you find significant information not as the only source of information.

As the slide is referred to you identify the information that you need to write down.
SAY SOMETHING
 Part of active listening is that you are an active participant.
 Your job as a student is to acquire, understand, and use, information.
 In order for you to do your job fully make sure that YOU fully understand the information
presented.
 If the material is coming too fast, or if the speech is unclear, ask questions.
REVIEW YOUR NOTES
 Review your notes to make sure you understand all the information and to keep it fresh in your
head.
 Review your notes as soon as possible after class. At this time you can change, organize, add,
delete, summarize, or clarify information.
 Read over your notes before each class period.
 This helps you place and understand new material as it is introduced.
4Bs and 1 G
 BE ALERT – so you are aware of and prepared for the lecture content and situation.
 BE ORDERLY – so you can process the lecture now and for review later.
 BE SYTEMATIC – so you can establish a habit pattern and won’t miss anything important.
 BE UP TO DATE – so that your well designed note taking system gets done.
 GET HELP - If you're having problems, show your instructor your notes and ask for some
guidance.