Note-taking Instruction Research Articles

Notetaking Instruction for Prospective EFL Teachers: Effects on Notetaking Skills and Perceptions

Notetaking is a vital skill at the university level since students are responsible for their learning and notetaking is their primary method of recording and storing information. However, students may struggle with simultaneously following the lesson and taking notes, which requires systematic training. This study will contribute to the literature by focusing on the outcomes of providing prospective English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers with notetaking instruction. It is also aimed to investigate prospective EFL teachers’ perceptions of notetaking and notetaking instruction. Participants of the study were 39 prospective EFL teachers (junior ELT department students) enrolled in a Listening and Notetaking course. A mixed method approach was employed in the study, in which both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through text analysis of participants’ notes and semi-structured interviews (n = 10). Quantitative data were analysed through paired samples t-test, chi square test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The findings revealed that providing learners with notetaking instruction is beneficial in many aspects including recording more information units, having better organization, and deciding what is important. Students’ perceptions of notetaking were found to be mostly positive. They consider it a useful strategy for following lectures better and for overall academic success.

Metadiscursive Features in Interdisciplinary Lectures: Implications for EAP Notetaking

Abstract Academic lectures are among the primary resources of knowledge for higher education students, which makes notetaking a requirement during lectures. The ability to take good notes and the quality of notes taken during lectures are associated with academic achievement; therefore, notetaking instruction is an important aspect of EAP courses. To this end, the present study aims at offering a genre-based instruction framework for notetaking instruction. In accordance with this purpose, eight interdisciplinary lectures were analysed. First, rhetorical functions were identified using the framework developed by Bouziri (2020). Then, metadiscursive elements signalling the organisational structure were identified using the metadiscourse frameworks developed by Ädel (2010) and Hyland (2005). Major findings indicate a relationship between rhetorical functions and metadiscursive elements. Namely, certain metadiscourse items can signal the use of certain rhetorical functions. Thus, the GBI framework for notetaking was structured focusing on the associations that can be established between the rhetorical functions and metadiscursive elements.

EXPLORING NOTE TAKING HABITS AMONG EMERGENCY MEDICINE BOARD TRAINEES, AND ITS IMPLICATION ON LEARNING IN MEDICAL EDUCATION

This study investigates the impact of note-taking on academic performance and clinical practice among emergency medicine trainees. It compares paper-based and digital note-taking methods and evaluates note-taking skills and organization. The study aims to determine the need for changes in learning methods during residency and introduce a strategic note-taking approach to trainees. The findings reveal the association between note-taking and focus, retention, ability to recall in the medical learning setting and clinical practice. Paper-based note-taking is perceived as more effective for information retrieval. The study highlights the need for incorporating note-taking instruction into the medical education curriculum and developing effective note-taking skills for medical trainees.

Identification of Cognitive Activities That Underlie Variations in Lecture Note-Taking: An Exploration of Japanese and Chinese High School Students’ Strategies in Mathematics Class

Lecture note-taking has been proven beneficial for learning at different educational levels. Previous studies have largely focused on the relationship between the outcomes of note-taking on a blank paper (e.g., measurements of the quantity and/or quality of notes taken) and student learning performance. However, there is no consensus as to what makes good notes. It is difficult to judge whether lecture note-taking is effective based only on the measurements of the notes. Past explorations have not adequately considered the cognitive activities that accompany such a process. Thus, using the interview method, the present study aimed to identify how lecture note-taking is used as a cognitive activity, and what factors influence it. To increase the possible range of note-taking approaches that could be observed, data from different cultural environments in Japan and China were sampled. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 high school students from both countries (10 in each) to explore the cognitive activities in which students engage when taking lecture notes in mathematics class. Based on learning strategy models and studies, as well as using a thematic analysis, a new hierarchical framework of lecture note-taking, comprising shallow and deep lecture note-taking, was proposed. Deep lecture note-taking uses cognitive, metacognitive, and resource management functions. Furthermore, a comparison of students from the two countries revealed that their beliefs and teachers’ instructions were potential factors influencing their lecture note-taking. Utilizing interview as the research method allowed us to obtain new insights into the cognitive activities that accompany lecture note-taking, such as the metacognitive function, which has rarely been explored in previous research. Future work is expected to commence on new measures based on this theoretical framework that gauges the cognitive activity of lecture note-taking. This study also calls for the exploration of effective note-taking instruction that considers the cognitive activity of note-taking.

Applying error analysis to note-taking instruction: Implications for the undergraduate classroom

This study aimed to examine the relationship between conference interpretation (CI) and note-taking through an analysis of notes produced by undergraduate students during CI classes. A comparison of the original speech, notes, and the interpretation was made to identify factors which impede accurate interpretation. This study specifically focused on the error types manifested by the students in order to identify teaching points at the undergraduate level of CI instruction. The results showed a pattern where students’ errors appeared to be concentrated in contre-sens or TL mistakes. Among the errors associated with note-taking practices, an analysis was performed on words that were either undeciphered or misdeciphered. Examples include omitting keywords written down during interpretation, misinterpretation of metaphors, grammar mistakes and/or awkward use of language due to source language interference, and misinterpretation due to ineffective arrangement of notes and loss of concentration. The relationship between errors commonly made by undergraduate students during CI and their note-taking practices was examined, and diagnoses were presented to help students improve their note-taking skills and interpretation. Also, educational implications and teaching points were proposed.

Retentional effects of notetaking instruction in EAP courses

AbstractPrevious research has shown that explicit notetaking instruction in EAP courses has positive effects on student notetaking. However, many studies limit measurement of notetaking ability to immediately after an intense period of instruction. Thus, the retentional effects of notetaking instruction have yet to be investigated in the longer term. To address this research gap, this paper reports on a study that assessed students’ notetaking performance prior to, immediately after, and then again four months after the notetaking instruction to examine the retentional value of notetaking instruction. Samples of student notes (n = 40) from these three time points were analysed through ‘information units’ to determine any changes. Results indicate that the instruction had a positive and significant effect on performance in the short term and that student performance lessened over time. Pedagogic implications stemming from these findings, including regular notetaking practice and consistently reviewing notetaking strategies, are discussed.

Comparison of accommodations and interventions for youth with ADHD: A randomized controlled trial

School psychologists have a variety of evidence-based interventions from which to choose when recommending classroom-based strategies for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, strategies frequently found on individualized education plans are accommodations designed to remove barriers to learning, which have limited empirical evidence. As such, the purpose of the current study was to compare the efficacy of three interventions (i.e., organization training, self-management, note-taking instruction) and three accommodations (i.e., organization support, extended time, copy of teacher notes) to address difficulties with organization and maintaining attention during a science lesson and associated independent practice. The study included 64 middle school students with ADHD randomized to either an intervention or an accommodation condition. The intervention group was further divided into two subgroups, consisting of (a) students who were willing to follow intervention procedures and (b) students who were not willing to follow the procedures (behavioral indicators of social validity). Results indicated that adolescents with ADHD in the intervention group were statistically significantly more likely to organize and maintain binder organization and to take complete and accurate notes than those in the accommodation group. In addition, exploratory analyses indicated that adolescents who demonstrated willingness to follow intervention procedures were more likely to be academically engaged during instruction and independent work and to complete independent work accurately than those who resisted the procedures.

Effects of notetaking instruction on intermediate and advanced L2 English learners: A quasi-experimental study

To prepare learners for the arduous tasks of simultaneously listening to and taking notes during (English medium instruction) EMI lectures, instructors have implemented explicit notetaking instruction with some degree of success. However, many such studies focus on improvements within the instructed group and do not compare results with those from control groups, leading to questions of generalizability. Thus, questions remain as to whether explicit notetaking instruction generates better results than uninstructed notetaking practice (e.g., when the teacher says “take notes").The present study involved control and intervention groups at the intermediate and advanced proficiency levels. The control groups received no explicit notetaking instruction, while the intervention groups received a 10-week period of scaffolded notetaking instructional cycle. Both groups completed lecture listening and notetaking activities prior to the explicit instruction. Student notes were collected and analyzed for “information units”, which are defined as the smallest item of information that on its own can be determined as true or false (Anderson, 2014). Statistical analysis of information unit scores show the notetaking instructional cycle had a significant impact on notetaking performance for the intervention groups. Pedagogic implications stemming from the findings are discussed, which have resonance for EMI and English for academic purposes (EAP) courses.

Note-taking Instruction Using L1 and L2 Lectures

Note-taking Instruction Using L1 and L2 Lectures

Efficacy of Note-Taking Skills Instruction Supported by Self-Monitoring on the Reading Comprehension

Note-taking, considered to be a combination of cognitive abilities, requires more than just writing. This is because note-taking is a conscious process that initiates reader into the process of comprehending and writing and requires, the note-taker to encode, organize clearly, to synthesize and to recall of the information. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of note-taking skills instructional intervention supported by self‐monitoring skill instruction on the reading comprehension of three primary school 4th grade students who read at frustration-level at their grade placement. The students' initial reading comprehension level was evaluated by the use the “Informal Analysis Inventory”. A multiple baseline across-participants-design was used in the study. Reading comprehension questions (both recall and deep understanding) pertaining to expository passages were used to evaluated the participants’ reading comprehension in all the probe sessions. Social validity data were collected from the participants on the instructional intervention. Results showed that the instructional intervention contributed to all the participants’ reading comprehension skills and note-taking performance. Each of the participant achieved at the instructional-level comprehension (Comprehension levels> 70%) after the self‐monitoring skills instruction. The social validity results confirmed that the students found that they had a better understanding of what they read taking more accurate and concise notes by paraphrasing the content instead of the use of verbatim copying.

NOTETAKING SKILLS INSTRUCTION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS’ NOTETAKING PERFORMANCE

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of explicit instruction in notetaking skills on the notetaking performance of seventh‐grade students at different reading ability levels. The students in the notetaking instruction condition (NTI) received classroom‐based notetaking skills instruction (approximately 40 minutes) every week for 10 weeks. The comparison condition students (CNT) were asked to use conventional notetaking (CNT) that was embedded within the daily social studies lessons. The participants’ reading comprehension abilities were identified through the Sentence Verification Technique, which consisted of a 16‐item expository text. A notetaking performance test (NTPT) was used to assess the effect of notetaking skills instruction on two dimensions of the participants’ notes (verbatim copying and terse value). The results demonstrated that the terse value of students’ notes in the NTI condition was significantly better than that of the students in the CNT condition. The students in the NTI condition reduced their percentage of verbatim copying and used fewer words to cover more main concepts in the NTPT that followed the instructional intervention. Surprisingly, the students at low reading ability showed the greatest gains in notetaking performance from verbatim copying to terse notetaking.

Note-Taking Interventions for College Students: A Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of the Literature

ABSTRACTAlthough note taking is frequently described as an important skill for postsecondary success, there have been few note-taking intervention studies involving multiple sessions spanning more than one week. In a systematic search, we identified seven peer-reviewed articles reporting 10 intervention studies published from 1990–2014. The only single-case design study addressed taking notes from texts, but four treatment-comparison studies that taught note taking during lectures assessed students' abilities when taking notes from texts. The remaining four treatment-comparison and one single-group design studies focused solely on note taking during lectures. Three types of notes were represented in the corpus: guided (seven studies), split-page (two studies), and self-restructured (one study). In comparing students who did and did not receive note-taking instruction, Hedges's g effect sizes on outcome measures of content learning and note quality ranged from −0.35 to 2.11. Across nine group design studies, the weighted average effect was 0.54 (CI95 = 0.47 to 0.62). The weighted average Tau-U of the single-case design was 1.00 (CI95 = 0.60 to 1.40).

The Impact of Cornell Note-Taking Method Instruction on Grammar Learning of Iranian EFL Learners

<p>Given the potential benefits of classroom note taking as an essential learning strategy, the aim of the present study was to investigate how effective Cornell note-taking instruction and use could be in language grammar learning process. The variable of gender was also taken into consideration. For these reasons, 70 intermediate EFL students, 44 males and 26 females, formed two homogenous groups and underwent an experiment in which, after both groups took a pre-test, the experimental group received special training on how to take Cornell notes. Then, the two groups were exposed to grammar instruction. When the treatment was over, a test of grammar was administered to both groups. A careful examination of the data, using a series of T-tests, clearly depicted that the experimental group had outperformed the control one. With respect to the variable of gender, no significant difference was observed between the two groups. The conclusions were further discussed and used to develop some practical applications of the study.</p>

Possibility of Note-taking Instruction as an Integrated Activity of Listening and Writing

Possibility of Note-taking Instruction as an Integrated Activity of Listening and Writing

The Effects of Note-Taking Skills Instruction on Elementary Students’ Reading

ABSTRACTThe authors investigated the effects of a 5-week note-taking skills instructional program on note-taking and reading comprehension performance of elementary students. The participants included 349 fourth-grade students from 2 elementary schools in Taiwan. The Note-Taking Instruction group received approximately 40 min of note-taking skills instruction per week for 5 weeks in contrast to the free note-taking group and the free-recall writing group who did not receive any instruction. A note-taking evaluation task and a comprehension test were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction on students’ performance in note taking and reading comprehension, respectively. The study yielded 2 findings: first, teaching students a note-taking strategy significantly improved their performance in note taking and reading comprehension, and second, poor readers showed the greatest gains in note-taking skills with instruction.

Benefits of Storytelling Methodologies in Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Historical Instruction

This study examines the benefits of using stories to teach history to fourth- and fifth-grade students. To determine student attitude toward history, students completed a History Affinity scale prior to and after being exposed to one of two teaching methods. Students in the experimental group listened to and participated in oral narratives during their history lesson, while students in the control group received conventional lecture and notetaking instruction. After data analysis and collection, results indicate a significant increase in history affinity in the positive direction for the experimental group with no change in history affinity for the control group. Conducted among 228 students, all attending the same elementary school in southern Indiana, this study speaks to the potential of improving teaching methods throughout the history curriculum through increased use of storytelling methods.

The effects of teaching notetaking strategies on elementary students’ science learning

The research examined effects of notetaking instruction on elementary-aged students’ abilities to recall science information and their notetaking behaviors. Classes of eight to nine years old third grade students were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions: strategic notetaking, partial strategic notetaking, and control, for four training sessions. The effects of the notetaking instruction were measured by their performances on a test about science information, a long-term free recall of the information, and the number of information units recalled with or without cues. Students’ prior science achievement was used to group students into two levels (high vs. low) and functioned as another independent variable in analysis. Results indicated significant treatment effect in favor of the strategy notetaking instruction groups on cued and non-cued recall of the information units. Students with higher prior achievement in science performed better on cued recall and long-term free recall of information. The results suggest that students as young as those in third grade classes can be instructed to develop notetaking ability that promotes their learning.

Developing Foreign Language Materials for Note-taking Instruction

Developing Foreign Language Materials for Note-taking Instruction

Information processing styles. One size doesn't fit all.

By knowing how students process information, educators can get them to notice what is being taught so that they learn as much as possible. Teachers can use this information to change their lessons from lecture and note-taking instruction to active involvement that enhances students' comprehension. The purpose of this article is to examine two major styles of information processing, to identify global and analytic preferences and teaching strategies, and to illustrate how these strategies were applied in a baccalaureate nursing course.