NOTEMAKING NOTETAKING SKILLS Learning Outcomes Differentiate between annotation

NOTE-MAKING & NOTE-TAKING SKILLS

Learning Outcomes Differentiate between annotation, outline notes, column notes, mind maps and summary notes; 2. Develop skills of making notes from printed matters; and 3. Use the note-taking suggestions to develop good notes based on classroom discussions. 1.

Purpose of making & taking notes Save time and effort in: Having to look for the original text; or Having to look through massive piles of notes just to retrieve the specific information that you need.

Ways of making notes a) b) c) d) e) Annotation Outline notes Column notes Mind maps Summary notes

a) Annotation Suitable for print materials, ie. Print modules, textbooks, articles. Make notes by writing in the margins, underlining facts, highlighting the main points, etc. Help to remember main points without having to read the text all over again.

b) Outline notes Using only keywords and phrases. Usually sequentially numbered or headings and subheadings.

c) Column notes More appropriate for mathematics and science courses

d) Mind maps Show relationships among ideas and concepts, with lines serving as links. Do not follow a linear sequence.

e) Summary notes A condensed version of the information, written in paragraph form, using your own words. Used when you cannot impose headings or subheadings for a text.

Making Notes from Printed Matter Understand the objectives. Read the whole topic, then summarise. Leave spaces for additions/changes. Reread topics and improve notes. Use your own words. Put inverted commas for sentences that you quote. Read over your notes to make sure you understand them.

Taking notes during tutorials a) Preparing yourself for tutorials b) Listening during tutorials c) Review after tutorials

Preparing yourself for tutorials Pre-reading helps you to: Activates your prior knowledge; Builds mental schemas; and Enables you to make intelligent connections. Read through the whole topic to familiarised yourself with the subject. It will make note-taking easier.

Listening during tutorials Be an effective listener in class by: Avoiding distractions that may interfere with your concentration. Listen to the message being said. Pay attention! Relate ideas to previous tutorial discussions. Look for clues from the tutor in illustrations, repetitions, etc.

Listening during tutorials Take notes in class. Identify noteworthy materials. Do not copy everything! Write down details of discussion ie. date/time/tutor’s name/subject. Identify key issues, phrases. Create spaces for additional notes later. Use abbreviations if needed.

Review after tutorial Review your notes as soon as possible after the tutorial. Rewrite if necessary and fill the gaps. Verify your notes against the module/textbook. Supplement your notes with further reading of other books. Read and reread your notes. Use them to answer past examination papers. Keep it safe for easy retrieval.

Learning Skills: Note-Making and Note-Taking Skills by Open University Malaysia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3. 0 Unported License. Based on a work at http: //oer. oum. edu. my. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http: //www. oum. edu. my.