Your Notes

1
Your Notes

• Angela Koch
• Student Learning Advisory Service (UELT)

2
Agenda

• Note taking
• Lectures
• Reading material
• Note making
• Assignment
• Revision
• Organising/ storing notes

3
Why do you need to take notes?

• Great amount and complexity of information input
  at university
• What is important?
• What can/will you do with it?

4
Why should you take notes ?

• To fix information in your mind
• To stay focussed
• To use later
• for information
• for coursework
• for revision

5
Any other reasons?

• Learning process
• (connecting, evaluating and consolidating
  information)
• Helps you memorise
• (writing out process / visual learners)
• Use multiple senses/ multiple activities
• (brain muscles when listening writing)

6
How should you take notes?

• Depends on your purpose
• - What do you want to do with them?
• Depends on the source
• lecture/ talk/ interview/ seminar discussion
• Video/ DVD/ TV or radio programme/MP3 file
• Text based source (book, journal, newspaper,
  website, report)

7
Audio-visual vs Text-based

• Audio-visual
• Speakers pace
• Speakers timing
• Speakers structure
• Speakers focus
• Unique opportunity
• Distractions
• Voice, accent
• Noise
• Lack of Comfort

• Text based
• Your pace
• Your structure
• Your focus
• Repeatable
• Own choice of
• Location
• Timing

8
Lectures

• What are they for?
• To introduce the topic
• To give a general overview of the subject
• To present main theories/ideas
• To introduce recent developments
• To guide reading
• To present the lecturers focus/angle
• They feed seminar discussions

9
Before the lectures

• Prepare
• What do you know, dont know ?
• How does this lecture fit into the module
  syllabus? gtgtLearning outcomes
• Read/ skim read recommended readings
• rough idea ,new terminology, key names
• Note questions
• Head note paper with lecturers name, module,
  lecture title and date

10
During the lecture

• REMEMBER They are YOUR notes.
• The way you want them
• What is important to your work
• Abbreviations that make sense to you
• Some tips
• Note on left ½ of paper only
• Have 2 or 3 functional pens

11
During the lecture

• Listen out for
• Overall structure There are 3 main aspects
• Links to other topics This ties in with
• Emphasis or change of direction However,, On
  the other hand
• Fact and opinions
• Key aspects/ dates/ connections
• Sources/ evidence
• Examples (note down only one)
• gt All programmes gt central software gt EASE

12
During the Lecture cont.

• While listening, challenge the lecture
• - Why is that so?
• - Does this always apply?
• Note down queries
• - anything you dont understand
• - anything you dont agree with
• - anything youd like to look up later

13
After the lecture

• Immediately after
• (preferably with another student)
• go over notes
• fill in gaps
• highlight areas that need further attention

14
After the lecture cont.

• Later in the day/ next day
• Work with your notes
• - restructure/ group information
• - use colours
• - highlight keywords
• - convert them into a different format
• Label and file them (date/ topic)
  
• DO NOT SIMPLY REWRITE THEM

15
Good final notes

• Should
• Save you time
• Have a purpose
• Make sense even months later
• Be well organised (clear chunks)
• Be well referenced
• Distinguish between source material and your own
  ideas/ comments
• Have space for diagrams and add-ins
• Be filed properly

16
Reading

• Think before you read and take notes
• Why are you reading this?
• How should you read this? - own pace
• - skim/ scan/ intensive
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/learning/learning-reso
  urces/sldr/online.html or workshop (tonight)
• What are you looking for ?
• (specific information, an general overview,
  background to a topic, close analysis of a
  particular text )
• Plan your notes accordingly.

17
Note taking while reading

• On the text
• Highlight key words and phrases
• Notes in margin (your ideas/ comments)
• Colour-code information
• (main argument, evidence, doubts)
• On note paper
• Format depends on what works for you
• and what you want the notes for

18
Linear Notes

• List format
• - chronological sequence
• - logical sequence (yours / authors)
• Headings and sub-headings
• Numbering/ bullet points
• One point per line

19
Converting texts into diagrams

• Better to remember
• Shows connections or steps
• Helps you plan your assignment
• Depending on preference and purpose
• Herringbone or network notes
• Flow charts
• Mind-map

20
Herringbone Notes

• For overview or
• background
• To collect
• information on
• one topic only
• e.g. the New Labour

21
Network Notes

• Discuss
• essay
• Compare
• Contrast
• essays

22
Mind Maps

• Main idea in middle
• Branch out
• Make connections
• Group information
• For brainstorming
• and generation of
• ideas
• For revision
• gt Central software gt MindGenius Education

23
Keeping track

• Label them
• source
• date taken
• purpose (seminar reading, assignment )
• Highlight key words
• Highlight your comments and ideas
• File according to topic

24
Keeping track cont.

• Manage your Reference
• (tidy, timesaving, for future use)
• RefWorks
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/library/online/reference-ma
  nagement/refworks/
• Microsoft Word 2007
• Referencing Tab Manage sources

25
Notes for Revision

• Identify topics/ areas ? (syllabus)
• have sufficient information
• (from various sources my presentation,
  readings, seminar discussion, lecture )
• dont have sufficient information yet
• (decide whether youll need to gather more)
• Once you filled the gaps, structure and summarise
  information in a memorable way e.g. table, mind
  map, flow chart ...

26
Revision or essay in exam notes

• Theories
• Evidence/ examples
• Authorities/ representatives
• Connections
• Understanding
• Position/ argument
• Sign posting/ structure

27
A few Donts

• Dont distort the meaning
• Dont copy out sentences without marking them out
  as quotes
• Dont copy out whole chunks
• Dont throw away your notes after completing the
  assignment
• Dont record lectures unless you are sure that
  you will have the time to listen to them

28
And finally

• Useful online guides
• http//www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/notereading/
• http//learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/learnhigher/n
  otemaker/index.html
• Student Learning Advisory Service
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/learning
• - Workshop programme
• Resources
• Advice appointments
• learning_at_kent.ac.uk / 01227-824016