Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Self-management Approach

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218 CHAPTER 9

instructor. As a result, you need to use strategies to capture the main

ideas more rapidly.

In this chapter, you will learn that what you do with your notes is

just as important as how you record them. Educational research indi-

cates that students who take notes and review them shortly after class

learn more than students who take notes but do not review them

(Kiewra, 1989). Part of the benefit of reviewing notes is that it allows

further elaboration and integration of the material. Therefore, you

should not simply skim your notes, but think actively about the ideas

in the notes and relate them to other information you already know.

I notice that the amount of notes students take in my class is related

to my instructional methods. When I am standing in front of the

podium presenting information, students take many notes. However,

if I move away from the podium and lead a discussion, note taking

is reduced. What many students fail to realize is that a great deal of

information is presented during discussions. It is the students’ respon-

sibility to capture the main ideas presented or discussed in all classes.

After studying this chapter, you will be able to:

• Evaluate your present note-taking practices.


• Use an effective method for taking and reviewing notes.

Directions: Assess your current note-taking strategies by checking the

appropriate responses to each of the following questions. Be prepared

to discuss in class your perception of the effectiveness of your cur-

EXERCISE 9.1: SELF-OBSERVATION: ANALYZING

NOTE-TAKING STRATEGIES

rent strategy. Think about why each of the following questions below

is relevant to taking effective notes.

Always Sometimes Never

1. Do you complete the
   assigned readings
   before each lecture?


2. Do you try to sit as
   close as possible to
   the lecturer?


3. Do you doodle during
   a lecture?