Note-taking and note-making are important for active learning. Note-taking involves recording key information from a source, while note-making returns to notes to add one's own ideas, summarize, and improve understanding. Effective note-taking helps with summary, memory, revision and concentration by engaging actively with the source. Notes can be taken linearly in words, visually using images and shapes, or voiced by audio-recording. Linear notes work best with a specific template including title, purpose, main points and questions.

1. Note-taking and Note-making.
Materials developed by the Learner Development Unit
at the University of Bradford

2. Objectives:
 identify why note-taking is important
 distinguish between note-taking and note-making
 recognise different ways of taking effective notes

3. Why? Active Learning!
Actively engage with your source by participating in:
1. Summary
2. Memory
3. Revision
4. Concentration

4. What is taking notes? The Magic Four!
1. Summary – creates an overview of an entire topic by the end of it
2. Memory –writing it down helps you retain the information
3. Revision – allows you to refine and improve your understanding
4. Concentration –being active, rather than passive, requires and prevents
distraction and accommodates concentration

5. Active Listening and Reading Components
Prepare Yourself Sit up straight, have your sources and
materials handy, be mentally ready to INTERACT with the
source without distractions or disruptions.
Make Good Decisions What’s the point of this source? What is
important to record? Why? How should you do it?
Hearing/Seeing is More than Listening/Looking Even if the
source is boring, biased, unattractive, etc., acquire the
information needed
Patterns Discover patterns of organization and emphasis

6. Key Component
JOT IT DOWN. Some people make copious
notes, others merely need a few key
phrases. Even strong auditory learners
need something to aid their memory. The
message is, don’t just sit there reading or
listening – record something.

7. Note-taking versus Note-making.
It’s simple!
Note-taking is recording key information from another
source
Note-making returning to those notes to annotate,
put things into your own words, summarize and
highlight, and add your ideas and impressions to the
information

8. Types of Notes:
Linear, Visual or Voiced
 Linear: typical classroom notes written in words
 Visual: images, shapes, colors, and other expressions without focus on
words
 Voiced: audio-recorded sources and responses to the source

9. Linear Note-Taking Components
Create a specific template which you follow for all of your notes. It
should include:
1. Title: source and date
2. Purpose of your notes: Why do you want to learn this?
3. Purpose and Background of Source Information
4. Main points, examples, and evidence (this is the big part)
5. Questions raised by the source

10. Visual Notes
 Diagrams, charts, tables, graphs, maps
 Colors, sizes, styles
 Symbols, icons, doodles

11. © 2007 Expanding Paradigms

12. Voiced (or Audio) Notes
 Helps reinforce learning and aids auditory learners
 Use any technology that records but does not distract others.
Lectures and Lessons
 Record a lecture and play it back later.
 Then record your own notes of what you remember from what you have
heard and compare with the original source.
Texts
 Take pictures or download files of sources to use outside the classroom. Be
sure this is okay with the creator and presenter of the source.

13. Note-Taking / Note-Making
Note Taking Note Making
As you learn from the source, take notes
here!
After you have finished learning, make
notes here!
(review Slide 7)