Lecture #11: Taking Notes Effectively - which words should you write down?

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of effective note-taking techniques for better learning and retention. It outlines four key strategies: avoid writing down every word, refrain from capturing isolated phrases, add detail to notes within 24 hours to solidify understanding, and take notes by hand rather than typing to enhance processing and recall. Scientific studies are cited to support the argument that hand-written notes lead to better performance and retention, while multitasking with devices during lectures can be detrimental to academic success.

Takeaways

• 📝 Never write down every word spoken during a lecture; instead, focus on understanding and summarizing the main points in your own words.
• 🔍 Avoid capturing isolated phrases, as they can lead to a disjointed understanding of the lecture content and poor retention.
• ⏰ Add 'flesh' to your notes within 24 hours of the lecture by spending a few minutes to review and expand upon the key points and concepts discussed.
• 🖊️ Take notes by hand using a pen or pencil, as research has shown this method to be more effective for learning and retention compared to typing on a device.
• 🧠 Engage with the content actively by thinking through the meaning of what you hear and formulating your own summaries to enhance understanding and memory.
• 🤔 If you don't understand something during the lecture, don't just write it down; instead, ask for clarification to ensure you grasp the concept before noting it.
• 📚 The purpose of note-taking is to increase efficiency in learning, allowing you to absorb and retain more information during the same amount of time spent in class.
• 📈 The benefits of proper note-taking include better immediate understanding during the lecture and having a useful written record for future review.
• 🚫 Multitasking on devices during lectures, such as browsing the internet, has been shown to negatively impact learning and grades.
• 🔑 Handwritten note-taking forces you to process information more deeply by summarizing and reflecting on the material, which aids in long-term retention.
• 📉 Studies have indicated that students who take notes on laptops, even without internet access, tend to perform worse on conceptual questions due to shallower processing.
• 🙅‍♂️ Exceptions to handwritten note-taking include individuals with disabilities or specific neurodiverse needs that have been verified by medical professionals.

Q & A

What are the four techniques mentioned for taking notes properly?

The four techniques are: 1) Never write down every word, 2) Don't grab whole phrases and write those down exactly, 3) Add flesh onto your notes within 24 hours, 4) Take notes by hand using a pen or a pencil, not by typing.

Why is it not recommended to write down every word during a lecture?

Writing down every word is not effective because it's hard to retain meaningless symbols without understanding them. It's better to understand the meaning behind the words and summarize them in your own words.

What is the purpose of adding 'flesh' to notes within 24 hours?

Adding 'flesh' to notes within 24 hours helps to complete the notes with additional understanding that wasn't captured during the lecture. This is because memories are freshest within this timeframe, and it aids in long-term retention.

What are the benefits of taking notes by hand instead of typing on a device?

Taking notes by hand forces you to summarize and process the information, leading to better understanding and retention. Typing can lead to shallower processing and is often associated with multitasking, which can reduce learning effectiveness.

What are the two main benefits of taking notes properly according to the script?

The two main benefits are: 1) During the lecture, you absorb more information into your brain, remembering much more of what you heard, 2) You have a written record of your notes that you can refer back to later, which is useful for review.

Why is it advised not to grab whole phrases from the lecture to write down?

Grabbing whole phrases can lead to a disconnected jumble of notes that you don't understand. It's better to listen, understand, and then write a summary in your own words to ensure retention.

What should you do if you don't understand something during the lecture while taking notes?

If you don't understand something, you should not write it down. Instead, raise your hand and ask for clarification. Once you understand, then write down what you've learned.

What does the term 'flesh' metaphorically represent in the context of note-taking?

In the context of note-taking, 'flesh' metaphorically represents the additional details and understanding that you add to your initial notes to create a more comprehensive record of the lecture.

How does taking notes by hand differ from typing them on a device in terms of learning outcomes?

Taking notes by hand involves more active processing of the material, leading to better understanding and retention. Typing notes can result in shallower processing and a tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim without deeply engaging with the content.

What are some of the reasons why students might perform worse when they use laptops or devices for note-taking?

Students may perform worse because they are more likely to multitask, getting distracted by non-academic internet use. Even when used solely for note-taking, devices can lead to shallower processing and a tendency to transcribe lectures rather than engaging with the material.

Are there any exceptions to the recommendation against typing notes on devices?

Yes, there are exceptions. Students with disabilities that make writing difficult or those who are neurodiverse and have been examined by medical professionals to need typing for note-taking are examples where typing might be necessary.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Effective Note-Taking Techniques

This paragraph introduces four key techniques for effective note-taking: 1) Avoid writing down every word verbatim, 2) Don't just grab phrases without context, 3) Add details to your notes within 24 hours to reinforce memory, and 4) Prefer writing notes by hand over typing. The speaker emphasizes that proper note-taking leads to better information absorption during lectures and provides a valuable reference for later review. The importance of engaging with the content and summarizing it in one's own words is highlighted as crucial for retention.

05:00

🙅‍♂️ Avoiding Common Note-Taking Pitfalls

The second paragraph discusses the ineffectiveness of common note-taking habits, such as writing down disconnected phrases or not fully understanding the material being noted. It stresses the importance of listening, understanding, and then summarizing the lecture's points in one's own words. The speaker also advises against writing down content that is not understood, instead recommending asking for clarification. The concept of 'fleshing out' notes within 24 hours to capture additional understanding is introduced, noting that this step is often overlooked but significantly enhances retention and note quality.

10:03

⌨️ The Distraction of Digital Note-Taking

This paragraph explores the downsides of digital note-taking, citing studies that show a negative impact on academic performance due to multitasking and shallow processing of information. The speaker argues that typing notes can lead to verbatim transcription rather than deep understanding, and that the temptation to use the internet for non-academic purposes during lectures can be a major distraction. The paragraph also addresses the misconception that using a device only for note-taking could be beneficial, with research indicating that even this practice can impair learning due to shallow engagement with the material.

15:05

✍️ The Advantages of Handwritten Notes

The final paragraph reinforces the benefits of taking handwritten notes, supported by various studies that show improved memory retention and learning outcomes. The speaker explains that writing by hand forces a student to process and summarize information more deeply, leading to better understanding and recall. Exceptions are acknowledged for students with disabilities or specific neurodiverse needs that may necessitate the use of technology for note-taking. The paragraph concludes with a strong recommendation for the majority of students to adopt handwritten note-taking for optimal learning.

Keywords

💡Note-taking

Note-taking is the process of recording information during a lecture, meeting, or while studying. In the context of the video, it is emphasized as a tool for efficiency, where the goal is to absorb and retain more information within the same amount of time. The script suggests that proper note-taking involves summarizing content in one's own words rather than transcribing verbatim, which aids in deeper understanding and long-term retention.

💡Absorption

Absorption refers to the process of taking in and understanding new information. The video highlights that during a lecture, if notes are taken properly, the listener will absorb more of the content, leading to better memory retention. This is linked to the idea that engaging with the material by summarizing it in one's own words enhances the absorption process.

💡Retention

Retention is the ability to remember information over time. The script explains that proper note-taking leads to better retention of the lecture content. This is because summarizing information in one's own words during the note-taking process helps to encode the information more deeply into memory.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency in the context of the video pertains to maximizing the learning outcome within a fixed amount of time. It is mentioned that by taking notes properly, one can get more out of the same one-hour lecture, both in terms of immediate understanding and long-term recall of the material.

💡Multitasking

Multitasking is the act of attempting to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. The video script warns against multitasking during lectures, especially when using devices like laptops, as it can lead to reduced attention to the lecture content and negatively impact learning outcomes. It is suggested that the temptation to use the internet for non-academic purposes during class detracts from the note-taking process and overall understanding.

💡Transcription

Transcription is the process of writing down spoken words verbatim. The video argues against transcribing lectures word for word while taking notes, stating that it leads to shallower processing and less retention. Instead, the script advocates for summarizing and processing the information in one's own words to achieve deeper understanding.

💡Summarizing

Summarizing is the act of condensing information into a brief form while retaining the essential points. The script emphasizes the importance of summarizing lecture content in one's own words as a key component of effective note-taking. This method encourages deeper engagement with the material and aids in better retention and understanding.

💡Memory

Memory refers to the mental capacity to store and retrieve information. The video discusses the role of memory in the context of note-taking, explaining that by taking notes by hand and summarizing information, one can enhance their memory for the lecture content. The script also mentions studies showing that note-taking by hand can improve memory retention compared to typing.

💡Processing

Processing in the context of the video means the cognitive act of analyzing and understanding information. The script suggests that typing notes can lead to shallow processing because of the speed at which one can type, potentially leading to verbatim transcription rather than deep understanding. In contrast, writing notes by hand slows down the process, forcing the note-taker to process the information more deeply.

💡Neurodiverse

Neurodiversity refers to the variation in the human brain regarding sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions. The script acknowledges that some students may be neurodiverse and require alternative methods for note-taking, such as typing, due to their unique cognitive needs that have been identified by medical professionals.

💡Disability

Disability in this context refers to a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. The video mentions that students with disabilities that affect their ability to write may need to use electronic devices for note-taking, and they should register with their university's disability services to ensure they have the necessary accommodations.

Highlights

To take notes properly, avoid writing down every word and do not capture whole phrases exactly.

Add flesh to your notes within 24 hours to enhance understanding and retention.

Take notes by hand using pen or pencil, not by typing, for better learning outcomes.

Proper note-taking leads to better absorption of information during lectures and useful notes for future reference.

Engage with the content and write a summary in your own words to ensure understanding and retention.

If you don't understand something during a lecture, ask for clarification instead of just writing it down.

Reviewing and adding to your notes within 24 hours helps solidify memories and understanding.

Students who take notes by typing may be more prone to multitasking and distraction.

Using a laptop or similar device for note-taking can lead to shallower processing of information.

Research shows that students who handwrite notes perform better on conceptual questions.

Handwriting notes forces you to summarize and process the information more deeply.

Avoid using electronic devices for note-taking unless there is a genuine need due to disability or neurodiversity.

Science has proven that handwriting notes is more effective for information retention than typing.

Students who do not use technology during lectures outperform those who do.

Typing notes can lead to verbatim transcription rather than meaningful processing of information.

Students generally prefer digital texts, but recall is better with print when engaged with the material.

Some students may need to use electronic devices for note-taking due to specific disabilities or conditions.

The preference for typing notes should not override the scientific evidence supporting handwriting.

Transcripts

people think that when you take notes

you're supposed to write down the stuff

that you hear

no

to take notes properly you need to do

four things

one

never write down every word two don't

even

grab whole phrases and write those down

exactly three

add flesh onto your notes within 24

hours i'll explain what that means later

in the video and four take notes by hand

using a pen or a pencil not by typing

over the course of this lecture video

that you're watching right now i'm gonna

go through all four of these techniques

for taking notes properly and if you

take notes properly then two things will

happen there will be two benefits here

they are

the first benefit is that during that

one hour of lecture or however long it

is during that that period of time you

will absorb more information into your

brain so

you'll just leave remembering much much

more of what you just heard the second

benefit is that you'll have the notes

you'll still have them you'll have a

written record

your notes which you can look back on

later at the end of the semester or

years later you'll have those notes both

of these benefits are matters of

efficiency you're getting more

out of that same one hour of lecture

you're absorbing and retaining more

information

and you're getting this physical product

these notes that you can use later

they'll be very useful later

you're just getting them but in order to

get these benefits you have to take

notes properly and the main thing about

taking notes properly is that you can't

just write down

word for word what you hear or just grab

phrases here or there you have to think

through the meaning of what you're

hearing you have to engage with the

content

of what you're hearing and then write

down a summary of that content in your

own words you have to do it that way or

else you won't get this stuff i'm going

to explain how to do that here we go

fundamentally taking notes is a tool of

efficiency you're going to be in class

for that period of time anyway right

you're there in the room

anyway how can you use that same amount

of time that same one hour of lecture or

one hour and 15 minutes or whatever it

is how can you use that same amount of

time to get the most learning into your

brain i'm not saying work longer hours

i'm saying take the same number of hours

and squeeze out of them the most

retention the most understanding the

most resources to make your courses easy

that's what i'm going to explain how to

do today specifically how to take notes

in class so that you get the most out of

every class period back to the four

techniques for taking notes number one

don't write down every word

it's just a fact

about human memory that it's very hard

to to retain remember sort of

meaningless symbols

what we remember

is the meaning behind those symbols and

so if you just write down the words

words are just symbols if you just write

down the words without understanding

them well then you'll have a transcript

of the words i mean most people can't

write at that speed but even if you

could you'll have a transcript of the

words or a bunch of those words but

you won't have understood any of it and

you certainly will not retain it instead

what you have to do is think through the

meaning of those words and summarize

what you're hearing in your own words

with your own understanding of the

material the result of this of course

is you know technique for properly

taking notes number two which is not

only should you not write down every

word you shouldn't just grab a few words

or phrases here or there and write those

down

it's like this say that the following

i'm going to write it here is a is a

transcript of what the lecturer said at

the front of the lecture

these aren't words obviously these are

just squiggles that i've written on a

piece of glass the point is okay say

that these were all of the words that

you'd heard what a lot of students will

do is they'll hear a bit and they'll

just they'll write down these few words

but then they can't write as fast as the

person can speak and so they miss a few

words they barely hear these because

they barely hear these words because

they're busy listening to those but they

grab a few more words they're able to

capture those they miss a few more they

grab these they miss a few more they

grab those they're just writing down

like disconnected phrases

what you get from this technique is is

even worse often than not taking notes

at all because you've just got a

disconnected jumble of phrases which you

don't understand and because you were

busy writing exact phrases you were like

barely listening to the parts in between

and you don't retain anything this this

technique which is so common i would say

that this is the most common way that

people try to take notes this is a

disaster instead what you should do

is listen carefully

and understand what the person is saying

and then once you understand what

they're saying

write down a little bit of your that

understanding in your own words if they

talk for a minute

listen for that whole minute understand

that whole idea that took them a minute

to say and then

write down your own summary of that

one minute of of talking that one minute

of talking which will include 100 words

or 200 words write down that minute of

talking in in your own words in in five

words

and then get back to listening again and

do this for the whole lecture but what

if you don't understand it

what should you write down if you're

listening to the lecture and you don't

really understand the meaning or the

significance of what they're trying to

say what do you write down then you

don't write down anything you raise your

hand and you ask them to explain it

again you ask a question you have them

answer the question then you understand

it and you write down the thing that you

understand it simply won't work not in

this efficient powerful note-taking way

it simply won't work to just write down

some stuff that someone says that you

don't get but if you get it make sure

you understand it and then write that

down

that'll stick in your brain okay but but

you won't get enough words down right

that's okay that's not a problem that

brings us to

technique for properly taking notes

number three

add flesh within 24 hours uh okay what

do i mean by flesh uh this is a metaphor

right i mean flesh you know like flesh

like like like skin or whatever the idea

is that

those notes that you get down during the

lecture those are the bones that's the

skeleton but the creature hasn't been

created yet

your notes aren't done at the end of

lecture it doesn't take long

but just sit down for 10 minutes after

lecture within 24 hours it doesn't have

to be immediately after but

late that night before you go to bed

just 10 minutes go through those notes

and add in the other stuff the other

parts of understanding that you didn't

have time to get in

during class while you were writing

frantically because you're doing this

within 24 hours there'll be all these

memories that will be that will be

pulled up in your mind when you go

through these notes those memories will

be gone after 24 hours so you need to

get them while they're still there so

that when you then go look back at your

notes two months later

what you're looking back at is a more

filled out you know description of your

own understanding i'll just pause here

to admit

that many students won't do this part

number three because

number three is more time

like it's 10 or 15 minutes more and some

people

just

won't do it they they won't do it

they don't want to spend that 10 or 15

minutes or whatever okay fine but if you

do if you're one of the few who listens

to me and does this

it will increase the powers that you

have of retaining information in your

mind and having quality notes to look

back on later it will increase your

powers dramatically this will make all

of your courses way easier

i know most of you aren't going to do

this and it makes me so sad

um

it just makes me sad but anyway those of

you that do here this is this is gold

i'm giving you a golden piece of advice

all right moving on uh number four

write your notes

by hand with a pen or a pencil

don't type them on some kind of device

there's a very small number of

exceptions to this people who need to

take their notes electronically by

typing or whatever we'll talk about that

in a little bit the main thing i want to

emphasize here is that this is not my

opinion this is not what's worked for me

no no this is what science

has proven to be more effective when

taking notes a study from 2016 found

that quote

average final exam scores among students

assigned to classrooms that allowed

computers were 18

of a standard deviation lower and exam

scores of students in classrooms that

prohibited computers why is this well

there are several reasons and we will go

through several of them but the first

and most obvious reason is that if

students have their laptop in front of

them or their phone or whatever well

then they will click away and look at

all the other stuff on the internet they

will go and seek out all the much more

fun much more interesting stuff a paper

from 2008 published in the academic

journal computers and education

quote students who use laptops in class

spent considerable time multitasking

the level of laptop use was negatively

related to several measures of student

learning including self-reported

understanding of course material and

overall course performance that means

they got worse grades a 2016 paper

published in psychological science

our results showed that non-academic

internet use was common among students

who brought laptops to class and was

inversely related to class performance

that means they got worse grades oh you

think you're not going to click away you

have the entire internet at your

fingertips every website much more

interesting things than the lecture

that's in front of you and you think

you're not going to be tempted to click

away who do you think you are

are you kidding me i'm a college

professor i go to faculty meetings with

all the other faculty if

i have my laptop at a faculty meeting

i click away to look at other stuff and

i look around at all the other

professors and guess what they do if

they've got a laptop in front of them or

a tablet or something

they click away they're checking their

emails no one is immune to this no one

is powerful enough to not

go do other things a study from 2013

found that participants who multitasked

on a laptop during a lecture scored

lower on a test compared to those who

did not multitask and participants who

were in direct view of a multitasking

peer scored lower on a test compared to

those who were not what this shows is

that not only can you not bring a laptop

or a tablet or whatever to class

if you're in a class

where the professor permits students to

take notes electronically you have to

sit at the front because you're paying

tuition and what are you gonna do you're

gonna you're gonna sit at the back and

be

distracted by the stuff that's on

everyone else's screen of course you're

gonna look at it are you kidding me and

you're gonna get worse grades get less

out of your tuition dollars why because

they want to

play a video game or shop for boots or

whatever no sit in the front don't use a

computer

and don't get distracted by those other

schmoes who were using their computers a

paper from 2018

divided attention reduced long-term

retention of the classroom lecture which

impaired subsequent unit exam and final

exam performance this paper from 2012

participants who did not use any

technologies in the lectures

outperformed students who used some form

of technology okay but what if i'm only

using the internet to look up stuff

that's related to the class like if i

hear something and i don't know what it

is so i quickly google it to understand

it in class that's the only way i'm

going to use the internet during class

oh yeah that's the only way mm-hmm yeah

who are you kidding but even if you

could do that even if that's the case

there's this 2016 paper published in

psychological science class related

internet use was not associated with a

benefit to classroom performance okay

okay what if you use a device that

simply can't connect to the internet and

there's nothing else on it the only

thing it will do is allow you to take

notes by typing those notes what about

that is that better it is not here's a

study from 2014 even when laptops are

used solely to take notes they may still

be impairing learning

because their use results in shallower

processing in three studies we found

that students who took notes on laptops

performed worse on conceptual questions

than students who took notes long hand

we show that whereas taking more notes

can be beneficial laptop note takers is

tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim

rather than processing information and

reframing it in their own words is

detrimental to learning that's the point

the problem with taking notes by typing

those notes out even if you're totally

immune to the powers of temptation to be

looking other things up on the internet

okay even if you're totally immune to

that the problem with typing out your

notes is that you can type too fast you

can type so quickly that you can almost

type word for word everything that's

going on but if you do that

your processing will be shallower you

won't

think through the information instead

what you need to do is take notes by

hand because that will force you to

summarize what you're hearing and that

will force you to process the

information to think about the meanings

of the words that you're hearing

and that's how you absorb the material

that's how you do it

that's how this works a paper from 2003

students in the open laptop condition

suffered decrements on traditional

measures of memory for lecture content a

second experiment replicated the results

of the first the word decrements means

reductions

lowering of a certain number what number

their scores on what that paper called

traditional measurements of memory that

just means quizzes they gave them

quizzes to see if they understood and

remembered things and

they didn't from 2009 once they

experience not using a laptop in the law

school classroom environment they often

change their method of taking notes and

report improved learning and classroom

experiences and finally a 2017 paper

students have a clear preference for

digital texts but students recalled key

points linked to the main idea and other

relevant information better when engaged

with print okay have i gone through

enough of the science

this is clear at this point we know this

as a species we have proven it if you

want to retain information

you need to take notes by hand not by

typing those notes on any device now

there are some exceptions to this

obviously there are students who have

some disability that makes it

physically impossible for them to write

you know if you have a

a problem with your hand of course then

you need to get that registered with

your university's office of disability

services so that you can type if you

need to type

to take notes you need to type and

there's also a very small number of

students who are neurodiverse in one way

or another and really and truly need to

take notes by typing them yes yes yes if

that's you of course you need to take

notes in the way that's going to work

for you but i want to emphasize the

following the mere fact that you

want to take notes by typing or the mere

fact that you think it will be easier

for you or you think it will be better

for you to take notes by typing no

that doesn't mean that it's better for

you to take notes by typing you need to

have a real

genuine disability you need to be

genuinely neurodiverse in a way that has

been that has been examined by medical

professionals

if you're going to give yourself

permission rationally to type your notes

rather than take them by hand

okay that's what i've got that's how to

take notes

you