Active Listening Note Taking
Active Listening Note Taking
as to what material you ought to be including in your notes, then this workshop is for you.
Welcome to “Active Listening & Note taking”. Lets begin.
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The method we will discuss in this workshop is called “LISTEN”. By helping you to better
understand your current habits, as well as helping you to become familiar with new
strategies for improving your overall listening and note taking skills you will hopefully find
yourself more able to focus in class, and better able to determine what information you
should be writing down in your notes.
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The idea behind Leading is that you are so prepared for any given lecture that you can, with
relative ease, determine what topics will be covered in a class.
This may seem tricky, but if you follow these steps, you should find yourself becoming
something of a mind reader when it comes to lecture topics.
First of all, review of previous lecture material is essential. Not only will a brief review of
the notes from the last weeks lectures boost your memory of that material, it will save you
from re-writing all of the information that is reviewed in the upcoming lecture—you will be
able to remember what you have and have not already recorded.
In addition, it is essential to read (or at the very least preview) the relevant textbook
chapters prior to going to lectures. As with reviewing your notes, this will allow you to
minimize the amount of unnecessary note taking, and focus on the discussion at hand.
Pre-reading will also help you to gain an understanding of the topics that are being
discussed—it can be easier to grapple with challenging concepts when you are reading a
text on your own time then it may be while trying to keep up with brand new ideas in a
fast-paced lecture. For more information on getting the most out of your textbook
readings, refer to our online workshop entitled Active reading and Note taking.
In addition, take some time prior to your lecture to write out several questions that you
have about the material to be discussed. Engaging yourself in the discussion by asking
questions is one way to help keep yourself engaged in the lecture. Even if you don’t have a
chance to ask all of your questions, by seeking out answers from what is being said will also
help you to focus.
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Since you will now have additional time to focus on what is being said (as you’ve read your
chapters, and do not need to write down everything that your professor is saying), focus in
on pinpointing the main ideas that your professor is trying to get across in the lecture—
there will typically be 2 or 3.
Often, there will be a lot of filler material in and around these several main concepts, so
remember—don’t write down each and every thing that is said….try and focus in on what is
really important.
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A significant part of good listening skills involves reading body language and speech
intonation, and developing these skills can be helpful in learning what your professor
deems to be important in a lecture.
Some things to focus on are more obvious—what is your professor writing down on the
board? What points made it onto a supplemental overhead or handout? If your professor
writes something down during your lecture, it is likely quite important.
The way your professor speaks will also offer clues about where to focus your attention.
Listen for phrases indicating importance—often professors will come right out and tell you
that the next thing they say will be very important.
If they offer an example of a concept this will also be something important to pay close
attention to.
As well, if your professor returns to a point or an example several times throughout the
course of the lecture, or spends a relatively long period of time on one topic, you can be
certain that you’ll need to know that information in the future.
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It may feel like you have lots and lots of extra time when you’re sitting in your lectures. This
is because our brains can think much faster than your professor can speak, so our thoughts
tend to wander as the speaker catches up.
This lag time gives you the opportunity to process what is being said and make a decision
about whether or not it is important enough to your understanding to be written into your
notes.
You don’t necessarily have to try and write down the important points verbatim either—
ensure that you are managing to record key words or names to act as a memory aid later if
you need to supplement your notes with information from your text book.
To this end, ensure that you’re leaving some space in between your points—this way you
won’t have to try and cram extra information into the margin.
Finally, take time to briefly write down any questions that you have about the material so
that you can clarify your understanding long before it comes time to prepare for exams.
It is important to keep in mind that you want to be critically engaged with the material
you’re learning at all times.
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It can be difficult to stay focused during lectures, but by engaging in the active listening
process that you’re learning here you can help your self to stay focused.
When you are in your lectures, take time to write down, or ask any questions that you have
about the material. Make sure you make note of the material that you’re finding confusing,
so that you can clarify any questions you have by referring to your text book, or discussing
material with your classmates or professor. Don’t forget to leave some space in your study
notes to add in any new information.
The key to active listening is engaging with the material as you’re learning it. Our minds can
process thoughts faster than they can be spoken, so that’s why your mind wanders during
lectures. Use this time to question the material that you’re learning. How does it fit with
the material that you’ve learned earlier?
Finally, effective listening is facilitated by your environment, so make sure you pick a good
spot in the room. Try to sit near the front of the room, and towards the centre. This will
ensure that you have a clear view of the professor, as well as any visual cues such as the
whiteboard or powerpoints that your professor is using as an aid. You’ll also be able to hear
better if you’re sitting closer to the front of the room, and you’ll be less likely to let your
mind wander since you’ll be within clear view of your professor.
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Now that you’ve learned how to listen more effectively, we’ll spend some time working to
improve your specific note taking skills.
In general, you want to ensure that you are leaving yourself plenty of space in your notes,
so you have room to add information in at a later time.
You also want to, as mentioned earlier, record questions you have about the material
somewhere that you can return to later.
Keep your notes organized by using a colour coding system that works for you, or by
highlighting and underlining important information.
As well, to make your notes visually stimulating (which can assist you with recall), try and
include diagrams, flowcharts, and pictures wherever possible.
One particularly useful method of note taking is the Cornell method. In this method, you
create for yourself a study aid that will come in handy as you are preparing for exams. On a
sheet of paper, draw a vertical line a couple of inches in from the left edge of the paper,
creating a wide margin. In this space, record key words, formulas, names and dates. This
section should only contain brief headings that can act as a memory cue later on.
In the larger right hand side of the page you will record the explanation or definition that
goes along with your key word.
When it comes time to study, simply cover the right side of the page, and go through the
margin defining the key words.
You also have the option of drawing a horizontal line at the bottom of your last page,
leaving a space of perhaps a third of the page. If you choose to do so, in this section
summarize your notes for the day in a few sentences. The ability to condense information
in a useful way is often a sign of understanding.
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It is not easy to simply start using new study strategies, and it takes time and practise to
develop new habits. At first, new study techniques may seem tedious, and you may feel like
the time you’re spending that task could be put to better use. Rest assured that it takes
time to develop all new habits, and after some time you’ll find it becomes easier and less
of a burden with each passing week.
Don’t give up!
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For more assistance, visit our website, stop by the Study Skills Office, or call to book an
appointment—you’ll be glad you did!
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