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FINDING KEY POINTS AND NOTE-MAKING

Taking the point: identifying key ideas
Active reading and note taking often come hand-in-hand.
In order to read effectively we often have to jot down the
main ideas and key words introduced in the text. We might
also note down one or two questions as we go along to
assist in the ‘thinking’ part of the process. But, like
reading, note taking comes in all shapes and sizes, and
different kinds of notes can be useful for different
purposes. Moreover, good
note taking, like purposeful, active reading, involves a series of processes from highlighting key
ideas in the text to constructing more complex diagrammatic representations of the main points.
By reading in an active way you have already begun to identify key ideas presented in a text and
perhaps even jot them down. However, an alternative method of identifying key ideas is to use
a highlighting technique.
Highlighting Technique
This involves actually marking important parts of the text by underlining or using a highlighter
pen and thus creating a more permanent reminder of key ideas. This approach is designed to
promote selectivity and encourages you to focus on the core meanings of an extract. However,
before you have a go, you should take note of the following warnings:
 Highlighting involves you making judgments about what is important. It is not about
capturing every detail but, rather like scanning, is about getting a general overview of the
big ideas. Do not be tempted to highlight everything or nearly everything – this renders the
exercise pointless, as you will be no better off with everything underlined than you were
with nothing underlined.
 A good rule of thumb is to underline or highlight one sentence per paragraph. Paragraphs
usually focus on one key point, and while they might include an illustrative example,
which may be useful, it is the main point that you need to identify first and foremost. Some
people find it more useful, then, to add in a short note of the example in the margin next to
the highlighted sentence.
 Do not see highlighting as the end of the process – an alternative to full note taking. It is
merely the first step. Highlighting does not organize points into any order that makes sense
to you. Nor can you use highlighted sections to reorganize ideas around themes or in
answer to assignment questions.

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Difference between Note-Making and Note-Taking

Note-taking

Note-taking, as its name suggests, is a passive

process: it involves simply writing down as much
as you hear from a tutor – or read in a textbook –
without discriminating between useful and less
useful information. The notes that are produced
tend to be very descriptive and broadly focused.
Since note taking is passive in nature and involves
less thought, it leads to surface-level, temporary learning.

The difference is generally accepted to be that note taking is the more passive process of copying
or recording exactly what someone says.

Note-making
Note making is a more active process of using your words, summarizing and evaluating the
information you are receiving, ie, you are actively thinking about the information not just
recording it! Note making plays an important role in developing the skills involved in being
critical – whether in thought or writing There is no right or wrong way – you need to find out
what works best for you. What is your objective in making notes – is it a summary of the key
points in a lecture; is the focus on a particular aspect that you wish to write about?

Below you will find an explanation of note-making, as well as some useful advice on how you
might practice it.

Note-making is a more active process that involves carefully selecting relevant pieces of
information as you listen to your tutor or read a textbook or journal article. Therefore, the
objective of note-making is not to write down everything you hear or read, but to keep note of
anything relevant or that requires further investigation or clarification. Notes made in this way
are more meaningful and purposive, as well as being better organised and of greater relevance.
The active nature of note-making means that it requires the application of a range of skills related
to criticality. It therefore allows you an opportunity to develop these skills as you learn.

Techniques/ Approaches to make Notes

There are many different ways to make notes. Some are better suited to taking notes in lectures
and some to making notes from reading. Try out some of the ideas below to find the ones that
suit you best. There are a number of ways to make notes. It’s up to you which method you use.
Different people will have different ways of learning, and so one method is not necessarily better
than another. Remember, you can adapt any of these approaches to suit your needs.

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 1) Post-it notes technique
2) Factsheets
3) Three-column approach
4) Summary technique
5) Cornell Method
6) Outline/linear method
7) Mind mapping
8) Four-quarter method
9) Write-on-the-slides method
10) Table/matrix method
11) The Sentence Method
12) The Charting Method
13) The Pattern Format

1- Post-it notes technique:

This approach requires a printout or photocopy of a textbook or journal article. You simply add
post-it notes on the page at relevant points. The principal advantage to this method is that it
encourages you to be selective; you can’t cover an entire page with post-its because you won’t
be able to read it if you do so! (Adobe Reader allows to add post-its or annotations to pdf
documents, a very useful alternative to using paper copies.)

2- Factsheets:
Perhaps more useful for revision purposes, factsheets encourage selective reading of a range of
sources in order to pick out key points related to a topic. These points are normally presented
succinctly on one side of a piece of A4 or A3 paper. Similar to mind-maps, factsheets offer
opportunities to learn visually; they therefore promote deep-level learning.

3- Three-column approach:
The three-column format organizes your page into three areas:
 key information
 your own notes (taken any way you like)
 a summary.
The right section is for your notes, the left section is for key terms, questions and
references, and the lower section is where you will summarize the lecture or reading in
your own words. This is a good approach for note taking as it allows you to take notes
how you like (visual, linear, mind-maps etc.), encourages you to question, review and
think critically, and gives you a usable summary. Perhaps the most useful of these
techniques and the one you are most likely to use on a daily basis, the three-column
approach offers a simple yet highly effective way of making notes. Divide up a piece of

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paper into three columns: (from L to R) major themes, notes on text, reflection. ‘Notes
on text’ should be wider than the other two. Pick out key words related to the point you
are making and add it in the left-hand column; provide supplementary notes in the
middle column; and in the ‘reflection’ column, add any further notes or memos, such as
reminders for you to look at a point again or compare it to another piece of information
noted elsewhere.

4- Summary technique:
Summarizing the content of a book chapter or journal article provides an effective way of
practicing those higher order critical thinking skills, as well as gaining an insight into how an
argument is constructed, developed and expressed. You can do this by using post-it notes, index
cards, or even a blank piece of lined paper. Simply note down the key points – often reflecting
the subject of each paragraph – on a separate post-it note, card, or line of the page. The
advantage of this approach is that it encourages you to think carefully about the content of the
work as you are summarizing it. Try to put as much of what you read into your own words as
possible. By doing this, you will maximize the opportunity offered by this technique to develop
those higher order skills.

5- Cornell Method:

The Cornell method provides a

systematic format for condensing and
organizing notes without laborious
recopying. After writing the notes in the
main space, use the left-hand space to
label each idea and detail with a key
word or "cue."

Metho Rule your paper with a 2 _

inch margin on the left leaving a six-
inch area on the right in which to
make notes.
During class, take down information in the six-inch area. When the instructor moves to a
new point, skip a few lines. After class, complete phrases and sentences as much as
possible. For every significant bit of information, write a cue in the left margin. To
review, cover your notes with a card, leaving the cues exposed. Say the cue out loud, and
then say as much as you can of the material underneath the card. When you have said as
much as you can, move the card and see if what you said matches what is written. If you
can say it, you know it. Use two-thirds of the page for taking notes in a lecture then add
questions, key words, pictures or extra information in the cue column. If revising for
exams, you can
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hide the main section and test your recall. Cornell Method is organized and systematic
for recording and reviewing notes, easy format for pulling out major concept and ideas,
simple and efficient, and saves time and effort. It can be used in any lecture situation.

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6- Mind mapping:
Mapping is a method that uses
comprehension/concentration skills and
evolves in a note-taking form, which
relates each fact or idea to every other fact
or idea. Mapping is a graphic
representation of the content of a lecture.
It is a method that maximizes active
participation, affords immediate
knowledge as to its understanding, and
emphasizes critical thinking. This helps
you see the connections between ideas and
information and is particularly memorable for visual learners. Mind-maps: mind-maps aren’t for
everyone, but they do have two distinct benefits:

(i) by including graphics or pictures, they offer the opportunity of learning visually, which for
many students

(ii) mind-maps allow you to get an overview of a topic and establish connections between points,
which helps to foster critical thinking.

The advantage of this format is; it helps you to visually track your lecture regardless of
conditions. Little thinking is needed and relationships can easily be seen. It is also easy to edit
your notes by adding numbers, marks, and color-coding. Review will call for you to restructure
thought processes, which will force you to check understanding. Review by covering lines for
memory drill and relationships. Main points can be written on flash or note cards and pieced
together into a table or larger structure at a later date.

The disadvantage of this format you may not hear changes in content from major points to facts.

It can be used when the lecture content is heavy and well organized. May also be used
effectively when you have a guest lecturer and have no idea how the lecture is going to
be
presented.

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