Taking Notes: Choosing the Right Tools
May 17, 2008 · Print This Article
It’s a known fact: the longer the lecture or presentation, the smaller the amount of information that will be remembered. If a lecture is 30 minutes long, students don’t remember the first 15 minutes as well as in a lecture with a duration of only those first 15 minutes. So how can we keep track of the information given to us in a two-hour lecture?
Not Just Reading a Book
When we read a fiction book we probably read a line only once. That’s no problem. We don’t really have to remember that specific line, but we want to understand the story. When we have to learn something, say for our final exams, we really have to study the material and make sure we will not forget what we read. So we have to read it over and over again, or use a smart highlighting system to keep track of the most important fact and information.
However, when we listen to a lecturer or a presenter, we can’t highlight words or read things over several times until we really understand what’s being said (also read my post about asking questions). We do have a solution though: taking good notes! So what tools are we going to use?
Hide Behind a Screen?
During my last four years of teaching I experienced a vastly growing amount of laptops in the classroom. Ten years ago, when I was studying myself, none of my classmates was using a laptop at school. Laptops were expensive and lacked the power of desktop computers. Nowadays laptop computers are less expensive compared to desktops, and they provide a powerful alternative!
So a lot of people choose to trade in that little extra power and disk space for a flexible system. This means a lot of laptops in the classroom. But how can a teacher know if everybody is taking notes or just checking their email, browsing the internet or chatting with their friends? Especially during a presentation in a darkened classroom this is hard to tell.
During meetings with colleagues it’s the same, or even worse. Before the meeting starts all the laptops are put on the table, so actually you’re not really looking at each other anymore, but at an array of laptop displays with shiny faces above them. This creates a sort of wall in between the participants and such a wall doesn’t provoke a lot of interaction.
Use Paper: Make a Good Impression
Last year I started to using paper for taking notes again. After a long period of just using my computer for planning, brainstorming and taking notes I bought a notebook, and started using it for everything. And when I’m sitting on the train it’s much easier to grab my Moleskine and my pen to write down some random ideas than pulling my laptop from my bag and start typing.
Imagine, what would appeal more to you, being a teacher: a student who’s watching you and writing things down in a notebook, or a student hiding behind a computer screen. Which one of both students would give you the impression they really listen to what you say?
So if we assume the biggest problem about using a laptop in the classroom is the separation between the student and the lecturer, would it be a good idea to start using a tablet PC? I’ve never really seen a good reason for using a tablet computer with a touchscreen. But when interacting with other people it might give a better impression of being involved with the others. Most people I know prefer a Mac though (including myself), and Apple doesn’t make a one yet.
Are you using your laptop while taking notes, a nice notebook or a a piece of paper? Leave a comment, I would like to know!
Photo by: Fimb
Great blog,
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I use my computer, mostly, unless the professor expressly forbids it. You are right: I carry a moleskine in my back pocket all the time. It is the small notebook. I also have one that is in my bag all the time.
Personally, I prefer paper and notes when attending lectures. Typing on a computer feels artificial to me and I’m never really a fast typist in the first place anyway. Beside, I remember better if I write instead of typing.
I use a laptop for notes. My typing speed is 85 words/minute, while my hand-writing speed is like 15 wpm. It’s also much easier to organize all the paper; there isn’t any. Typing on the laptop allows me to make a “transcript” of the lecture, rather than point form notes. I find being able to read word-for-word what the professor said, is much better when studying, than reading point-form notes. Reading the transcript flows much more easily. As well, paying attention to every word the professor says, although it uses a lot of energy to focus that well, is highly beneficial as it keeps me from zoning out.
I prefer typing notes and then going back and rewriting them at a later date as a review technique.
Good blog!