麻豆传媒入口

Taking notes in class is a standard expectation: Beginning in middle school, or earlier in some schools, students are expected to record information from a text or direct instruction and use that information for another purpose鈥攖o write a paper, create a presentation, take an exam, etc. Some students take to the process easily, some need some support, and others struggle.

And note-taking can be hard for some students because the process is really complex. As , good note-taking 鈥渋nvolves multiple decisions, including determining which and how much information should be included鈥� [as well as ensuring] the completeness and correctness of ideas.鈥�

The complexity of this process becomes even clearer when viewed through the lens of , which says (essentially) that the brain doesn鈥檛 multitask well, so expecting students to listen, understand, analyze, and synthesize all at the same time is a big ask. Students need to copy slides or information聽(What did the teacher say?), understand (What does this mean?), apply (What does this mean in context?), analyze (What ideas make up this idea?), evaluate (Which of these ideas are important enough to record?), and create meaning or synthesize (How do I represent these ideas in a way that will allow me to remember them?).

Adding to the complexity of the task, there is often a . For example, with the advent of flipped classrooms and recorded lectures, some students feel they can just review the recording rather than take notes, though research on college students shows this to be .听

Finally, if students find that their note-taking efforts don鈥檛 result in improved grades, they may feel that the task isn鈥檛 worth the effort, decreasing what鈥檚 known as the : Their intrinsic motivation to take notes drops with a perceived lack of results, leading to lower engagement and less effort, experience, and skill with note-taking. Ultimately they will have less confidence in their ability to take notes at all.

Sharing the Workload

Given these difficulties, it鈥檚 clear that students need to be taught explicitly how to take notes鈥攂ut teachers have another avenue for scaffolding this task, which is to have students work together.

Collaborative note-taking provides a聽way to decrease complexity, , and increase the task value of the process. Unlike teacher-scaffolded notes, in which students are provided with outlines, slides, or study guides to fill in during the lecture, collaborative note-taking allows for opportunities for students to share their individual notes with a partner, a group, or the whole class, either during or immediately following the lecture, in order to check for understanding and revise, extend, or correct their notes.

Research by M. Brielle Harbin can 鈥渓evel the playing field for students entering [the] classroom with wide-ranging levels of prior preparation鈥� and provide 鈥渁 consistent access point for evaluating student comprehension and learning.鈥� It can also when used with strategies.

3 Ways to Have Students Work Together on Note-Taking

1. Cocreated notes. In this option, the teacher and students work together to draft the notes, writes Rachel Jorgensen. 鈥淎s the teacher delivers content, they utilize questioning and discussion to elicit connections and synthesis from the students,鈥� Jorgensen explains. 鈥淔or example, rather than simply presenting a new vocabulary word, the teacher may ask students to share any background knowledge they may have as to the word鈥檚 meaning and include a student-generated definition in the shared notes.鈥�

Asking all students to work together in one document is messy, but it allows students to ask questions as they arise. You can use 鈥擠ocs, Slides, or Jamboard鈥攚ith everyone working in the same space. , , and offer similar formats.

If the entire class works together to create a single document in real time, you鈥檒l be able to not only monitor the choices they make but also correct misunderstandings as they work. This strategy is an excellent way to scaffold collaborative note-taking and can be very useful in short bursts. It鈥檚 also a great way to teach a specific note-taking strategy such as .听聽

2. A trusted set of notes as backup to individual note-taking. With this strategy, , students take individual notes, and two or three students are assigned to create a set of notes that are reviewed by the teacher and shared with the class. Have the assigned students take notes in a Google Doc that you create鈥攖hat way, you can check students鈥� understanding of the material while you鈥檙e teaching.

You may also choose to give students a copy of your notes, with the caveat that there are errors they need to find. Working together to discover and correct your mistakes can provide a different perspective on the material.  

3. Breaking things up. 鈥溾�� is a great way to use collaborative note-taking to break up a lecture. This updated approach to the familiar turn-and-talk and think-pair-share strategies provides opportunities mid-lecture鈥攅very 15 to 20 minutes鈥攆or students to compare and revise their notes. Pro tip: Provide a framing prompt like 鈥淐ompare your notes about this concept, and highlight the differences in what you wrote down鈥� to get students started.

As we noted in the 麻豆传媒入口 newsletter The Research Is In, 鈥淎fter confirming the previous finding that revising notes can boost student achievement, the researchers conducted tests to find the optimal revision strategy. That turned out to be having students revise their notes with a partner during a pause in instruction鈥攖he researchers found 鈥榓 modest partner effect鈥攖hose revising with partners recorded more original notes than those revising alone.鈥欌��

Collaborative note-taking requires that students be willing to work together and know how to do so, which requires a strong learning community. Luckily, nothing builds community like meaningful work, so collaborative note-taking can be both an outcome and a supporter of a strong learning community.

To get started, assess your students鈥� current note-taking skills and preferences, and engage in some reflection on what鈥檚 working and what isn鈥檛. Next, talk to your students鈥攑resent the ideas above and see what seems interesting to them. Try something, reflect together, and then make adjustments. Ultimately, you鈥檒l be teaching your students not just academic content but also how to collaborate on important work, a skill they鈥檒l use for a lifetime.