Effective Listening and Note-Taking: The Keys to Success

The 13 Keys to Effective Listening and Note-Taking

By

Johnie H. Scott, M.A., M.F.A.

Associate Professor

Pan African Studies Department

California State University, Northridge

©

2002

 

Key Concepts:

 

1)      Listening skills

2)      Spotty

3)      Average reading speed

4)      “When in doubt, write it down!”

5)      “Sit where you’ll be seen.”

6)      Lifestyle

7)      Systematic

8)      Recurring

9)      Signals of Importance

10)  Recall words

11)  Emphasis words

12)  Students who “view” vs. students who “review”

 

Introduction:

 

Second only to effectively managing one’s time, being able to successfully follow lectures and presentations is the most important study skill a student can possess. When you look at the profiles of successful students, a common thread binds them – these are students with the ability to take comprehensive notes in virtually all their classes regardless of who the instructor might be or what the subject matter is. These students are not distracted by the fact that an instructor may be soft-spoken, or speak with an accent, or appear to be distant from the students. These are students who understand that, far more than the written material, what instructors choose to emphasize – and not emphasize – while in the classroom has a direct bearing on the course objectives and requirements along with the teacher’s own expectations.

 

The reality is that no two teachers, and no two lecturers, are ever the same even though the Department, course readings and requirements may be identical. With that in mind, it is the purpose of this particular presentation to provide a format for taking effective lecture notes or, better yet, helping you to be more effective in following and understanding what the instructor is trying to explain, knowing how to determine what notes are important to take down and those that are of lesser relevance. In a word, this article is focused on listening skills – skills that determine who is going to do well in an academic environment fairly easily and who will have difficulty making it.

 

One must begin by understanding what a lecture represents – “a dialogue between you and the speaker.” (Sotiriou 161). As with any dialogue, any flow of communication, several exchanges must occur if the communication is going to be effective. First of all, you must be present to hear what is being said. For students, this translates as going to class, all of them, and being there on time, all the time. You can be the greatest listener, you may be the fastest note-taker on the planet, but none of these traits will do you any good if your attendance is spotty and you are not in class to know what is being said or what is going on. Right along with that observation is the note that you want to sit close to the speaker. This means getting a seat close to the front of the classroom. Not only will you hear better in terms of what is being spoken, but you will be able to see what is going on – and seeing, in this instance, means more than following what is written on the blackboard. It means being able to follow what is being said, as much as possible, with your eyes – reading body language. One has to understand that the oral communication dynamic differs from sitting at home or in a library to read a book, journal or newspaper.

 

The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, and you have time to stop and reread passages that are difficult at your own leisure. The average lecturer speaks at 125 words per minute, and this presents an entirely new experience for the listener trying to take effective notes. (Sotiriou) There are lecturers who speak faster, of course, and those who speak at a slower rate. There are those who are loud and emphatic in their delivery as opposed to those lecturers so soft-spoken that people sitting in the back of the classroom have real problems hearing what is being said. Then, you have lecturers whose voices rise and fall in pitch, adding tone and color to what they are saying. By the same token, there are lecturers who speak in a monotone, so much so that if one is not careful then it is entirely likely the mind will drift away from what is being said, you will find yourself daydreaming or thinking about something else, and the next thing you know the lecture has ended and you have failed to take a single note on what may have been the professor’s most important talk of the entire semester for that particular class! To avoid this happening, there are 13 specific points that one must follow in regards to taking effective classroom notes:

 

1)      Maintain a written record

Set down a written record for each of you classes. This is very important. Studies have shown that forgetting begins almost immediately. Within two weeks, you will forget 80 percent or more of what you have heard. In four weeks, you will be fortunate if five (5) percent remains! (Langan 41). What these facts say is so important that it must be repeated: to guard against the inevitability of forgetting, you have to write down much of the information being presented in class. Then, review your notes later so that you understand not only remember but understand the ideas that were discussed. The more complete your notes are when you review, the more likely you are to master the information. Students often wonder how many notes should they take and whether or not certain terms, facts, or information are significant enough to write down. The rule of thumb to follow is this: When in doubt, write it down! Remember that writing too much, rather than too little, can mean the difference between passing and failing a course, between a high grade and a lower one.

2)      Sit where you’ll be seen.

There is a common saying among teachers which goes something like this: “The farther in back of the class that a student sits, the lower will be that student’s grade in the course.” Now whether you agree with that observation or don’t is of little importance. What is important and has to be considered is the thinking prompting the observation in the first place. What it says is students sitting in the back of the classroom, starting on that first day of classes, those students sitting near the door, typically represent students who will have a difficult time following lectures, taking notes, these being students whose minds are not so much focused on the class as they are on the distractions, on getting through the day. Not surprisingly, these same students account for the majority of attendance problems – absences and tardies. Unfortunately, with nearly 20 years’ experience in college classrooms, I have witnessed that observation – “The farther in the back of the class a student sits, the lower that same student’s grade will be!” – proven true much more often than not. Sitting in the rear brings its own unique set of problems, not least among these the fact that the teacher can very easily go an entire semester and never know or learn your name or face. This can be a real issue come time for final grades – and believe me, you do not want an instructor “guessing” as to who you might be when time comes to assign a grade, or give you any benefit of the doubt!

 

The point here is that you want to sit where the instructor will always be aware or, or at least see you. Sit where the blackboard can been easily read (and this is particularly true if you happen to have vision problems!) If the class is media-intensive, a class where the instructor uses lots of film and videotape, then it becomes even more important to get a seat near the front and establish that position for the semester. Sitting in front means that you are much more likely to come in and remain focused for that class hour. You are not nearly as likely to fall asleep while sitting in the front row, nor are you likely to daydream. When sitting in the back of the class, you might unintentionally be signaling an attitude about that class or school itself – one saying that you’re “worried” about being called upon (a fear common to many students, but not all) or that you don’t want to be in class, which is an “issue” in and of itself.

 

3)      Try to do Advance Reading.

Doing well in school, getting good grades on your exams, papers and in your classes, then going on to graduate and do well in that chosen professional career are all part of having a clearly-defined and well-managed lifestyle. This refers back to the 9-Step Life Management Protocol and integrating that type of effective time management into your life choices and decision-making. For this third step in effective listening and note-taking, we are addressing what, on the surface, appears to be the obvious – that good note-takers are people who read the material in advance; that is, the students who take the best notes have done the assigned reading and, accordingly, have little trouble following the lecture or understanding any new ideas discussed in class that spring from the reading. The notes these students have are generally more organized and easier to follow because they have a firm grasp of the topic being discussed.

 

I always like to say that you have two types of students: (1) those who come to view and (2) those who come to review. The first type, the one who comes to view, is the student most likely to get into trouble. This is the person for whom everything happening or being discussed in class by the instructor is brand-new. This student is there, essentially, to “view” what is taking place – often for the first time. The second type of student, the one who comes to “review,” has done some advance reading, has had a chance to go over notes from previous class meetings and finds the lecture an opportunity to review some of the material that was read earlier. This might be material that was difficult to understand but now, with the lecture, the light bulb has come on and there is illumination where before there existed only a hazy, at best, understanding of what was meant or implied.

 

Needless to say, it is the student who comes to “review” that gets the most out of the class, including the best grades. Doing reading in advance allows one to prepare questions for the instructor based upon the reading and lecture itself, questions the instructor can appreciate and elaborate on. To be able to do this, and do it on a consistent basis, means setting aside the time to read in advance and prepare effective lecture notes.

 

4)      Make systematic notes.

When taking notes, you want to do so in an organized, systematic fashion. There is no “magic” to the student who takes good notes, the student who, come the end of the semester, is in position to effectively and efficiently review for examinations and writing assignments based upon the strength of their notes. These are the students who have developed a note-taking system that is solid, and learned to stay with it. Here are eight steps you can employ in taking effective, efficient notes in class:

  1. Use full-sized 8 ½”x11” paper. Do not use a small note tablet! You will be using the margin space provided by the full-sized paper. In addition, on a single page of full-sized paper you will often see ideas or groups of related ideas that might not so easily be seen when spread across several small pages;
  2. Use a ballpoint pen. This is in order to write quickly – something that can’t be done as well with a pencil or a felt-tip pen. Don’t worry about mistakes with a pen that makes marks you can’t erase. Just cross out the mistakes!;
  3. Keep all the notes from each course together in a separate section of a notebook. Use either a looseleaf binder with separate sections, or a large spiral notebook that has multiple sections. The looseleaf binder, though, allows a person to insert course handouts and related materials;
  4. Date each course meeting’s notes and try to title the notes for each lecture;
  5. Take notes on one side of the page only, leaving space at the top and on the left-hand margin. Using only one side of the page eliminates the bother, when studying, of having to flip pages over and then flip back to follow the development of an idea or discussion. Leaving wide margins gives one space to add to notes later, should you so desire;
  6. Write legibly. When preparing for a test, you want to spend the time studying – not trying to decipher your own handwriting;
  7. To save time when note-taking, abbreviate recurring terms. Place a “key” for these abbreviated terms in the top margin of your notes. For example, in a biology class ch could stand for chromosome; in a sociology class o c could stand for operant conditioning. When the lecture is over, you may want to go back and fill in the wors you have abbreviated (again, for easier reading when preparing for exams and papers). In addition, abbreviate the following common words by using the symbols shown –

 

+ = and          def = definition          w/ = with          eg = for example         

ex = example          info = information          1,2,3 = one, two, three, etcetera

MI = Main Idea

 

You should also make note that words like a, and, and the can be omitted when taking notes; and

  1. I always tell my students when handing them the course syllabus that one of the very first actions they should take is to highlight all of the examination dates listed in the document. Not only that, they should transfer those exam dates to a pocket calendar, appointment book, or diary that they refer to. I advise all students to do the same for major assignments, particularly group presentations and major papers. Nothing can be more distressing for a student than to walk into class and see everyone ready for a test but themselves, or to see their classmates turning in writing assignments while they left theirs at home, or “forgot” this was the due date for that all-important project!

 

5)      Use an Outline for your notes.

Try writing down your notes in the following outline form. Start Main Points at the margin. Indent secondary ideas and supporting details. Further indent material that is subordinate to those secondary points.

 

Main Points are listed at the margin.

     Secondary points and supporting details are indented.

          Material that is subordinate to secondary points is indented further.

 

Still another organizational aid: when the speaker shifts from one idea to another, show this shift in concern by skipping a line or two, leaving a clearly visible space.

 

6)      Be Alert for Signals of Importance

As you can see, good listening and note-taking are special skills. When following lectures, for example, you want to be alert to the “signals” lecturers give indicating that certain material is important, that help you in further organizaing your notes for later study and review. There are five (5) such signals:

  1. Write down whatever your instructor puts on the black board! Ideally, print this material in large letters. If you don’t have time to print, write as you usually do and put OB in the margin to indicate the material was written on the board. When you review your notes later, you will know what ideas the teacher emphasized;
  2. Always write down definitions and enumerations. Most people instinctively will write down definition – explanations of key termsin the subject being studied. But, people often forget or ignore enumerations, which are often just as important. An enumeration is simply a list of items (marked 1, 2, 3 or with other symbols) that fit under a particular heading. Teachers often use enumerations, or lists, to show the relationship among a group of ideas. They are signaled in such ways as: “The four steps in the process are…<” “There were three main ideas expressed in…,” or “The two (or more) primary effects were….”
  3. Your instructor might say, “This is an important concept”; or “One point that will repeat itself in the material;” or “The primary cause was…”; or “Pay special attention to…;” or “The thesis being advanced is…”; and so forth. You want to make sure to write down important statements announced by these and other emphasis words, and mark imp or some other mark of your own choosing (one you can quickly and easily make out) to show their importance.
  4. If the lecturer repeats a point, you can usually assume it is important or relevant. You might even write R in the margin to indicate that it was repeated later in order to know that the instructor stressed the idea in class; and finally,
  5. A lecturer’s voice may slow down, become louder, or otherwise signal that you are to write down exactly what is being said, word for word. When this happens, do it!

 

7)      Write down examples.

This is so obvious that people sometimes forget to do it, or take it for granted and then forget to do so.Write down any examples the teacher   might provide during a lecture, and then mark them with an ex. These examples help you understand complex, abstract forms and concepts. If you don’t mark them with an ex, then you are likely to forget their purpose when reviewing these later for study. There’s no need to write down every single example, but you should do at least one to help clarify any point(s) being made.

 

8)      Write down details that connect or explain

Always write down the details that connect or explain main points. Too many students copy only the major points the teachers puts on the blackboard. These students don’t understand that as time passes during the semester, they may (and will!) forget the specifics that serve as bridges between ideas. Make certain, then, to record the connecting details that the instructor provides. When you do, you are much more likely to remember and recall those relationships among the major points in your notes.

 

9)      Leave some blank spaces.

Leave some blank spaces for those ideas or items you will inevitably miss during a lecture (we all do!). Immediately after class, ask another student to help you fill in the blank spaces. A good idea during the first week of class is to identify someone you can work, then exchange either telephone numbers, email addresses, or both. This way, you are covered for the semester. One caution, however, is not to make a habit of being absent. That study friend can easily become annoyed, feel their friendship is being misused and abused. It is also a good idea to ask the instructor at the beginning of the semester if it is permissible to tape lectures.

 

10)  Ask questions.

In a word, get involved with the subject and the instructor. Don’t hesitate to ask about confusing points. Draw a line, though, at asking too many questions, or asking questions simply to be heard. Most of the instructors I know, including myself, frown at this sort of behavior.

 

11)  Take notes during discussions.

Most students miss out on this most valuable of opportunities, thinking that since the instructor is lecturing that the class has settled into a “Rap Time” mode. The point is you do not want to stop taking notes during discussions as many invaluable ideas can and do come up. If the instructor puts notes on the board during a discussion period, take that as a good sign that the information is important. And always keep in mind the golden rule for note-taking: when in doubt, write it down!

 

12)  Take notes right up to the end of class.

Nothing irritates instructors more than seeing students start putting away their notebooks and pens while there is still time left in the class. It is as though the student were saying that nothing important will be said at the end. Keep in mind that teachers may have crucial points they’ll want to cover in those closing minutes. Be ready to write as rapidly as you can to get down this final rush of ideas.

 

13)  Review your notes soon.

Go over your notes soon after class. While the material is still fresh in your mind, make your notes as clear as possible. A day later may be too late because forgetting sets in almost at once. The best time to start studying your notes is within a day after taking them. Because of the mind’s tendency to forget material rapidly, a few minutes set aside for study soon after class will give you more learning for less time and effort than almost any other technique you can practice.

 

Now that you have developed your notes, you need to go over how to study class notes. The following is one effective way to do so:

 

  1. Use the margin at the side or top of each page. Jot down in the margin a series of key words or phrases from your notes. These key words or phrases, known as recall words, will help in pulling together and remembering the important ideas on the page.
  2. To test yourself, turn those recall words in the margin into question. For instance, you might ask yourself, “What are recall words?” If you follow this approach on a regular basis, it will certainly help you remember the material discussed in your classes. By using this method, you will not be left with a great deal of material to organized and learn right before an exam. Instead, you will be able to devote quality time before that examination to a final, intensive review of the subject matter.

Discussion Questions:

 

  1. Listening skills are described here as “a dialogue between you and the speaker.” Exactly what does Professor Scott mean in making this claim? What examples come to your mind that support this claim? By the same token, what examples come to mind of any students who fail to enter into this “dialogue?” Use specific, concrete examples, details and illustrations in responding.
  2. Professor Scott presents 13 specific steps to follow for effective note-taking and listening. Evaluate yourself with respect to each one of those steps. As you do so, provide a brief 1-2 sentence commentary on your self-assessment for each step.
  3. Reflecting on those 13 steps, which ones stand out as being your strongest? Why? On the other hand, which would seem to be your weakest, or the ones you need to pay more attention to? Why?
  4. Imagine that you have been invited to make a brief presentation on listening and note-taking skills to a group of high school students. Write a a 3-paragraph essay in which you outline the approach you would take, the points you would emphasize in such a presentation, and the reasons you would use in capturing the attention of the students and leaving them with information that could be transferred to all of their classes.