Chapter 6

Listening, Note-Taking and Participation

In virtually every college class you take, you’ll need to master two skills to earn high grades: listening and note-taking.

Note taking is important because your instructors are likely to introduce new material in class that your text may not cover and chances are that much of this material will resurface on quizzes or exams.

Some helpful tips for assuring that you will retain what is important from class are:

·        Tape lectures, but be sure to ask the instructor permission first.

·        Choose note-taking system that works for you. (outline, etc)

·        Be aware that some or what the instructor say may mot be in the text

·        Since writing everything is not possible, ask questions.

·        Make it a habit to review notes with other students.

·        Speak up! People tend to remember what they have said more than what others are saying to them.

LISTENING AND FORGETTING

Have you noticed how easy it is to remember the words of a song?  WHY?

(a)        Often times the words in a song have a personal meaning to us

(b)       Because the words in the song usually follow a tune and have a beat we can repeat over and over

(c)       We relate the words in the song to something in our lives

Most forgetting takes place within the first 24 hours after you see or hear something.  If you do not immediately review after class, if may be difficult to retrieve the material you been given later.  In two weeks you will have forgotten up to 70% percent of the material.

USING YOUR SENSES IN THE LEARNING PROCESS

You can enhance your memory by using as many of your senses as possible while learning.   How do you believe you learn most effectively?

TWO OR THREE OF THE CATEGORIES LISTED BELOW PROBABLY DESCRIBES YOUR PREFERRED WAYS OF LEARNING BETTER THAN THE OTHERS

(a)       Aural     (learn best by listening)

(b)       Visual    (learn best by seeing)

(c)       Interactive  (learn best by discussing with others)

(d)       Tactile   (learn best by sense of touch, typing your notes)

(e)       Kinesthetic (learn best by doing, participating, body in motion)

(f)         Olfactory (sense of taste or smell contribute to your learning)

BEFORE CLASS: PREPARE TO REMEMBER

You would not want to walk into class unprepared.  You can take a number of active learning steps to make your listening and note-taking more efficient.  WHAT ARE SOME STEPS THE TEXT LIST?

(a)     Do the assigned reading before class

(b)    Pay close attention to your course syllabus

(c)     Keep an open mind

(d)    Get organized

(e)     Prepare to track your progress

DURING CLASS: LISTEN CRITICALLY

Listening in class is not like listening to TV or listening to a friend.  Know how to listen in class can help you get more out of what you hear.  Here are some suggestions:

·        Listen for the main concepts and central ideas not fragment facts

·        Listen for new ideas

·        Decide whether what you heard is very important, somewhat important, or not very important.

·        Ask question and respect your own ideas and those of others

TAKING EFFECTIVE NOTES

You cam make class time more productive by using you listening skills to take effective notes, but first you have to decide on a system that works and that you can understand.  Here are some suggested systems:

(a)       Cornell Format  (create a recall column on page of notes by drawing a line)

(b)      Outline Format  (most widely used, Roman numeral listing key ideas)

(c)       Paragraph Format  (writing detail paragraphs summarizing topic)

(d)      List Format  (good for listing terms and definitions, facts or sequences)

NOTE TAKING TECHNIQUES

Whatever method you use, remember “Don’t try to write down everything”.

Instructors using power-point or overhead transparencies generally will have important stuff in italics, bold or repeat the information several times.

As you take notes, leave between lines so later you can fill in additional details that you might have missed during class.

Clear, concise, organized notes help you stay focused on the main ideas of a lecture thus better preparing you to study only the important information for exams.

AFTER CLASS: RESPOND, RECITE, REVIEW

Don’t let the forgetting curve we talked about earlier take its toil on you (most forgetting take place within twenty four hours after you see or hear something).

As soon after class as possible, review your notes and fill in the details you still remember, but missed writing down in those spaces you left between the lines.

One of the best ways to remember an information is to recite or teach it to someone else.  You will understand something better and remember it longer if yu try to explain it.

Use these three important steps for remembering the key points in a class lecture:

·        Write the main idea in the recall column of notes

·        Use the recall column to recite your ideas

·        Review the previous day’s notes just before the next class session

These three ways to engage with the material will pay off later, when you begin to study for your exams.

COMPARING AND RECOPYING NOTES

You may be able to improve you notes by comparing notes with another student or in a study group.  Are your notes as clear and concise as other students?  Do you agree on the important points that should be included in the recall column?

Incidentally, comparing notes is not the same as copying somebody else’s notes.  You simply cannot learn as well from someone else’s notes no matter how good they are.

Some students choose to copy their own notes as a means of review.

PARTICIPATING IN CLASS: SPEAK UP!

Learning is not a spectator sport.  To really learn, you must talk about what you are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and make what you learn part of yourself.

Participation is the heart of learning.  When we say something in class, we are more likely to remember it than when someone else say it.   When a teacher tosses a question your way, or when you have a question to ask, you’re actually making it easier to remember the day’s lesson.

You are more likely to participate if the teacher emphasizes discussion, calls on you by name and avoid criticizing you for an incorrect answer. 

Keep in mind that most good critical thinking classes have not right or wrong answer.  A good instructor simply wants you to give considerable thought to your answers and be able to support them with evidence.

“SO LEARN TO SPEAK UP”

ASSIGNMENT

EXERCISE 6.1 Using Your Five Senses to Learn:  Individually refer to page 107 in this chapter and decide which two modes of learning seem to work best for you: aural, visual, interactive, tactile, kinesthetic, or olfactory.

Be prepared to orally share your answers with the class and explain why you learn in this particular way as oppose to other methods.