Note-Making Skills

BCS 151 Notes

A Kasongo
MU
 Note-making situations
There are many occasions when note-making is
essential:
• During lectures;
• Reading or studying;
• Gathering information for an assignment;
• Writing summaries;
• During tutorials presentations; and
• Seminars.
 Note-making in lectures
Note-making in a lecture is a challenge because:
• You cannot pause, rewind, or replay the
lecturer in order to go over what you have not
understood;
• You cannot slow down the lecturer;
• You may miss to write down all the important
points.
 Note-making from reading
• You can easily stop and read the text again if
you need to;
• You can write the notes at your own pace;
• You can check if you have included all the
essential points;
 Skills needed in lectures
To get the most out of lectures, you require
eight main skills:
i. Listening (content, analytical listening);
ii. Concentration, ability to control your mind to
focus on the subject;
iii. Speaking ( participating, asking and
answering questions);
iv. Summary writing;
 Skills needed in lectures
v. Note taking;
vi. Organisational skills on paper and in thinking;
vii. Critical thinking, and;
viii. Multi-tasking: doing all the above at the
same time and speed.
 How to prepare for a lecture
• The Course outline:
• Provides an overview of the topics to be learned;
• Informs you about the proposed series of lectures;
• Gives reading lists to help you read the topics in
advance of lectures;
• Search on internet and download any background
information to help you gain understanding of the
subject of the lecture;
 Read in advance of the lecture
• To create a list of possible questions you
would like answered about the subject;
• This helps you to be focused during the
lecture;
• This also helps you to participate in class
discussion to deepen your understanding of
the topic;
• Avoid missing lectures.
 Streamlining note-making in lectures

You can increase your efficiency of note-making

by:
• Spending less time writing and more time
listening and thinking;
• Listening to the main points of the lecture;
• Establishing a collection of abbreviations and
acronyms to speed up your note-making;
• Making sure your notes are easy to understand.
 Taking Lecture Notes
• The lecture notes assist you to keep key points
for each topic;
• The notes are useful for revising for tests and
examinations;
• Individual notes are easier to understand and
remember;
• Make your notes brief: use phrases instead of
sentences or a word instead of a phrase;
• Write the notes in your own words.
 Listen for key words
• Lecturers give clues to what is important;
For example:
-material written on the board;
-repetition;
-emphasis;
-word signals;
-summaries given at the end of lecture.
 Note making from reading
• Avoid writing down everything you read;
• Write down the main points, key points;
• Make accurate notes;
• Leave out descriptions and full explanations;
• Summarize the material: use table, flow chart,
numbers, or mind mapping;
• Write down details about the sources; author, date
of publication, title, edition, town and publisher.
 Note making strategies
Formal outline: Note making is the sorting out
and organising of information while listening
or reading;
• A formal outline shows:
– headings,
– sub-headings,
– main points,
– Supporting examples.
 Example
Topic: Effective strategies for Note making
i. Advantages
Assists the reader to:
a. concentrate on the message;
b. organize ideas as well as record them.
ii. Disadvantages
a. too structured;
b. time consuming.
 Mind map
Planning stage Research stage

Writing process
 Cornel method
The Cornel or T note-taking system is effective in
integrating text and lecture notes:
Example:
Topic: Note making
What is the 1. Purpose of note making
Purpose of note a. To accurately record
Making? Information;
b. To become a good listener
Use of flow charts

Did you think

of it?

Is it common
knowledge?
 Reading skills
• Reading is an essential skill because it enables us
to understand what others have communicated i;
• It enables us to obtain information from written
texts;
• Reading requires being actively involved with
what you are reading;
– Previewing, taking notes, finding definitions, writing
down key points/words, underlining important points,
summarizing in own words and reviewing for recall.
 The Five- part reading system
• Prepare yourself mentally for reading: when
your energy level is high;
• Preview the material;
• Predict questions- ask yourself questions as
you read;
• Pick out key words/points;
• Paraphrase –summarize the message/text in
your own words.
 Reading techniques
There are three main techniques used in reading:
• Scanning is a process of reading through the text
to look for specific information or key words
(checking through the table of content);
• Skimming involves reading through a text in
order to gain an idea of its overall meaning.
• Detailed reading involves reading the text in
detail (when you are studying. To do this you
must read the text more slowly.
 The SQ3R Reading Technique
The SQ3R reading method has helped many
students improve their reading skills.
i. Survey the material or text before reading it for
details: quickly peruse the contents, scan the
main headings to become familiar with the text;
ii. Question: ask questions to help you look for
answers as you read the text. Turn headings
and sub-headings into questions and look for
answers;
 iii. Read the text slowly
• Read the text again and look for main points in
each paragraph;
• Answer the questions you raised in step ii and
make notes;
• Pay attention to headings, and topic sentences in
each paragraph;
• Concentrate and look for the required
information.
• Write notes or summarize the main points.
 iv. Recite the main points
• Go through the notes taken or summary
written and check if you have included all
essential points and if you can remember the
main points of the text ;
v. Review the notes or summary. Read the text
again to ensure that all the main points have
been included. Edit and proof read the
summary or notes. Can you recall the main
points?
Using abbreviations and Acronyms
• Abbreviations are commonly used in summaries
and note making.
• Many abbreviations are unique to particular
fields while others cut across different disciplines;
– Field abbreviations are used by specific fields such as
medicine, law, education, science, ICT, agriculture and
management.
– Personal abbreviations are known and used by an
individual (Lsk, Kbwe, Psdt).
Common abbreviations by all fields
eg, etc, ltd, ie, et al, cap, VC, DVC,
DVD, Vol. Prof. Dr. Mr. Miss
Commonly used symbols and signs:
@, $ %, &, + , w/o, w/, ?
Acronyms
Acronyms are words formed from the initials
letters of words that make up a descriptive
phrase or name.
 Type 1 acronyms
• These are acronyms pronounced as sequences
of letters (letters represent full words);
• These are called aphabetism;
Examples
C.O.D UNO ZFU SFH
EEC AU ECZ CSO
USA CBU ANC PF
FBI EU HIV UPND
 Type 2
• The letters represent elements in a compound
or just part of a word:
Examples
TV TB UN
ID MU UK
Type 3
Acronyms which are pronounced as words:
Examples: NATO, UNZA, ROM, RAM, ZESCO,
UNESCO, AIDS, ZAF, LAZ, ZAMTEL
 Conclusion
• Skimming, scanning and detailed reading help
the way you take in information;
• Deciding which method to use depends on the
length, difficulty, type of material involved and
the purpose for reading it;
• For academic purposes, a combination of
these and other techniques would be
appropriate;
 Critical reading
• The process of reading a text fully so as to gain
all the necessary information is known as
critical reading;
• It involves reading a text in order to obtain all
relevant information;
• This is done by taking notes, close reading and
careful thought.
 Stages involved in critical reading
1. Appraisal: read a book, chapter, report or
document quickly in order to decide whether
it is suitable;
This involves checking the following:
– Author’s name,
– Title of the document, title of periodical, date of
publication, edition, place of publication, publisher
and library classification number.
 2. The contents page
Look at the list of chapters and headings at the
front of every book in order to know what the
book covers;
3. The index is an alphabetical listing of all the
major topics covered by the book, with page
numbers on which they appear.
It enables you to find specific references to a
topic.
 4. The introduction
Read the introduction because it outlines what
the book is about and its target readership;
5. Read the first and last paragraphs: often the
writer establishes the main concerns of a
chapter in the first paragraph;
Similarly, the last paragraph of a chapter
summarizes the main points or draws
conclusions. Skim through these paragraphs.
 6. Summaries and conclusions
• Summaries provide a way of assessing the main
content. Read them with care because they give you
what the chapter is about.
Conclusion
• Reading is an essential part of success in your studies
and demands care, practice and concentration;
• It is useful in acquiring and understanding complex
ideas in your subjects/courses of study and passing
examinations.