Learning Strategies, Study Skills, & Paired Courses - College ...

Developing Listening and Note Taking Skills
Description
My developmental reading and study skills course is paired with a three-credit Introduction to
Social Science course. A professor for the course lectures in a traditional format, outlining her
lecture on the board. The freshman students dutifully copy her outline, though many write little
else since they are unsure of what to add. Since some of the exam questions do come from
information that the professor presents but doesn’t write on the board, I videotape a segment of
her lecture (with her permission) and present this activity:
1. I show the tape to my students, asking them to take notes as they would in class. As
expected, their notes mimic what the professor wrote on the board.
2. I distribute a set of detailed notes that I took while listening to the lecture.
3. I replay the video and ask students to highlight everything in my notes that the professor
did not write on the board. This constitutes about 40% of my notes.
4. Students compare my notes with their notes. This vividly illustrates what students need to
add to their notes and points out the importance of capturing what the professor says.
Additional Recommendations
Although I taped a 50-minute lecture, I use only fifteen minutes of it for this in-class activity.
Similar tapes could be on reserve in the library or in the Learning Assistance Center for students
who desire additional practice. Students still struggling with note taking could watch the entire
video outside of class and compare their notes with a full set of notes that have been prepared in
advance. A reading instructor or tutor could periodically pause the tape to check the student's
notes.
Contributor
Sharon Green, Reading Coordinator, Office of Academic Support, Niagara University, NY
(sgreen@niagara.edu)
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