Note taking, according to research(1), helps students in two ways; firstly to understand the lecture and make connections with existing knowledge while it is happening (encoding) and secondly, later to help recall and store the information (storage). A study of students found that those students who took notes and then reviewed their notes (encoding and storage) out performed students who just took notes (encoding only) or those just reviewed another’s notes (storage only). You may well have observed or experienced this first hand.
Taking notes is essential because of the way the memory works. The brain uses short term (working) and long term memory. The working memory can only hold 5 to 9 chunks of information and needs to constantly repeat the information to remember. It passes information to the long term memory. Deciding what to note, summarising and recording helps the working memory pass information to the long term memory during the lecture. Without notes less information is passed to the long term memory and of that information only 80% in the long term store can be recalled after 24 hours of listening to the lecture. Recall of this information reduces to 20% after a week. At A / CAPE level, complex and extensive factual recall is necessary to achieve a good pass.
To make optimum use of the 2 types of memory, it is vital to review notes. Immediately reviewing your notes within 10 minutes of the lecture makes best use of the working memory to fill in missing information and amend any unclear information. The working memory will then pass more information to the long term memory which is your key to recall for examinations and other uses. The review after class makes recall peak before declining over 24 hours.
A further review after 24 hours helps the long term memory to work like a filing cabinet. New information is linked to other information already in the store and in order for recall to take place the long term memory needs to repeat and rehearses the information. Using techniques such as underlining or highlighting key words to help recall and link information to existing knowledge works well at this review. Recall of long sentences is difficult as 90% of the words do not trigger any association. Key words tend to be a noun or strong verb . Evocative or creative words e.g. bizarre, furious whilst strong are tend not to trigger recall. Key words can then be used for other recall aids such as mnemonics, question and answer techniques (Cornell/Jeopardy method) or to construct a Mind Map (2)(patterned notes). After this 24 hour review recall will peak to the same level as the review after class then decline over 7 – 10 days again .
The review within 24 hours is the most important. If notes are not reviewed studies will become progressively harder as new information is not linked in the long term memory and each learning experience is not placed in context. The CAPE and A level syllabi have a theoretical basis and heavy factual content which cannot be memorised without incremental study over the 2 year course.
A final review at 7- 10 days will ensure that recall of the information peaks again and has been effectively processed in the long term memory. This final review reinforces the recall pathway within the brain which can then be refreshed before examinations and for assignments rather than information relearned. Using methods of review such as survey, question, read, recite, review (SQ3R), Cornell method and mind mapping, which have been developed to assist long term memory and in response to knowledge about brain function, at this stage will be more effective than just reading through notes.(3)
Taking notes in a lecture is very demanding as the student needs to listen to the lecture, make sense of the lecture, decide what to record and record it. Students who take notes can only record 25% to 40% of the lecture and significantly the quantity of notes varies over time. We all have experienced “brain overload” towards the end of a lecture however it is important to force yourself to concentrate and continue to note. The quantity of notes taken by students had an effect on their marks as well as whether they reviewed their notes (4).
Top performing students take sufficient and relevant notes and review their notes. Recall is strengthened by 3 reviews; immediately after the lecture, within 24 hours and within a week to memorise the new knowledge and make links to existing knowledge. Students who used a variety of recall techniques performed better in exams and assignments than those using a single technique(5).
Questions
(a) What two factors mentioned above helped students get better marks?
(b) Based on the above information about memory and recall, what difficulties might a student have if they tried to cram for A level exams?
(c) To effectively recall notes, how many times and when should a student review notes?
(d) What kinds of words make the best triggers for recall?
ReferencesR
1. Kiewra et al (1989) and Scerbo et al (1992) cited by Caverly and Flippo, Handbook of College Reading and Study Strategy Research (2000)
2. Buzan, Use both sides of your brain (1991)
3. Cherry, Excellence without Excuse – a Black Student’s Guide to Academic Success (1997)
4. Caverly and Flippo (2000)
5. Dembo, Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success: A Self-Management Approach (2000)
