Effective Notetaking

by Fiona McPherson

Overview

You can predict how well a student will do simply on the basis of their use of effective study strategies.

This book is for college students who are serious about being successful in study, and teachers who want to know how best to help their students learn.

Being a successful student is far more about being a smart user of effective strategies than about being 'smart'. Research has shown it is possible to predict how well a student will do simply on the basis of their use of study strategies.

This workbook looks at the most important group of study strategies – how to take notes (with advice on how to read a textbook and how to prepare for a lecture). You’ll be shown how to:

• format your notes
• use headings and highlighting
• how to write different types of text summaries and pictorial ones, including concept maps and mind maps (you'll find out the difference, and the pros and cons of each)
• ask the right questions
• make the right connections
• review your notes
• evaluate text to work out which strategy is appropriate.

There's advice on individual differences and learning styles, and on how to choose the strategies that are right for both you and the situation.

Using effective notetaking strategies will help you remember what you read. It will help you understand more, and set you on the road to becoming an expert (or at least getting good grades!).

Successful studying isn’t about hours put in, it’s about spending your time wisely. You want to study smarter not harder.

As always with the Mempowered books, this thorough (and fully referenced) workbook doesn't re-hash the same tired advice that's been peddled for so long. Rather, Effective notetaking builds on the latest cognitive and educational research to help you study for success.

This revised edition includes review questions and advance organizers for each chapter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927166611
Publisher:	Wayz Press
Publication date:	11/12/2018
Series:	Study Skills , #1
Pages:	276
Sales rank:	314,711
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.69(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Making note-taking an effective strategy

Note-taking is a strategy for making information meaningful

The importance of working memory

PART I: Selection strategies

3. Highlighting important information

An example

What highlighting does

What should be highlighted?

4. Headings highlight structure

Do headings help memory?

How do headings help memory?

Learning to use the topic structure strategy

Do some individuals benefit more from headings than others?

5. Summaries

Topical summaries and overviews

Advance organizers

Creating summaries

6. Graphic summaries

Outlines and Graphic Organizers

Multimedia summaries

Maps

Visual language

PART II: Connection strategies

7. Understanding connection

An example

What this means for note-taking

8. Elaboration strategies

Making comparisons

Asking questions

Mnemonics

9. Concept maps

When concept maps are useful

Mind maps

PART III: Applying your strategies

10. Taking notes in lectures

How taking notes in a lecture is different from taking notes from text

Are there special strategies for taking notes in lectures?

11. Using your notes

Providing a record

Focusing attention

Helping you select what’s important

Organizing information / Helping you make connections

Helping you review

Reducing cognitive load

12. Learning style and individual differences

How individual differences affect your strategy

Cognitive style

Personal preferences and strategy choice

13. Choosing the right strategy

Assessing the text and the task

Choosing the right strategy

Summary of note-taking strategies

Personal profile

Glossary of terms

Chapter notes

Answers to exercises

References