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Learning Online: 29. Taking Effective Notes

Learning Online
29. Taking Effective Notes
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table of contents
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. Welcome to Learning Online
  7. Part 1. Who Am I as an Online Learner?
    1. 1. Identifying Skills for Self-Directed Learning
    2. 2. Applying the Plan-Monitor-Evaluate Model for Assessing Your Learning Progress
    3. 3. Using Critical Questioning to Support Your Learning
    4. 4. Managing Information for Online Learning
  8. Part 2. Who Am I with on My Learning Journey?
    1. 5. Defining Your Learning Community
    2. 6. Understanding the Principles of Effective Teamwork
    3. 7. Planning for Successful Teamwork
    4. 8. Progressing Through the Stages of Team Development
    5. 9. Making Commitments That Support Teamwork
  9. Part 3. Who Are My Instructors? What Is Their Role?
    1. 10. Describing the Role of an Online Instructor
    2. 11. Developing an Effective Student-Instructor Connection
  10. Part 4. Learning to Manage Your Time
    1. 12. Using Your Course Schedules to Organize Your Learning
    2. 13. Developing a Weekly Schedule That Works for You
    3. 14. Managing Daily Tasks
    4. 15. Making Use of Small Blocks of Time
  11. Part 5. Professional Communication
    1. 16. Communicating by Email in the Online Learning Environment
    2. 17. Communicating in Online Discussion Forums
    3. 18. Giving and Receiving Feedback
  12. Part 6. Analyzing Online Assignments
    1. 19. Identifying Learning Goals for Assignments
    2. 20. Using a Rubric / Marking Guide to Structure Your Work
    3. 21. Creating an Assignment Plan
    4. 22. Using Feedback to Move Forward
  13. Part 7. Strategic Reading
    1. 23. Understanding the Emphasis of Reading in Your Online Learning Journey
    2. 24. Evaluating Your Reading Skills
    3. 25. Strategic Reading with the SQ3R Method
    4. 26. Identifying the Purpose of SQ3R Steps
    5. 27. Applying the SQ3R Method
    6. 28. Reading Journal Articles Strategically
    7. 29. Taking Effective Notes
    8. 30. Reviewing Your Learning
  14. Downloadable Resources
    1. Resource 2.1: Key Questions to Improve Your Learning
    2. Resource 2.2: Planning-Monitoring-Evaluation Cycle Activity
    3. Resource 3.1: Create Study Questions Using Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy
    4. Resource 11.1: Developing Instructor Relationships Online
    5. Resource 12.1: Master Schedule Template
    6. Resource 13.1: Weekly Schedule Template
    7. Resource 20.1: Use a Rubric / Marking Guide
    8. Resource 21.1: Create an Assignment Planner
    9. Resource 22.1: Use Evaluation to Support Planning
  15. References
  16. Congratulations

29 Taking Effective Notes

Why take notes? Taking good notes helps you quickly review the key points in the material that you have read. Taking notes is also an effective learning strategy. Intentionally annotating the texts that you read requires you to critically engage with the material. You are doing the work of identifying the important content and considering its implications for your course and your professional practice. This practice facilitates deep learning and ensures that you remember key material.

Choose the note-taking method that is most effective for you. You may prefer traditional notebooks. Many readers underline, highlight, and handwrite key notes in the margins of their books. You may prefer to create typewritten notes and to store these notes in your electronic notebook / information management system.

Tips for Effective Note-Taking

  1. 1. Working with online texts is a little different from working with regular textbooks. Acknowledge the difference and consider the strategies you can use for taking effective notes that will help you retain what you are reading, prepare for exams, and note key information for use in your assignments.
  2. 2. Consider browser extensions and resource management tools available to help you with note-taking.
  3. 3. Develop a schedule for when you will do your reading and note-taking.
  4. 4. Develop a plan and structure for note-taking. Do you want to annotate? Highlight? Make comment bubbles? You may find that you fall into a pattern of preference as you get more comfortable with online articles.
  5. 5. Find your balance in taking notes that highlight the key points without making everything key. This will take practice!
  6. 6. At the end, develop a short and concise summary of the main points of the source.

Annotate

Next Chapter
30. Reviewing Your Learning
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