ACTIVE LEARNING AND EFFECTIVE NOTE MAKING

Learning how to learn

• Groundhog Day: a film where Bill Murray relives the same day over and over again

• Groundhog lesson: where a teacher teaches the same topic over and over again

• Why: • students have failed to learn

how to learn

Groundhog Day lessons

• Why do goldfish never get bored in a bowl

• They cannot remember• We humans can but…• Sights, sounds, sensations exist

in short term memory for 30 seconds

Have we done this before Sir?

• Memory: our ability to learn something, then store it, retain it and recall it when needed

• Without a conscious effort we will forget

How to acquire memories

Your memory is like

a wheat field

Memories – brain pathway• Long term memory is made by creating synaptic

pathways connecting neurons in the brain• Memory is a path of brain cells• We remember by re-treading that path

Creating academic memories requires activity

There are three simple steps to better remember things1. Active listening in the first

place to create a path2. Effective note taking to

create beaten down pathway3. Revisit past learning by

rereading class notes, regularly ie at least fortnightly

So you want to remember?

Learning first requires listeningWhat happens if your mind is switched off in the classroom

Active listening requires1. Silence: to allow the other

person to speak and be heard.2. Concentration: bringing all

your mind to hear and understand what the other person is really saying

Active listening is made easier by adopting effective note making tactics….

Passive v Active listening

What did I just say…

Traditional note taking Copying words off the board is passive and almost pointless – class PowerPoints can be downloadedMost people can copy and think about something completely different at the same timeFar better to opt for active note making

Passive note taking

Cornell method ( adapted)2

Que

stion

s an

d ke

ywor

ds 1 Notes:key points made in lesson

3 Summary of key points

Cornell method: widely used in Ivy League colleges• Divide a page into three areas

Notes area

Key points in this area. Use• Headings• Short sharp simple

phrases • Abbreviations and

symbols

Topic DateIn the notes area add • a topic and date for reference• key ideas made during a lesson

Notes• Have headings• Are clear and concise

Add underlining and colour after a lesson for emphasis

Use colour for emphasis eg • red for a disadvantage or weakness• green for an advantage or strength

Underlining adds emphasis• strengths and weaknesses• strengths and weaknesses

• strengths and weaknesses

Experiment with colour and underlining

Questions and keywords areaAd

d ke

ywor

ds, p

oint

s to

follo

w u

p an

d no

tes

for f

urth

er re

adin

g he

reUse the left-hand column to record:• Key words and their definition• Questions raised by the talk, for

follow-up• Notes from research undertaken

after the lesson

Summary areaAfter class, use the bottom column to write a brief summary of the notes on the page

Taking quicker notes: use symbols

∆ Change in Leads to

> Greater than < Less

than

Increase Decrease

% percentage Σ Sum or total

Therefore Because

Good x Bad

Common abbreviations• Cf: compare• Eg: for example• Min: minimum• Max: maximum• Etc: and so forth

Specialist abbreviations• BoE: Bank of England• PED: Price elasticity of demand• DD: demand• SS: supply• EMP: equilibrium market price• Govt: government• Cet par: all other things being

equal

Taking quick notes: use abbreviations

Creating long-term memories is a process• Step one: active listening and

note making during lessons• step two: additional notes and

annotations after lessons• Step three: persistent and

consistent rereading of notes

Standing homework:• add extra notes• add colour and underlining• create a summary• Reread last lessons notes before

class• He read notes taken in all

lessons at least fortnightly

So what