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More Head Etal 2019
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All content following this page was uploaded by Kayla Morehead on 15 February 2019.
To cite this article: Kayla Morehead, John Dunlosky, Katherine A. Rawson, Rachael Blasiman
& R. Benjamin Hollis (2019): Note-taking habits of 21st Century college students: implications for
student learning, memory, and achievement, Memory
With the exception of three reported studies concerning the considered best practices. To provide a context for the
utility of notetaking in the fifties … , little other recent attention present research, we first discuss what has changed since
in the area of student practices has been evident. The effort
reported here attempts to assess current student attitudes
1974 and then describe an empirical framework for evalu-
and practices in the area of notetaking, and to compare ating the effectiveness of students’ note-taking habits.
these to earlier findings. (Palmatier & Bennett, 1974, p. 215) Then, we briefly review prior survey studies (in the
context of the framework) and end with an overview of
This quote comes from one of the most recent large-scale
the present research.
surveys focused on student note-taking, which was pub-
lished in 1974. Noting the lack of relevant research from
Changes since 1974 that may Influence note-taking
the 1950s to the 1970s, Palmatier and Bennett raised a
habits
concern that “the appearance of the spiral-bound note-
book” (p. 216) would affect student note-taking. We So, what has happened since 1974 that may be relevant to
suspect that most researchers will agree that the techno- note-taking and the degree to which students are taking
logical advances introduced in education since 1974 far effective notes and learning from them? With respect to
exceed the advance of spiral-bound notebooks. Moreover, taking notes, unlike the first laptop computer (which was
recent survey research indicates that when students are introduced in 1981, had no battery, and weighed close to
preparing for high-stakes exams, they largely rely on mem- 25 pounds), modern laptop computers are lightweight
orising their notes (Karpicke, Butler, & Roediger, 2009; and can be readily used to take notes in the classroom.
Morehead, Rhodes, & DeLozier, 2016). Given that the More recently, eWriters (e.g., Boogie Board™ eWriters,
content of notes is foundational to what students learn, it which function as electronic paper) and other tablets
is important to understand when and where students (e.g., iPads, which have eWriting capabilities as well as
take notes as well as the strategies students use when other functions) now allow students to take notes long-
studying their notes to enhance memory and learning of hand without using paper. As for teaching technologies,
course content. Accordingly, the main goals of the many advances have been made that could impact
present research were to provide an extensive and up-to- whether and how students take notes. PowerPoint was
date survey of student note-taking habits – both for lec- introduced in 1990 and is now used by many teachers to
tures in classrooms and on-line courses – as well as to present course content during lectures. The internet has
compare student note-taking habits against what is led to enrollment in online courses in which students
CONTACT Kayla Morehead kmorehea@kent.edu Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240, USA
© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
2 K. MOREHEAD ET AL.
view lectures and course content online without being in a Concerning the encoding function, two aspects of note-
classroom. taking are arguably most relevant: (a) what method stu-
Given these advances in note-taking and instructional dents use to take notes and (b) whether students
technologies, one could safely argue that the need to attempt to organise their notes as they take them. With
update our knowledge about students’ note-taking behav- respect to note-taking methods, students can take notes
iour is greater now than in 1974 when the largest impact by longhand in a notebook or using an electronic device
on note-taking was the invention of the spiral notebook. (e.g., a tablet or eWriter), or they can type notes on a
Given that notes themselves represent the focal stimuli rel- laptop computer or tablet. In empirical research of which
evant to a great deal of student learning, understanding method is best, taking notes longhand has generally pro-
how students take notes and how they go about studying duced as good or better performance outcomes when
them when preparing for exams will have important impli- investigated in real-life courses and in the laboratory
cations for memory investigators who seek to improve (Carter, Greenberg, & Walker, 2017; Luo, Kiewra, Flanigan,
student achievement. Accordingly, we conducted a large- & Peteranetz, 2018; Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014; for
scale survey of students’ note-taking that both connects one exception, see Bui, Myerson, & Hale, 2013). Using a
with earlier research (by using several of the survey ques- laptop in a classroom may be especially disruptive,
tions from prior research) and extends it (by surveying stu- because computer use (typing, access to the internet)
dents about note-taking with respect to the while taking notes can be distracting for the laptop user
aforementioned technological advances). Furthermore, and potentially for students sitting near them (e.g., Sana,
the present survey included more detailed questions Weston, & Cepeda, 2013). Thus, key questions concerning
about students’ note-taking beyond whether they take the encoding function of note-taking include, Will the
notes, so as to help memory investigators generate majority of students report taking notes longhand, or do
hypotheses and research ideas based on students’ many now use laptops? And, do any students use both
reported note-taking behaviour. note-taking methods, and if so, why?
The encoding function of note-taking may also be ben-
efitted by organising and transforming notes, versus just
copying a lecture verbatim. The idea here is that transform-
Empirical framework for interpreting students’
ing a lecture into one’s own words and organising (or inte-
note-taking habits
grating) the lecture content can boost performance, partly
Students largely self-regulate their note-taking. Teachers because such generative processes are more effortful than
may offer scaffolds (e.g., an outline of a lecture or copies passively copying a lecture. Better organisation (e.g., using
of PowerPoint slides) to help students take notes, but it is outlines or the Cornell note-taking method) may support
typically up to each student to decide how and when to more effective restudy and subsequently improve the
take notes. Unfortunately, the literature on self-regulated storage function. Thus, to investigate their approach to
learning has revealed that how students regulate their note-taking in the present survey, students who indicated
learning – including decisions about which strategies to taking notes also reported whether they tended to copy
use and when to use them – often does not match empiri- notes or organise them in some manner.
cal evidence about how best to regulate learning (Bjork, The effectiveness of the storage function is largely
Dunlosky, & Kornell, 2013). For instance, many students reflected by how students study their notes, and some
report preferring to prepare for exams by rereading their study strategies are better than others. For instance, to
textbooks instead of testing themselves (Gurung, enhance the storage function, students should test them-
Weidert, & Jeske, 2010; Hartwig & Dunlosky, 2012; More- selves on the content of notes instead of merely rereading
head et al., 2016), whereas evidence indicates that reread- them (e.g., Dunlosky et al., 2013; Roediger & Butler, 2011).
ing is less effective than self-testing (for reviews, see General surveys of students’ study behaviour suggest
Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan, & Willingham, 2013; that they tend to overly rely on less effective strategies
Roediger & Butler, 2011). (e.g., rereading), and outcomes from the present survey
Accordingly, to provide a framework for interpreting the provide converging evidence about how students use
outcomes from students’ reports of their note-taking their notes to prepare for exams.
habits, we first consider the relevant empirical evidence Finally, one novel aspect of the present research per-
concerning best practices. We also organised the frame- tains to revealing how students approach taking notes in
work on the distinction between the two main functions online courses, which could have implications for both
of note-taking: encoding and storage. The encoding func- the encoding and storage function of note-taking. One
tion concerns the degree to which the act of taking possibility is that some students will not take notes, with
notes improves student learning of the target materials, the idea that they will merely view the online lectures
whereas the storage function concerns how students sub- and supporting materials to prepare for exams. Recent
sequently attempt to learn from their notes and its impact research suggests that students who rely on reviewing
on test performance (for a review, see Kiewra, 1989; online lectures perform poorly (e.g., Liles, Vuk, & Tariq,
Kobayashi, 2005; Kobayashi, 2006). 2018). But, is it common for students to rely less on
MEMORY 3
note-taking for online than in-class lectures? To answer this such studies by Van Meter, Yokoi, and Pressley (1994) did
question, we compared reports of note-taking habits for so by interviewing 252 students. All students reported
those students who were enrolled in both kinds of taking notes. Most students reported that their note-
course when taking the survey. taking was directed towards the goal of doing well in a
Because students may not always make the best choices course. They reported taking notes for several reasons;
about how to take notes, we included several other ques- the most common reasons included paying attention
tions on the survey to provide possible insight into why during lectures, organising information from lectures, or
they might make sub-optimal decisions (e.g., Were they using notes as a study aid. They reported reviewing their
taught how to take notes?) and whether they are inter- notes by rereading or organising them. Consistent with
ested in learning how to improve their note-taking skills. this finding, Nandagopal and Ericsson (2012) reported
that 100% of students reported reviewing their notes,
and Tran and Lawson (2001) reported that reference and
Historical overview of survey research on note-
repetition were the most popular review strategies (44%
taking habits
and 76% respectively). Based on the aforementioned
The first two surveys on note-taking were conducted by empirical framework of best practices, many students par-
Charters (1924, 1925). The purpose of these studies was ticipating in this survey were not fully capitalising on the
to investigate student study behaviour, including note- storage function of note-taking.
taking. In both survey, female college students (44 in the A more recent survey of student note-taking, adminis-
first survey, 258 in the second) were interviewed about tered between 2012 and 2013 involving 435 students,
their study habits. In the first survey, most women reported reported that 99.6% of students took notes at least some
taking notes because it was often required and that note- of the time with 93.8% reporting taking notes often or
taking was useful for organising information in a brief always (as reported in a general chapter on note-taking
amount of time. Participants in the second survey reported by Peverly & Wolf, 2019). In the same survey, 96.5% of stu-
that they often kept their notes, thought notes were useful dents reported taking notes on paper at least sometimes
for review, and believed they would have done poorer on and 53.4% reported taking notes on a computer at least
exams if they had not taken notes. Despite believing note- sometimes. In another survey by Aguilar-Roca, Williams,
taking was important, 68% reported receiving no instruc- and O’Dowd (2012), 50% of students reported taking
tion on how to take notes. The next survey (Danskin & notes on paper and about 22% reported taking notes on
Burnett, 1952) investigated what study techniques superior a laptop. Although a smaller percentage reported using
students used, including how they took notes. The laptops, as noted in the framework above, these students
researchers interviewed 37 students who were in the top may be at a disadvantage, and so might students sitting
of their class. Eighty-nine percent of students reported near them during in-class lectures.
taking notes, and 86% reported organising their notes Of course, these outcomes support the anecdotal obser-
while taking them. No survey research on note-taking vations of anyone who has recently taught (or taken) an in-
behaviour was conducted again until 1974 when Palmatier class lecture in college: most students take notes in some
and Bennett administered the first large-scale survey (N = fashion or another. But, do they also take notes for lectures
223) pertaining specifically to student note-taking. They during online courses, and have they begun to adopt
asked participants how they took notes and about their newer technologies (e.g., eWriters or tablets) while taking
use of various note-taking techniques. Ninety-nine notes? Given that most students take and review notes,
percent of students reported taking notes during lectures, how they engage in note-taking with technology has
and 96% believed that note-taking was essential for important consequences for classroom learning.
success in college. Students reported taking notes in
spiral notebooks, on loose-leaf paper, or on legal pads.
Overview of present survey of note-taking habits
Since this survey, few other studies of note-taking
behaviour have been conducted, and these typically did Given that few large-scale surveys have focused exclusively
not include questions relevant to recent technological on students’ note-taking (with one of the largest scale
advances.1 Nevertheless, we discuss the subset of these surveys being published over forty years ago), and only a
surveys from which we adapted questions for the few surveys have addressed the impact of technology on
present survey. Hartley and Davies (1978) administered a note-taking (e.g., Aguilar-Roca et al., 2012; Fried, 2008;
survey to investigate why students take notes. They sur- Peverly & Wolf, 2019), our goal for the present investigation
veyed 52 American students about their note-taking was to update the literature by surveying students about
beliefs and skills. Ninety-eight percent of participants their note-taking and the impact of technology on their
believed note-taking was important, 56% reported receiv- note-taking, including the use of electronic devices in
ing instruction on note-taking, and 67% wished they had class and note-taking in online courses. We recruited a
better note-taking skills. large sample by collecting data from students at Kent
Other research has attempted to develop theories of State University on the main campus, on the regional cam-
note-taking based on student perceptions. The first of puses, and enrolled in online courses.
4 K. MOREHEAD ET AL.
To develop survey questions, we used questions from time completing the survey were excluded from analyses.
prior surveys and developed new questions to assess the Data for one participant who did not finish the survey
use of technology in the classroom and note-taking in were also excluded.
online courses. Many questions focused on how students Demographic information was similar across all samples
take and review notes to emphasise the encoding function (see Table 1), as were general results. Because our aim was
(taking notes) and storage function (reviewing notes) as to collect a large sample and results for all three samples
described above. Given that many experimental studies were similar, their data were combined for a total sample
have investigated these functions of note-taking, we size of 577.2
asked students several questions about how they
engaged in both functions. We also asked participants
Materials
about their note-taking skills and whether they had
received training on note-taking. We describe these ques- The survey consisted of 55 questions (see Appendix for a
tions more fully in the Method section. list of all questions asked), but some questions were con-
To summarise, our main goals were to provide an ditional based on answers to prior questions. For
extensive and up-to-date survey of student note-taking instance, if students reported not taking notes in class,
habits. Based on prior evidence, we expected most stu- they did not answer questions about note-taking behav-
dents to report taking notes in a class and studying iour in class. Therefore, most participants did not answer
them in a relatively ineffective manner. Our empirical fra- every question. In the next sections, we discuss the
mework also emphasises the importance of understand- origin of and rationale for the questions used in the
ing the use of technology, because its ineffective use present survey.
could result in poor learning. For instance, we expected
at least some students to report using laptops (which
Table 1. Demographic Information from All Samples.
can undermine performance), but only a few surveys
Main
have investigated how widespread laptops are being Question Choices Campus Regional Online
used in classrooms. Because online courses provide Gender (Q1)a Male 24 19 41
video content that students can review if they would Female 75 78 58
like, we expected some students to report not taking Other 1 3 1
notes in these courses. Again, not taking notes would Age (Q2) Under 18 0 5 0
be expected to limit their learning, but how widespread 18–22 97 73 95
this potential problem may be is currently unknown. 23–25 2 5 3
25–30 0 5 2
30–40 0 5 0
40+ 0 5 0
Method
Ethnicity (Q3) Hispanic/ 2 0 2
Participants Latino
Native 0 0 0
Participants were recruited from three groups of under- American
Asian 3 0 4
graduate students at Kent State University. All students African 10 8 13
completed the survey for course credit. The first group American
(N = 312) consisted of students enrolled in psychology Middle Eastern 2 3 4
Caucasian 83 89 77
courses on the main campus. The second group (N = 37)
consisted of students enrolled in psychology courses on 1st Language English Yes 97 100 91
the regional campuses. Although students in these (Q4) No 3 0 9
cohorts may have been enrolled in online courses and Year (Q7) Freshmen 47 35 60
hence could answer questions about their note-taking in Sophomore 18 24 27
this venue, we also wanted to ensure enough students Junior 17 22 10
Senior 18 19 3
who participated were enrolled in online courses. Thus, a
third group (N = 238) was sampled from students who High School GPA (Q8) 1.0–1.9 0 0 0
were enrolled in at least one web-enhanced course 2.0–2.9 7 11 13
3.0–3.5 46 24 45
where lectures were online. All students signed up for 3.6–4.0 47 65 43
the survey through the university’s SONA system. Although
the first two groups consisted of students enrolled in psy- College GPA (Q9) 0.0–0.9 0 0 0
1.0–1.9 0 5 1
chology courses, most students in the sample were not 2.0–2.9 18 16 14
psychology majors. Across all three groups, only 17% of 3.0–3.5 28 27 30
participants (101) were psychology majors. 3.6–4.0 17 27 10
1st Semester 37 24 44
Nine students completed the survey through both the
Note. Numbers reported are percentages of total N per sample. aQ refers to
main campus and online group. Because these students the actual questions to which participants responded, which are presented
completed the survey twice, their data from the second in the Appendix.
MEMORY 5
Do you feel that taking notes is necessary? (Q12) Yes 88 (510) -- 94–985,7,11
What do you use to take notes? (Q15) Notebook 86 (477) 50–971,12 10011
Laptop 46 (255) 22–641,6,12 --
Tablet 1 (7) 612 --
eWriter 0 (1) -- --
Other 1 (8) -- --
Do you try to organise your notes or copy what the Organise 56 (307) 783 864
teacher says? (Q19) Copy 30 (164) -- --
Depends 15 (81) -- --
Do you take notes differently depending on the class? (Q21) Yes 74 (408) -- 83–965,7
Do you take notes in some lectures, but not others? (Q11) Yes 37 (212) -- --
What else do you take notes on? (Q24) Textbook Readings 86 (477) -- --
Other Readings 46 (255) -- --
In-class Activities 1 (7) -- --
Class Videos 0 (1) -- --
Other 1 (8) -- --
Note. Main values are percentages, and the numbers in parentheses are the number of respondents. The last two columns present data from prior
research reflecting questions similar to those asked in the present survey. Superscripts denote which studies were pooled for values in the table.
Only studies reporting quantitative outcomes were included. For some questions, responses do not add to 100% because students could select mul-
tiple options. We did not include the percentage responding no for yes/no options.
Online lectures students who enroll in both kinds of course do not take
Thirty-eight percent of participants (n = 220) reported notes differently in general, but take notes substantially
being enrolled in a course where most or all of the lectures less often in their online courses than in their in-class
were online. Results for questions pertaining to note-taking lectures.
during online lectures are presented in Table 3. Unlike in-
class lectures, only about half of the students reported
General encoding questions
taking notes during online lectures (49%), but 58%
reported that note-taking was necessary for effective learn- Results for general encoding questions are reported in
ing. When asked why they did not take notes, 67% of these Table 5. Most students reported that their teachers pro-
students reported not taking notes because the lecture vided PowerPoint slides (70%), and over half of those
material is available online as either video lectures or students reported that they took notes differently
slides, so they believed taking notes was unnecessary. when PowerPoint slides were provided than when they
Another 20% reported not taking notes because they were not, either reporting that they took notes on the
were bored or lazy (not reported in Table 3). Of those provided handouts (49%) or did not take notes at all
who reported taking notes, most reported using a note- (16%). They also reported that when PowerPoint slides
book (86%; 20% reported using a notebook and a laptop) were provided they took the same amount of notes
and trying to organise their notes (70%). (48%) or less notes (41%). Also, the majority (66%) of stu-
It is possible that students enrolled in online classes dents reported not learning about Cornell notes,
differ from those who only attend in-class lectures. suggesting that this organisational technique is not
Hence, we also explored how students enrolled in online being widely used in this cohort.
classes took notes in their in-class lectures. Results are pre- Responses to the true/false statements adapted from
sented in Table 4, which includes in-class and online Dunkel and Davy (1989) and Hartley and Davies (1978)
lecture outcomes from only students enrolled in online are presented at the bottom of Table 5. Most results
classes. Note that results for in-class lectures are similar were similar across surveys. However, results differed for
to results for all participants (Table 2), indicating that two items in that, compared to prior research, more
MEMORY 7
Do you take notes differently when PowerPoint Yes, I take notes on handouts. 49 (277) -- --
slides are available? (Q37) Yes, I do not take notes. 16 (90) -- --
No 35 (198) -- --
Do you take the same amount of notes when PowerPoint Yes 48 (270) -- --
slides are available? (Q38) No, I take less notes 41 (231) -- --
No, I take more notes 11 (64) -- --
If I did not have to take exams, I would not take notes. (Q54) True 52 (297) -- 29–385,7
I take notes so that I will not have to read the textbook. (Q55) True 46 (266) -- 10–155,7
I am often on the internet or playing games instead of taking notes. (Q52) True 22 (124) -- --
Note. Main values are percentages, and the numbers in parentheses are the number of respondents.
Introduction), it does suggest that most students attempt students reported flexibility in their note-taking. Some stu-
to actively process lecture content versus passively copy. dents reported using both notebooks and laptops to take
And, as indicated by directly comparing the present out- notes, and most students who reported using both also
comes to those of prior surveys (Tables 2 and 3, Tables indicated that they chose which method to use based on
5–7), these reports are consistent with the general note- how quickly the instructor spoke or whether PowerPoints
taking literature that demonstrates how much students slides were available. These results suggest that at least
value taking notes during in-class lectures and reviewing some students attempt to regulate their note-taking so
them to prepare for exams. as to increase the chances that their notes are complete.
Other results are relatively unique to the present survey, These responses also suggest that the relative efficacy of
and we will highlight those outcomes with respect to the note-taking devices may depend on the lecturer style
empirical framework. Concerning the encoding function, and course material. That is, using a laptop to take notes
what method do students report using while taking may be beneficial in some circumstances, such as when
notes? A key outcome of the present research is that lectures do not include visuals (that would need to be
If you take notes, why do you do so? (Q41) So I can review them later 85 (490) 2113 96–985.7
To aid learning 79 (454) -- --
It helps me learn by writing 63 (365) -- --
Because I have to take exams 63 (362) 1513 297
So I pay attention during the lecture 62 (356) -- --
Because it is expected 21 (123) -- --
Because the teacher can see me 6 (34) -- --
Other 1 (6) -- --
I do not take notes 2 (9) -- --
Note. Main values are percentages, and the numbers in parentheses are the number of respondents.
MEMORY 9
Do you wish you had better note-taking skills? (Q48) Yes 58 (335) -- 59–775,7
When were you taught note-taking skills? (Q45) Elementary school 26 (72) -- --
Middle school 65 (180) -- --
High school 76 (210) -- --
Community college 2 (6) -- --
College 18 (50) -- --
Other 1 (3) -- --
For how long were you taught note-taking skills? (Q47) Part of a class period 31 (85) -- --
An entire class period 18 (49) -- --
A few class periods 45 (124) -- --
A month 4 (10) -- --
A semester 13 (36) -- --
Note. Main values are percentages, and the numbers in parentheses are the number of respondents.
illustrated by hand) or when a lecturer speaks quickly. because they believed that it was unnecessary to do so
Given that some students reported using multiple note- given that the lectures are always available, suggesting
taking methods, future research should investigate the that they believe that notes only function as records of
degree to which students’ choices are adaptive – that is, lecture content that would be lost otherwise. However,
do they choose the most effective method for a particular some note-taking studies have reported at least some
context? benefit for taking notes compared to listening to a
Students reported flexibility in note-taking behaviour, lecture (see Kiewra, 1989; Kobayashi, 2005 for review). By
but is this flexibility always beneficial? For instance, about choosing not to take notes in online courses, students
half of the participants reported not taking notes in may be negatively impacting their subsequent memory
online courses even though most of these students for the course content, especially if they do not review
reported taking notes during in-class lectures (Tables 3 the video lectures (e.g., Liles et al., 2018). Even if they do,
and 4). They often explained that they did not take notes merely viewing the video again may be analogous to
Do you feel that note-taking is necessary for effective learning? (Q12) Yes 79 (139) 93 (365) 100 (6)
Do you take notes differently when PowerPoints are available? (Q37) Yes, I take notes on handouts 39 (66) 54 (209) 33 (2)
Yes, I do not take notes 22 (37) 13 (52) 17 (1)
No 40 (68) 33 (127) 50 (3)
What do you use to take notes in class? (Q15) Notebook 90 (146) 85 (326) 83 (5)
Laptop 39 (63) 49 (189) 50 (3)
Tablet 2 (4) 1 (3) 0 (0)
eWriter 1 (1) 0 (0) 0 (0)
Other 0 (0) 2 (7) 17 (1)
Do you feel note-taking online is necessary for effective learning? (Q28) Yes 53 (32) 60 (94) 50 (1)
Do you feel reviewing notes online is necessary for effective learning? (Q29) Yes 72 (43) 82 (130) 100 (2)
Do you review your notes? (Q42) Yes 90 (160) 95 (373) 100 (6)
Note. Main values are percentages, and the numbers in parentheses are the number of respondents.
10 K. MOREHEAD ET AL.
rereading and hence would be a relatively ineffective strat- note-taking? For instance, is using an eWriter to take notes
egy (e.g., Dunlosky et al., 2013); moreover, reviewing a comparable to taking notes longhand on paper for both
video may be less efficient than studying one’s notes, encoding and storage functions? Third, over half of students
assuming that not all of the content in the lecture is critical reported never being taught note-taking skills, and many
material. One straightforward implication is that many stu- who did report training indicated that they received instruc-
dents will need to be instructed to take notes while watch- tion in middle school and high school when note-taking
ing to-be-tested content from online courses. may not be critical in many courses. So, how and when
Concerning the storage function (Table 6), when stu- should students be taught note-taking skills?
dents review their notes, the majority of students (92%) A limitation of the present research is that some changes
report rereading them. Although this strategy is relatively in reported note-taking habits that have arisen since the
ineffective on its own, over half of the students also 1970s may not be due to historical cohort effects per se
reported using flashcards (56%) or testing themselves but may have resulted from other differences (e.g., demo-
(56%), which are normatively more effective strategies. Of graphic characteristics of the samples) across the survey
course, students must use self-testing appropriately to studies. Note, however, that the similarities in reported
improve achievement. For instance, with respect to flash- note-taking habits across decades seem more prominent
cards, students should continue testing themselves in a than do the differences, with the latter largely arising from
session until they can correctly recall answers and return the development of new technologies (e.g., laptops) that
to re-learn them (through testing and feedback) in were not available in the 1970s. Another limitation is that
another session (for an overview of this use of self- the survey was conducted at one large state-supported uni-
testing, called successive relearning, see Dunlosky & versity in the midwest of the United States. A question arises
Rawson, 2015). Unfortunately, in flashcard research using about whether students’ note-taking habits would be sub-
authentic materials, it has taken students considerable stantively different in other contexts, such as at private uni-
amount of practice to learn and correctly recall a small versities, in different countries and cultures, and so forth.
set of conceptual definitions (e.g., Dunlosky & Rawson, The present survey could be adapted to explore these poss-
2015; Janes, Dunlosky, & Rawson, 2018). So, when students ible differences in future survey research.
use flashcards to test themselves on difficult concepts
during a brief, single session, they benefit little to none
from doing so (e.g., Lin, McDaniel, & Miyatsu, 2018). Closing Remarks
Future research should be aimed at exploring the details
In closing, classrooms have changed in many ways since
of how (and how often) students use self-testing to study
1974, with electronic note-taking devices, PowerPoint,
their notes and whether they effectively use instantiations
and online courses all potentially affecting student note-
of self-testing (e.g., successive relearning) in a manner that
taking. For the most part, students take notes now as
can enhance their learning and achievement.
they did in the 1970s (even though more technology is
Finally, it is perhaps not too surprising that some stu-
available for note-taking than ever before). However, stu-
dents’ reported note-taking habits do not match best prac-
dents reported flexibility in their note-taking, as they
tices, because about half (52%) of the students reported
reported taking notes differently (or not at all) based on
that they had never been taught note-taking skills. And,
characteristics of their classes, and many students reported
for those who did receive training, the amount of training
not taking notes during online lectures even if they
was often meager – just a part of a class or in only a few
reported taking notes during in-class lectures. How will
class periods (Table 7). Fortunately, close to 60% of the stu-
the classroom change over the next forty years? What
dents indicated that they wished they had better note-
note-taking devices will be available to students, and
taking habits, so many students would likely be receptive
how will they affect how and when students take notes?
to further instruction and training.
Or – more problematic given that less than half of students
report taking notes in online courses – as more content
Future directions and Limitations becomes available online, will students take notes at all?
Given the importance of effective note-taking to memory
Results from the present survey suggest other future direc-
for and learning of course content, continuing to
tions for note-taking research. First, as noted above, stu-
examine student note-taking behaviour as technologies
dents reported flexibility in their note-taking, but their
change will be an important avenue for future research.
decisions on how to take notes may not always be
effective. For example, students reported using laptops
when the lecturer spoke quickly or covered a lot of Notes
material, but no research has investigated whether using
laptops to take notes is advantageous under these circum- 1. Surveys that included only a few questions about note-taking
are not discussed here (Carrier, Williams, & Dalgaard, 1988;
stances. Second, few students reported using eWriters or Isaacs, 1994; Kay & Lauricella, 2014).
tablets for note-taking, but as these devices become more 2. Outcomes separated by sample are available from the first
popular, how will they affect the amount and quality of author.
MEMORY 11
12
Peverly, S. T., & Wolf, A. D. (2019). Note-taking. In J. Dunlosky & K. A. Sana, F., Weston, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2013). Laptop multitasking hinders
Rawson (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Cognition and Education classroom learning for both users and nearby peers. Computers &
(pp. 320–355). New York: Cambridge University Press. Education, 62, 24–31. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.003
13
Reddington, L. A., Peverly, S. T., & Block, C. J. (2015). An examination of Tran, T. A. T., & Lawson, M. (2001). Students’ procedures for reviewing
some of the cognitive and motivation variables related to gender lecture notes. International Education Journal, 2, 278–293.
14
differences in lecture note-taking. Reading and Writing, 28, 1155– Van Meter, P., Yokoi, L., & Pressley, M. (1994). College students’ theory
1185. doi:10.1007/s11145-015-9566-z of note-taking derived from their perceptions of note-taking.
Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval prac- Journal of Educational Psychology, 86, 323–338. doi:10.1037/0022-
tice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15, 20–27. 0663.86.3.323
doi:10.1016/j.tics.2010.09.003
Appendix
Instructions and all survey questions
Instructions: “For this study, you will be asked to fill out a brief online survey about note-taking in in-person and/or online classes.”
Demographics
Q1. What is your gender? (male; female; other)
Q2. How old are you? (Under 18; 18–22; 23–25; 25–30; 30–40; 40+)
Q3. What is your ethnicity? (Hispanic/Latino; Native American; Asian; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; African American; Middle Eastern; White)
Q4. Is English your first language? (Yes; No)
Q5. What is your major?a
Q6. Which University do you attend? (Kent State Main Campus; Ashtabula; East Liverpool; Geauga Campus; Salem; Stark; Trumbull; Tuscarawas; Other)
Q7. What year are you in school? (Freshman; Sophomore; Junior; Senior)
Q8. What was your high school GPA (on the 4.0 scale)? (0.0–0.9; 1.0–1.9; 2.0–2.9; 3.0–3.5; 3.6–4.0)
Q9. What is your current college GPA? (0.0–0.9; 1.0–1.9; 2.0–2.9; 3.0–3.5; 3.6–4.0; First Semester, do not have one yet)
Classroom Lectures
Instructions: “The next few questions pertain only to lectures you attend in a classroom in-person. As you answer the following questions, consider how you
take notes while in a classroom.”
Q10. Do you take notes during in-class lectures? (Yes; No)
Q11. Do you take notes in some lecture classes but not others? (Yes. Please Explain; No)
Q12. Do you feel that taking notes during in-class lectures is necessary for effective learning? (Yes; No)
Q13. Do you audio record lectures? (Yes; No)
Q14. If yes, do you take written notes as well as audio recording? (Yes; No)
The following questions were only presented if participants selected Yes on Q10
Q15. What do you use to take notes?b (Notebook or loose-leaf paper (i.e., handwrite notes); Laptop; Tablet (e.g., Apple iPad, Amazon Fire, Samsung Galaxy
Tab); eWriter that is specific for writing (e.g. Boogie Board Sync); Other. Please Explain)
Q16. If you selected more than one note-taking device, please explain.a
Q17. If you use a tablet to take notes, do you use a note-taking app? (Yes; No)
Q18. If yes, what app do you use?a
Q19. As you are writing, do you try to organise your notes, or do you copy what the teacher says? (I take organised Notes; I copy what the teacher says;
Depends. Please Explain)
Q20. If you organise your notes, how do you do so?b (Rephrase into my own words; Create a bulleted list or outline; Cornell notes; Mapping; Other. Please
Explain)
Q21. Do you take notes differently depending on the class? (Yes; No)
Q22. If yes, how so?a
Q23. Do you take more notes when you are in a smaller class where the teacher is likely to see you? (Yes; No)
Q24. Besides in-class lectures, what else do you take notes on?b (Textbook readings; Other class readings; In-class activities; Class videos; Other. Please Explain)
Online Classes
Instructions: “The next few questions pertain to online courses. As you answer the following questions, consider how you take notes in an online course. This
includes flipped courses where some of the content is in-class and some is online. However, only answer for the portion of the class that is online.”
Q25. Are you currently enrolled in a class where most or all lectures are online? (Yes; No)
The Next questions were only presented if participants selected Yes on Q25
Q26. While viewing a lecture online, do you take notes? (Yes; No)
Q27. If no, why not?a
Q28. Do you feel that taking notes during online lectures is necessary for effective learning in online courses? (Yes; No)
Q29. Do you feel that reviewing your notes is necessary for effective learning in online courses? (Yes; No)
The following questions were only presented if participants selected Yes on Q26
Q30. What do you use to take notes when viewing a lecture online?b (Notebook or loose-leaf paper (i.e., handwrite notes); Laptop; Tablet (e.g., Apple iPad,
Amazon Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab); eWriter that is specific for writing (e.g. Boogie Board Sync); Other. Please Explain)
Q31. If you use a tablet to take notes, do you use a note-taking app? (Yes; No)
Q32. If yes, what app do you use?a
Q33. While taking notes during an online lecture, do you try to organise your notes, or do you just copy what the teacher says? (I take organised Notes; I copy
what the teacher says; Depends. Please Explain)
Q34. If you take organised notes, how do you organise your notes?b (Rephrase into my own words; Create a bulleted list or outline; Cornell notes; Mapping;
Other. Please Explain)
Q35. Besides during online lectures, what else do you take notes on?b (Textbook readings; Other class readings; Online demonstrations; Other videos, not
lectures by the teacher; Websites; Other. Please explain)
MEMORY 13
General Note-taking
Instructions: “The following questions pertain to note-taking in general. For the next questions, please consider how you take notes in general regardless of
whether your classes are in-person or online.”
Q36. Do your professors provide PowerPoint slides? (Yes; No; Some do. Please Explain)
The next two questions were presented if participants did not select No to Q36.
Q37. Do you take notes differently when PowerPoint slides are made available? (Yes, I take notes on the handouts; Yes, I do not take notes; No)
Q38. Do you take the same amount of notes when PowerPoint slides are made available? (Yes; No, I take less notes; No, I take more notes)
Q39. Have you heard of Cornell notes? (Yes; No)
Q40. Do you take good notes? (Yes; No)
Q41. If you take notes, why do you take notes?b (To aid Learning; Because it is expected; Because the teacher can see me; It helps me learn by writing as the
teacher is speaking; So I can review them later; Because I have to take exams; So I pay attention during the lecture; Other. Please Explain; I do not take notes)
Instructions and All Survey Questions (continued)
Q42. Do you review your notes? (Yes; No)
Q43. If yes, how do you review your notes?b (Rereading; Highlight or mark them; Add questions; Make flashcards from notes; Summarise notes; Test myself on
them; Copy them from memory; Other. Please explain)
Q44. Were note-taking skills taught to you? (Yes; No)
The next three questions were only presented if participants selected Yes on Q44
Q45. When were they taught?b (Elementary school; Middle school; High school; Community college; College; Other. Please explain)
Q46. Who taught you note-taking skills?b (Teacher; Professor; Parent or Guardian; Other. Please explain)
Q47. For how long were you taught note-taking skills?b (Part of a class period; An entire class period; A few class periods; A month; A semester)
Q48. Do you wish you have better note-taking skills? (Yes; No)
The following question was only asked of students at the Main Campus
Q49. Are you in the 1st year experience course? (Yes; No)
Q50. If yes, do you have learning modules? (Yes; No)
Questions Taken Directly from Prior Research
Instructions: “The next questions are a series of statements. For each statement, decide if it is true of you. If it is, select true. If not, select false.”
The response options for the following questions are True or False.
Q51. I often doodle instead of taking notes.
Q52. I am often on the internet or playing games instead of taking notes.
Q53. I sometimes find my note-taking interferes with my immediate understanding of the lecture.
Q54. If I did not have to take exams, I would not take notes.
Q55. I take notes so that I will note have to read the textbook.
Note. aResponse was open-ended. bParticipants could select more than one answer.