Lectures and note taking
Many students seem to get caught up in trying to write down/take notes on as much of what is said in a lecture as possible. I think they likely retain or understand less of the material that is presented because they are rushing to write. Does anyone have an opinion on giving students a basic printed synopsis of the lecture (which can also serve the instructor as bulk of the lesson plan)that has room for students to add comments, observations, etc... so that they can relax and listen better rather then just writing what they hear?
I totally agree with this type of techinque.
In some classes with complex diagrams or long lists, I will print the materials so the students can take notes written on the diagrams without redrawing the diagram. Unfortunately this works well for some learners and not well for others.
And certainly some topics, there is no retention if they are not writing it down as the material seems obvious when discussing and not so much later.
