Students and notes
Students adore lecture, the younger students need technology it is part of their generation but they must be instruted on note taking
Frank,
I agree with this idea. I also ask my students to keep a column (on their note taking paper) for questions that they may ponder during the lecture. They can ask the questions after the lecture is over or use them to assist in their review with the textbook.
Tremayne Simpson
I try to convey to my students that note taking "reinforces" the learning process.
The actual physical act of placing ideas onto paper or into a device focuses the students attention and I believe neural pathways are synergistically augmented to increase the students ability to retain knowledge.
With younger students, I sometimes provided a note-taking outline. For example:
Muscles of the Arm
Biceps Brachi
origin: _____________
insertion: ______________
action: _____________
Triceps Brachii
origin:__________
insertion: _____________
action: __________
etc.
The student can then fill in the proper information and see immediately what I expect them to pick up!
Students liked this SO much, because it kept everyone in the loop with where we were and how easy it was to follow, that now I do it for many different classes! If I don't prepare one, some students will actually request one to help them follow along.
I provide my students with Power Point lecture notes, 3 per page with note lines on the side- this way, I don't have to repeat myself or wait extended periods of time for them to write everything down.
I leave blanks and questions in the PPT, so they have to pay attention and come to class to get all of the information.
Maybe you could try this?
Alyson
Harmony,
This is a common problem for most instructors. In my personal experience, I stopped providing students with lecture notes, because I noticed that it became a "dependency" for them. When I stopped providing the lecture notes, I found that they took more time with their note taking and preparation for the class session.
Tremayne Simpson
It's nice to see that others have experienced this age "divide" in note taking. I am often surprised that a subject I lectured on, just the previous evening, leaves them with a blank stare like I just mentioned something from a random thought. My students are provided with lecture notes before the course begins, and I ask that they make their own notes as we go. Sadly, many do not. We are currently debating on whether we should not provide the student the lecture notes until course review time to see if that helps with compliance and student initiative as to learning the material themselves.
Stephen,
This is an excellent example of how instructors can enable students to be more self-directed and focused on their future careers. It is imperative that students hone their basic "soft skills", while they are attending a career college.
Tremayne Simpson
I teach at a tech school and I don't ask them, I actually sometimes tell them to write it down and instruct them that in lab when they have questions I will require them to have there notes and the service manual available when I answer them. They need to do there part of the job in learning. I point out that when they graduate I will not be available to answer their questions and they will need to be able to find the answer or reason it out for themselves. In lab if they have not written it down I will help them use the service manual and break out my own notes so after they understand what is going on they can then write it down in lab for future reference.
I am having the very same issues with my students. I teach in an accelerated program and there is a tremendous amount of lecture information that is presented in a short period of time. It is imperative that students take notes in order to remember the content. Many will just sit and listen and then they are surprised that they cannot score well on the exam because they cant remember the information!
I find that the younger students I have seem to not know how to take notes...they try to write everything down and become frustrated with the perceived overload of information presented to them. My adult or older students seem more able to decide what information they will need or use. I am finding the "younger generation" of students seem to only want to know a "short cut" to whatever information I am teaching--they don't want to learn the steps to how to solve a problem but rather to have the short cut or the "easy way" to get the answer without understanding how the answer is gotten. This is increasingly becoming a problem...especially when I am teaching a math class. Some of my students want to be able to plug values into a formula to get an answer but don't understand where the values come from or what the values mean. they just want to be able to get the answer as fast as possible whether that answer is right or wrong.
I agree with you Francine, some times technology can also make the students lazy.
I wish my students would take notes, then I wouldn't have to repeat myself so much. I request they take notes, I guess they think they are so smart they can remember everything
Francine,
I agree. An innovative method for accounting for the "technological divide", would be to provide students with note-taking techniques, that are suitable for use with technological devices (i.e. use of the "Cornell format", via tablet/IPad).
Tremayne Simpson
Francine,
I agree. An innovative method for accounting for the "technological divide", would be to provide students with note-taking techniques, that are suitable for use with technological devices (i.e. use of the "Cornell format", via tablet/IPad).
Tremayne Simpson
