Running Header: Disengaged Learning; The Lack of Note-taking in College Settings 1

Disengaged Learning: The Lack of Note-taking in College Settings

Evan Hawkins

The University of Cincinnati

18 April 2016
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Abstract

Current research on note-taking has made it clear that that notes are helpful for the

students that take them and so has primary research through interviews, surveys and

observations. Primary research has also shown that students are not taking notes which is

contradictory to their own beliefs on the beneficial effects they possess. There are many trends

and patterns seen in the research done and it is astonishing by this new trend that negates

preconceived thoughts on the usefulness of notes.

Keywords: Note-taking; learning; organization; notes; hand-written

Introduction

Note-taking is an essential part of the American educational system and the way that

educators teach students how to obtain knowledge. Notes help memory and organizational skills

as well as helping student put new information into their own words and practices. Looking at

many different resources, it is neat to see many different outlooks on notes. An example being

whether they are seen as necessary or to students. A great deal of the information is

corresponding with one another and helps to draw main conclusions on note-taking in general.

The primary research gives another side to the importance of notes and it is quite astonishing the

results found. A new trend that has been identified within college culture and the subject of note-

taking is that notes become less of a necessity to some students while professional research

would indicate that it is needed at the same time. This research, while compiled with other

existing information, helps to shed light on the need to teach note-taking and to stress importance

of recording information.
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Literature Review

Handwritten notes, while a dying art, proves to be a helpful and successful form of

notetaking still today. The process of handwritten notes has been proven to help increase

academic success while also increasing memory and proves to have many other advantages that

help students with their own academic endeavors. Through research previously conducted by

many different sources, handwritten notes have been proven to be helpful in academic settings.

Within the resources compiled, a need for notes is seen while also a fair amount of information

also helps to show the capability of note-taking in cognitive development and knowledge

retention.

Appreciation of Handwritten Notes

In research done previously, it has been shown that the major that note-takers have

determine what medium the students use to take notes, but in both circumstances, being research

done on pedagogy and computer science students, both preferred to use empty sheets of paper to

take notes as well as also using this form of note-taking with annotations to connect the notes to

the content in the course. (Steimle, J., Brdiczka, O., & Mühlhäuser, M. 2009) Among the main

reasons that students prefer handwritten notes, the surveys that were administered show that the

flexibility and ease of transport seem to be the most important advantages that many college

students enjoy. (Steimle, J., Brdiczka, O., & Mühlhäuser, M. 2009) These advantages help to let

students obtain knowledge easily and effectively without having to research in published

textbooks or accessing information through computer applications. Although the computer world

is slowly dominating the paper market, handwritten notes are still promising and still continue to

be the most effective way to take notes. Note-taking can even be done on electronic devices
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without having to waste paper, but still, the use of personal handwriting is seen as the most

effective resource to learn from. (Steimle, J., Brdiczka, O., & Mühlhäuser, M. (2009).

Successes of Handwritten Notes

Much data and content proves that there are many advantages academically that come

from handwriting notes. One of the most common themes found in note-taking is the ability to

recall information. Research that has been compiled has shown that note-taking effectively helps

long-term memory and helps encode the information that is presented to the student. The process

of note-taking helps to assist the memory process and helps the students to recall the information

that has been taught to them during lecture (Peverly, S. T., Garner, J. K., & Vekaria, P. C. 2014;

Hensher, P. 2012, Dec 29; Haghverdi, H. R., Biria, R., Karimi, L. 2010). The process of note-

taking not only helps one memorize materials and important information, but also helps the

student organize information effectively. With organization, comes focus and improved attention

on the material. This helps bring academic success to the students as well as success in other

fields of life where notes are normally taken (Hensher, P. 2012, Dec 29; Peverly, S. T., Garner, J.

K., & Vekaria, P. C. 2014, Burgess, L. 2012). This enhancement of focus and attention plays a

crucial part in the breaking down of information into pieces that can be easily learned through

focusing the new thoughts in a way that keeps the student active in the learning process as well

as organized in cognitive processes (Haghverdi, H. R., Biria, R., Karimi, L. 2010). It has also

been found that notes have been helpful for students that have learning disabilities. Being

“engaged” is helpful for students that have a hard time learning certain subjects and note-taking

seems to be promising for those who use them. The notes help to clear up confusion on certain

information pieces, a factor that traditional lectures and teachings cannot. (Haghverdi, H. R.,

Biria, R., Karimi, L. 2010; Boyle, J. R. 2013).

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Summary

The findings do help to conclude that note-taking proves to be effective in memory and

clarifications and helps students to focus and organize specific pieces of information. Learning

new information may be hard for some students but with the help of notes, it can be done easier

and more efficiently than other current ways of learning. Although handwritten notes are dying in

popularity, it still proves to be helpful to those that practice it.

Study Review

The research conducted was taken place at the University of Cincinnati in the means of a

survey, interview and observation. All the methods helped to bring information to the surface that

helps to give an idea about what college culture is currently experiencing when it comes to class,

note-taking and technology. Research shows trends between students that show that notes are not

prevalent even though they are thought of as useful. The following methods and results help to

give one a better understanding and look at the current trend at hand.

Methods

I used the survey, data collection, and interview and observation methods in my primary

research because they could easily be done and replicated by anyone else who wants to do

similar research. Each method helped to provide sufficient information from current college

students that would give one a better glimpse at the current state of learning within a college

setting. The procedures were aimed for one general audience as well as limited the amount of

skewed results through staying consistent with the questions and observation criteria used and

administered.

Surveys
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Surveying fellow college students was done through SurveyMonkey online and I created

a short, but decently in-depth, 9 question survey that asked general questions about current

college academic background which dealt with their class, current major, current credit hours and

how many teachers they current have. Then, the students were also asked about what classes they

are currently taking catered to either own-thought or guided notes, how the participants

personally take notes, how they learn best and whether or not they thought technology was

helpful in the classroom and if they believed that it was their own responsibility to take notes.

The questions were fill-in-the-blank because they were centered on the participant’s own

opinions or current status in school, since it would be inefficient to make a multiple choice

question for a participant’s current major and credit hours they are taking. The survey made it

easy to collect information due to a tool on the website that allows you to see results and

compare them with other participants.

Content

Through a data collection method, I gathered notes from fellow students that I know

outside of academic settings and had a chance to see how they took notes and how it could factor

in to their own academic success through markings, organization and other means of note-taking.

I collected 10 pages of notes from 10 individuals and compiled them together in a data analysis

chart and marked down whether they had circling, starring, highlighting, explanations, structure

of notes, and annotations. After gathering the information, I used the results to make a conclusion

based on the trends seen in the participants’ notes.

Interview
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I interviewed a friend that is in and has been in a couple of my past classes and had the

opportunity to hear from him on how he takes notes and the ways that he uses notes to help him

learn and remember information better from lecture. I had a chance to hear his own stance on

electronic technology and the impact it can have on learning, and mostly whether or not he

believed that guided notes help or hinder student learning and memorization. The interview

lasted a good 10 minutes and was composed of 5 questions with follow-up questions to help

facilitate more conversation and input that would be helpful to the research process. I specifically

asked if he preferred guided notes or talking lecture. In the interview I asked him if he thought

technology was helpful, what his ideal teacher would be like, and the pros and cons about his

current teachers. I also asked him if his high school teachers were any different that his current

college professors. Through hearing from a fellow student’s opinion, I had the opportunity to

obtain information that may help to give more information on what current college students

prefer when it comes to technology, professors, teaching methods, and how notes can be effected

by all of those listed factors.

Observations

Observations were done during normal class days in 3 classes and it was helpful to do the

observations because a great deal of information can be gained through watching note-taking

behaviors as well as seeing how the professors used the class time and lecture to help the

student’s knowledge and skills grow. I took notes on what I observed and key behaviors that

seemed to be important in note-taking and lecture listening. I mainly was trying to see how many

students were taking notes as well as participating in the class in active note-taking. Also, I was

trying to discover how they organized notes, if they took notes. The criteria of active note-taking
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and students taking notes in general gave information on the current status of college students in

classes and how they interact with the information placed in front of them.

Participants

When collecting data for research, it needed to be determined who needed to be

participants and why they should participants. Since the research is about college students and

the way they take notes and use their class time, it only made sense to use current college

students as participants due to the relevancy of the research to them as well as they are abundant

to find on a college campus. The proximity to classrooms made it easy for observations to be

conducted and information to be gained.

Analyzing

Interpreting the data was primarily done through compiling and thinking about what the

gathered information meant. Comparing was used in the survey process and seeing what each

participant had to say help make it clear what was most helpful to the students. The tool on

SurveyMonkey made it easy for the analysis process to be done. Using a graph with certain

criteria, I was able to analyze the notes gathered in the collected data method in a way that

helped me see which annotation tools were most popular and also what seemed to be more

helpful. Interviewing a friend made analyzing easy because it helped me see more of his

perspective on note-taking and why he thought certain ways. He mostly did the analysis for me

through interviewing with me. Lastly, I gathered all of the observation notes and determined

what seemed to be the most repetitive behavior amongst students and also what actions took

place the most and thinking about why they occur made it easy for me to get a better glimpse at

what seemed to be most helpful when taking notes and listening during lecture.
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Limitations

While the survey was only taken by 49 students, it is hard to get an accurate

representation of the entire University of Cincinnati community as well as an idea of schools

nationwide. The observation had limitations due to the fact that the classes we small and about

the same size and I did not get any representation from lecture hall classes. Also, the interview

was only taken from one student’s perspective and does not help to represent the other 43,691

students that attend the University of Cincinnati. Each of the methods do not give a full

representation of the University’s students and their own thoughts and practices of note-taking

and current habits in the classroom.

Results

Hand-written note-taking, in my own primary research and through research done

through other sources, is seen by experts and myself to be helpful and promotes learning and

memorization for those that take hand notes. Results show a contradiction between what expert

researches has shown and the primary research conducted on the University of Cincinnati’s

student body. The research that has been completed helps to give an look into current trends

among current college students and also compares the statistics and observations to previous

expert research.

Survey

In my own findings in the survey I conducted, I have found that most students also

believe that note-taking is their own responsibility. Of the 48 students that answered if they

believe notes are personal responsibility, 41 students agreed that it is their responsibility while 5

said no, 3 answered sometimes, and 1 person skipped the question. The next question helped
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give insight on whether or not current students believed that taking notes is helpful and 40

agreed. The other 9 that answered the question included 8 that disagreed and 1 participant

answered sometimes. The last question asked participants if they believed that technology

hinders classroom performance and 24 said that technology actually promotes their own

academic growth. 17 students partially agreed but answered that technology can both hinder and

promote learning while 8 participants concluded that technology is a hindrance.

Observation

With the observation and analysis, it contrasted deeply with that I saw in classroom

observations I witnessed where the majority of the class did not take notes. From students, in my

observations and in the results I received in the survey, I have been able to assess and learn that

students that do take notes most likely take them on their computer, which also contrasts with the

statements that I received about most students preferring hand-written notes. Through the

observations I have done and again, through the surveys, most students say that technology can

help and also hinder in the classroom which goes with my observation of students in one

classroom spending time on social media on their computers in between slides as well as also on

their phones. As a key feature of electronic notes, typing can help the student write notes faster

and absorb information, but it is not seen as being as effective as hand-written notes. Yet, what I

witnessed in the observation was that organization was present and it seemed to help the students

organize information well through structured bullet-pointing as well as grouping and chunking

information that helped prove a point or defined a topic. In both, hand-written notes and even

electronic notes, I have seen and have had it made know to myself through surveys, an interview

and through secondary research, that organization is a key feature and a crucial step in the note-
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taking process that helps with memorization and makes the notes successful. Hand-written notes

are helpful and seen as being beneficial, but are not as utilized as much as one would think.

Interview

I interviewed a young man and asked him questions about his own experience as a

current college student. In the first question, I asked him if he prefers PowerPoint lecture or

normal lecture without technology. He responded and stated that he likes the guided PowerPoint

notes due to the organization and it leads him to learning better, but he also said he likes a class

he had when a teacher expanded on header and that also helped him stay organized. The man,

when asked if he believes that technology either hinders or promotes learning, answered that it

can do both and his reasoning was that he can type faster and that to him was an advantage. He

also answered another question about his own ideal teacher and stated that he would like a

teacher that used structured notes but also expanded on information.

Discussion

Looking at the results I have found, I think that it is easy to see that hand-written notes

are definitely seen as being valuable for the student, but for some reason they are under-utilized.

This may because electronic notes are taking over slowly and are being seen as more important

to the student. What come along with computer notes, however, is the temptation to look at

social media sites, shopping, and other non-scholastic uses, but they could also be seen by some

as being helpful because they help the brain take a rest for a little bit before returning to class

content. I also see that students might want to be on computers because it is a paperless way to

take notes and is definitely more eco-friendly, but this claim has not been backed up by any

observations or statements regarding electronic notes. Typing faster tends to be a main reason
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that most students like to take electronic notes and it might be due to the amount of notes that

students are shown in one class period, as the interviewee hit on in his interview. Individuals

might not take hand-written notes also due to the fact that they might see the information as

being useful or worth knowing.

To me, I would like to see in future generations of teachers educate their students on why

note-taking is important and why it is essential in the learning process in the classroom. College

students, while they have their own responsibility to take their own notes, need to realize the

importance that note-taking has and it needs to be stressed to them why it will help them in the

long run. Apathy, unfortunately, is a common trend, interpreted by the survey results and

observation together, and it can hinder their own learning and development of skills. While this

is primarily their own problem and not the problem of their professors, it is unclear to me how to

go about this issue, but education seems to be the best way to go about fixing the issue. Making

it clear that performance is based on effort and not on lethargy would help clear up the issue.

Organization, which is an important factor of note-taking, is used in most cases of note-

taking and there are many ways that notes can be organized. Many students were taught proper

structure and organization in earlier days of schooling and this has been helpful for them while in

college. Structuring notes has been seen as effective, in the observations clearly, but for some

also is seen as being helpful and might make them feel good about how they have taken notes, as

seen in the survey. I believe that the more effort a student puts into their own notes, whether it be

organizing, using their own thoughts, or even just taking any notes helps them to feel better and

more motivated to take notes in the future. This can be exceptionally important for their success

in the future once decent note-taking skills are learned.

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Conclusion

The demise of modern day note-taking is approaching, but instead of accepting the fact

that it is going away, educators and even parents and other adults should be aware of the

importance of notes and should make an effort to teach students the need for notes and the perks

that come from notes. Notes are crucial when it comes to organizing information and helping one

memorize information as well. The gravity and weight of the importance of notes is seen in the

research, but the most shocking results come from the lack of notes being taken. While most of

the information is alike in professional research, the need to teach notes comes in the primary

research and it is imperative that the importance is shown and also met for the success of future

generations.
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References

1. Boyle, J. R. (2013). Strategic note-taking for inclusive middle school science classrooms.

Remedial and Special Education, 34(2), 78-90.

2. Note-taking strategies and academic achievement. (2010). Journal of Language and

Linguistic Studies, 6(1), 75-109.

3. Peverly, S. T., Garner, J. K., & Vekaria, P. C. (2014). Both handwriting speed and

selective attention are important to lecture note-taking. Reading and Writing, 27(1), 1-30.
4. Steimle, J., Brdiczka, O., & Mühlhäuser, M. (2009). Collaborative Paper-based

Annotation of Lecture Slides. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 125-

137.
5. Hensher, P. (2012, Dec 29). REVIEW --- the lost art of the handwritten note --- there's no

denying the wonders of electronic messages, but nothing captures a moment like putting

pen to paper.
6. Haghverdi, H. R., Biria, R., Karimi, L. (2010). Note-taking Strategies and Academic

Achievement. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 6 (1) (2010), pp. 75–109