Successful teaching requires helping students understand the best methods to use to get the most out of being in class.  One way to help students is to direct their note taking so that it is more effective. In The Teaching Professor November 2003 issue, Maryellen Weimer shares some dos and don’ts for students’ note taking, based on the work of M.H. Dembo.

Should I recopy notes after class?
No, because recopying requires little or no thinking.  A better use of time would be writing questions and answers about the material in your notes.

What should I do if the instructor talks so fast that I can’t get everything written down?
Don’t try to write down everything word for word.  Instead, paraphrase, listen for the most important things the instructor says, and leave blank spaces to show you’ve missed some material you thought was important.  Check with classmates to see if they got the material down.

Should I listen and not write when the instructor is discussing something I don’t understand?
No, the best thing to do is to keep taking notes, but indicate in your notes that you don’t really understand what the material means.  If you don’t ask about this in class, after you review your notes, see if another student, a TA, or the instructor can explain it to you again.

How do I deal with an instructor who often wanders off topic?
If the instructor isn’t well organized, see if your textbook helps to provide a logical structure for the material instead.  Working with other students can really help in situations like this, too.  Form a small study group and together organize notes from class.

For information on encouraging students’ inductive thinking and understanding, see Inductive Teaching.

For more information on how to reach students, see information regarding non-participants and difficult students under Classroom Interactions. See information regarding helping students read under Completing Reading Assignments and Homework.

Resources:
Dembo, M.H.  (2000).  Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success: A Self-Management Approach.  Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Weimer, M.  (2003).  A helpful handout for students.  The Teaching Professor, 17(9), 2.