Critical reading and notemaking 2013

CRITICAL READING AND NOTEMAKING

Chris McMillan, Academic Skills Service

This Morning 

Understand how critical thinking techniques can be applied to learning and reading

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The importance of active and critical reading

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Be aware of the difference between notetaking and notemaking

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Consider different notemaking strategies and figure out what might work best for you

Moving Forward 

Last week we discussed the importance of critical thinking in the social sciences

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We are not here to remember facts, but to develop the skills and attitude required to analyse and evaluate these facts

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Today we will think about how to apply this mind-set to reading and learning

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Next week we will discuss how to use our notes to plan assignments in preparation for your first assessments

Why Read? 

You are expected to read the assigned chapters/articles before the start of every lecture and seminar

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The majority of your study time will be spent reading

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Essays are research projects that require extensive reading to find out what has been said on the topic

Reading is the basis of your learning

From thinking to reading 

Taking a critical and active attitude to reading is the most important first step to doing research

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You are not reading simply to remember information, but to work out what you think and why

What do you think? 

Academic writing is about making an argument in response to an academic issue

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It is what you think, but it isn’t just your opinion

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The goal of academic reading is to establish your argument and to have the evidence/authority to support that argument

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What do you think about what they think?

Selecting your reading 

What do you need to read? This often indicated on the reading list

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What do you want to read?

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Always keep track of your progress

How many sources do you require for a 1500 word essay?

The SQ3R Process Survey Question Read Repeat Review

Why are you reading?

Set goals for your reading

Read quickly: skim or scan In-depth Critical Analysis Are your questions answered?

Identifying your needs 

When you have identified the necessary reading, consider how it will be used in your writing Ask:  Why

are you spending time on this text?

 What

do I need to find out and where can I get it?

Arguments and Conclusions 

Find the issue/question/objectives the research is responding to

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Consider the core response to these issues

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Both these elements should be located in the introduction and conclusion of academic work 

The abstract also provides a map to the research

Writing Notes

Creating reflections 

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There are two key purposes for making written notes: 

Remembering key information to be used again (taking notes)

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Developing your own intervention into the debate (making notes)

It is important to identify these differing purposes

Writing notes 

Many students only focus on recording vital information

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This is valuable when you are establishing basic information and learning new ideas

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Often this technique focuses on recording key moments and producing quotations for later use

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It can be useful to use this technique the first time you read a text

Making reflective notes 

This approach, however, is not the most effective for developing a critical understanding that will develop your own ideas

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Instead, be sure to make reflections on the content as you move through Not ‘what does it say?’ but ‘What do I think?’, ‘Why do I think this?’, ‘So what?’ and ‘How can I use this information?’

The benefits of good notemaking 

The process of note-making puts information in your memory

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Part of active and critical learning that helps you to understand, rather than remember

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Notemaking forces you to reflect on the material

Developing ideas 

You will never know more about a text than when you are involved in it

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If you have ideas or reflections, write about them – it only takes one moment of clarity to build an idea

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By developing extended notes you are able to expand your thinking and link to previous ideas – the building of an argument

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These extended notes can often be the basis for your writing

Don’t stop yourself from thinking!

Summarise your Position 

Summarise the main conclusions of the text

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Critically note: 

What have you learnt?

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What do you disagree with or are unsure about?

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How will you use this source in your own writing?

Lecture Notes

Lectures: What do I write down? 

Lecture slides will give you the basic information that you can retrieve latter – don’t worry about the details if they are on the slides already

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Instead, record your thoughts and reflections so you can refer back to these later

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This will be information you are learning and questions you have

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The important thing is to react automatically to the information – for this we need to develop strategic techniques

Techniques

Linear Notemaking  

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Notes are written in an outline form Good for taking detailed notes in lectures and for recording arguments/ideas.

Some key tips for writing linear notes are: • Keep to short phrases and key points.

• Use lots of headings and subheadings • Use highlighters to mark significant points.

• Be creative with colours and images. Linear does not have to mean dull!

• After a lecture or reading: summarise in your own words the major points in a concise paragraph.

Linear Notemaking - Example

The Cornell Method 

Structured version of linear notes

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Title at the top, page divided into columns, the left one for questions and the right for notes and the bottom left for a summary

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Active note making process

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Good for organising reflections in lectures

The Cornell Method - Example Cues Main ideas Questions that connect points Diagrams Prompts to help you study When: After class, during review

Summary

Notes     

Record notes here, using concise sentences Shorthand symbols Abbreviations Lists Leave lots of space between points When: During class

 Top level main ideas  For quick reference When: After class, during review

Common Abbreviations Symbol

Meaning

=

is the same as/is equal to

â‰

is not the same as

>

greater than/more than/better than

<

smaller than/lesser than/worse than

ď &#x153;

therefore

woman/female man/male

e.g.

for example (from the Latin 'exempli gratia')

Make the most of time in class 

COME PREPARED – do the reading and prepare some thoughts and questions for yourself

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If you’re going to use any kind of recorder, ask first!

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Have a standardised notemaking method

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Where necessary, make a note of illustrations or examples, and especially relevant references

Task – Making Lecture Notes 

Take notes using the linear style from the following audio clip

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Now take notes using the Cornell style.  What

did Charlie do?  What plot holes are there?

Which one do you prefer?

Figure out a system 

File your notes regularly and in the correct order – get an ‘in tray’ if necessary

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Keep a folder or binder for each module and keep them somewhere safe

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Create a digital folder system if you choose to type up notes

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Write the key bibliographic information on your notes as you go along to save time when referencing

Writing a Summary 

Always write a summary after each lecture or reading

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These summaries should be short and critical, identifying: The key points  The points you challenged  The ideas you need to follow up on 

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This ‘toolkit’ will be very useful when you come to follow up latter

Top Tips 1.

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Do not try to write down everything you hear or read Remember to respond to the text or lecture, not just record it Find a notemaking style that suits you.

Make up your own shorthand to take notes but remember the code!

Get organised Try recording your notes or lectures to audio so you can listen again later Summarise!

Next Week 

Planning and structuring essays – How to use your reflections and notes to make an essay.

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Any issues with your reading/writing, contact Chris.mcmillan@brunel.ac.uk