Summarizing and Note Taking

Casey Crittenden

Description One study (Cosmore, 1985) where 100 students’ progress was

evaluated regarding summarizing strategies, the average effect size was 1.04 standard deviations above the norm with a percent gain of 35.

Summarizing information contains three implications: deleting information, substituting information, and keeping information.

In order to effectively delete, substitute, and keep information, one is required to analyze the material on a relatively deep level.

Note taking is an important aspect in student progress because students need an effective method where they can easily recall information within their notes. Verbatim note taking is ineffective because it can be done with little to no student attention.

In Knowing and Learning Summarizing and effective note taking facilitates student learning

on a greater level than the standard because students who use this strategy do more than distill information; they filter it.

The way the information is presented to a student can affect their comprehension as well. If a student is presented with new information in a familiar structure, they spend less time evaluating unnecessary information, and they get right to summarizing and consciously preparing notes.

It can be expected that when students take notes, they will not refer to their notes until an exam is approaching. It is important that their notes be direct, easy to understand and comprehend, and organized. A student’s ability to filter and summarize information can be reflected by their notes.

In Math and Science Classrooms

Cornell notes are proven to be an effective note taking strategy because it causes a student to summarize information, pick out important key terms, filter trivial or unnecessary information, and organize their information for a quick recollection in the future.

Notes should be a work in progress, especially for a math or science class, where information is ongoing. With paragraph like notes, there is little room to edit in the future. If a student uses an outline format, there is plenty of open space that can be used in the future.

For example, a student in a physics class is required to be familiar with many different equations. Many equations are used for multiple units. In an outline note format, students can group variables in a separate section of their page. Speaking from experience as someone who has searched through pages of notes looking for what a single variable represents.