A Study Skills PresentationSeries

Prepared for students of: Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, Michigan 49855

By: Darlene BuckStudent Support Services

IMPROVE LISTENING TO GET BETTER CLASS NOTES

FOR HIGHER GRADES

Facts About Listening

Speaking

Writing

Reading

Listening

Communication Skills

Listening1st learnedMost used

Least taught

Speaking2nd learned

Next most usedNext least taught

Reading3rd learned

Next least usedNext most taught

Writing4th learnedLeast usedMost taught

How are 4 basic communication skills taught?

How to Improve Your Listening

• Before:• -Be physically and mentally prepared.• -Follow your syllabus and complete

reading assignments before going to the class lecture.

• -Motivate yourself to want to listen.• -Average speaker says 200 words per

minute. Average brain processes 400 wpm. Be aware to avoid distractions.

During:

• -Focus on what is being said, not speakers mannerisms. Use extra mental time to organize, look ahead, review and summarize.

• -Respond to what the speaker is saying. Ask questions.

• -Avoid evaluating while listening.• -Listen for main ideas.• -Take notes.

After:

• -Check notes and mark where textbook information should be added.

• -Review your notes and consolidate them as soon as possible after the lecture.

• -Ask your instructor or consult with a tutor if you are unclear about anything.

Listening QuizMark the following as True or False

• ___ 1. Speaking is a more important part of the communication process than listening.

• ___ 2. Since listening requires little energy, it is easy.• ___ 3. Hearing ability and listening ability can be used

interchangeably.• ___ 4. You learned to listen when you learned to read.• ___ 5. People remember most of what they hear.• ___ 6. Your listening cannot be improved.• ___ 7. Your attitude doesn’t affect your listening.• ___ 8. You listen as well as you will ever be able to.• ___ 9. Memory and listening are the same thing.• ___10. Listening is only a matter of understanding the

words of the speaker.

NOTE TAKING NEWS

• Research Facts:• 1. Taking notes during lectures improves

listening comprehension.• 2. Students who review their lecture notes

remember 1 ½ times more after 6 weeks than students who do not review.

• 3. “If you choose not to take notes in class, you will forget approximately 80% of a lecture by the end of 2 weeks. (Walter Pauk)

More Note Taking Tips

• Go to all classes. (If an emergency arises, get lecture notes from another student in the class.)

• Include date, topic and chapter at the top of your notes.• Sit where you can see and hear the instructor.• Watch for signals of importance.

– material on the board -definitions –repeated information

• Write instructor’s examples in your notes and label as EX.

• Keep an open mind. Resist reacting to emotional words. Evaluate later.

Favorite Note Taking Systems(The best method for you depends on your

strongest learning style)

• For Lectures

• Cornell Method

• Outlining

• Visual Mapping

• For Textbooks

• SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review)

• Time Lines• Visual Mapping

Cornell Method of Note Taking

• Prepare:– Step 1. Use a loose-leaf notebook.

Write notes only on one side of the paper.

Key: Draw a vertical line about 2 ½ inches from the left edge of each sheet. This space will be used as a recall column.

Cornell Method of Note Taking

During Lecture:

• Step 2. The second step is to record all your notes to the right of the line drawn.– Record lecture information.– Write down questions, ideas, names, etc..– Skip lines to show the end of one idea and the

beginning of another.– Use abbreviations– Write legibly

After Lecture:

• Step 3. • Consolidate your notes as soon as possible after

the lecture. Underline or box in words containing main ideas. Jot in key words and phrases in the recall column.

• Recite: Cover up the right side of the paper exposing only the key words in the recall column. Recite the facts and ideas of the lecture in your own words. Then uncover the notes to verify the accuracy of your answers.

SQ3R Textbook Study SystemHow to read something once and remember

what you read.

• Survey. Preview the chapter, section or article you are assigned to get an overview of what you are about to read.

– Read the title and section headings.– Read the first sentence under each heading.– Read summary paragraphs at the end of each

section.

Question. Turn headings into questions

• Example: A heading could read" The Scientific Method”. Turn it into a question: What is the Scientific Method?

• Start questions with how, why, where, what, or when.

3R (Read, Recite, Review)

• Read. Read to answer the questions you asked in each section. Write out answers. Whenever possible, put answers in your own words. Record any questions you have on the reading material to ask you instructor in class.

• Recite. In your own words, recite the answers to your questions or write down from memory what you have read.

• Review. Review and re-ckeck to see if you know what you have read. Fill in details or additional information for later review.

SQ3R Advantages

• Improves reading comprehension.• Reduces study time. No need to reread

assignments.• Retention and remembering is improved.• Sets a purpose for study.• Provides a format for easier review.• Improves concentration while studying.• Is a good system to extract important information

from written text.

Note Taking Activity

• With your group, select a note taker to record the information extracted from the passage given. You will be assigned to create your notes using one of the following methods.– Cornell Method– Mapping– SQ3R

(Use your handout to guide you with this activity.)

Conclusion

• 1. What can you do to improve your listening skills?

• 2. Discuss which note taking method you will try for each of the following.

• Classroom lecture• Reading Assignment

WORKSHOP EVALUATION

• Thank you for attending this workshop.

• Please complete and return your evaluation.