Should you take notes during online lectures and classes? Definitely! Note-taking benefits are the same regardless of whether you study online or in-person. The most profound one is the retention rate.
Studies have found that people forget 42% of whatever they have learned in a mere 20 minutes later and 77% after six days. Scary right?
While software can help you take notes, handwritten notes also work well for a lot of people.
Here are our top five tips:
Be prepared
Go through the course syllabus and overview, and scan for critical points or difficult topics to be covered during the lectures.
You will be more alert to receive new information during the lecture. Your notes will help you organize your train of thought and memory.
Have a strategy
Establish how you learn and retain knowledge best by using a note-taking system that works for you. Test and decide on the method that works best for you and stick to it.
I like to use mindmaps as it captures a ton of information on one piece of paper.
Please keep it simple
You certainly do not have to write everything. Using one to three-word phrases, in your own words, will help you understand the fundamental principles and facts.
Using diagrams, pictures, shorthand symbols, and abbreviations all speed up note-taking so that you can focus on the ongoing lesson.
Review your notes
Try your very best to review your notes at the end of the lecture or the next available break. Add points that require further reading or discussion.
The sooner you review, the higher the level of comprehension and clarity.
At the end of the module, summarize what you have learned and action steps you need to take.
Stay organized
Remember to organize your notes once you have completed every module, as you will need them later for revision and exams.
Having a simple system to distinguish information will help you stay organized. The notes you take today has to make sense and remain relevant months later for exams and projects.
Creating labels, symbols, space for additional information, further reading, and even numbering the pages will help you later.
Although you could always refer to a recorded version of the lecture, notes will help you grasp and retain important points. Understanding new information is not usually easy for everyone.
Clear and concise notes will help your scores soar.
