Students are often curious about different note-taking
strategies. One format that is quite popular is the Cornell note-taking system,
developed by an educator named Walter Pauk. The basic format is to have an
approximately 6” note-taking column on the right of the page, a 2.5” cue column
on the left of the page, and a space for summary notes along the top or bottom
of the page.
Here is a brief summary of the system as is outlined on a Brigham Young University
site:
http://ccc.byu.edu/learning/note-tak.php
1.
Record – Write down the main points, facts, and ideas of the lecture on
the right-hand side of your page. Use telegraphic sentences, leaving out
unnecessary words. After lecture, make sure you fill in information so that
your notes will still make sense to you after several weeks.
2. Reduce (or question)
– Read your notes, and reduce the key ideas to phrases or questions based on
the material. Write the cues or questions in the smaller 2.5” column on your
page.
3. Recite – Reciting is
very important in retaining information. Reciting is more than just rereading –
it means you state the ideas out loud and in your own words. Cover up your
notes in the 6” column, look at the cue words and questions, and practice
recite the information from your memory.
4. Reflect - This means
thinking about (pondering) the information. Reflecting is going a stage farther
than just reciting content. Here are some samples of questions to help yourself
reflect: “How do these facts and ideas fit into what I already know? How can I
apply them? How is knowing this important? What is the significance of these
facts and ideas?”
5. Review – As the web
site indicates, “The way to prevent forgetting is to review and recite your
notes frequently. A good guideline to follow is to review your notes nightly or
several times during the week by reciting, NOT rereading.” Reviewing will help
students understand and remember information much more than cramming will.
6. Recapitulate – This
is a summary of your notes at the bottom of the page, which can be done after
you’ve gone through the other stages. It should be written in your own words.
You can also summarize an entire lecture on the last page of your notes.
There
are many online resources about Cornell. Here is a sample of some that you
might find useful:
A handout showing the columns on the
page, with guidelines for how to use the format:
http://www.clt.cornell.edu/campus/learn/LSC_Resources/cornellsystem.pdf
Another explanation of the Cornell
system, with a completed content example at the bottom of the page:
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/enreadtp/Cornell.html
A Cornell note format generator –
this site allows you to create your own printable template, including
customized page size, line spacing, and colour:
http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/cornelllined/
Learn how to create your own Cornell
template using WORD:
http://www.timeatlas.com/mos/5_Minute_Tips/General/Word_Templates_and_Cornell_Note_Taking/
