Note-taking

Your notes do not need to record everything. They should help you understand the material and return to the information you need.

Good notes often include:

• Key ideas and concepts: The main points rather than everything that was said or written.

• Supporting information: Important explanations, examples, evidence or details.

• Clear organisation: Headings, keywords or other ways of identifying topics and finding information later.

• Your own thinking: Questions, connections, interpretations and points you want to investigate.

• Source details: Enough information to identify where the material came from.

You might use sentences, bullet points, diagrams, tables, mind maps or a combination of approaches.

Taking notes and making notes

Taking notes often involves recording important information while reading, listening or watching.

Making notes goes further by organising, questioning and connecting information to develop your own understanding.

For example, you might initially record an explanation from a lecture. Later, you could summarise it in your own words, connect it with something you have read and identify a question you want to ask.

Both activities are valuable, and you can move between them as you learn.

Make your notes useful to you

Different subjects and learning activities may call for different approaches.

You might need a diagram to explain a process, a table to compare research findings, or a written outline to follow an argument.

Choose a format that makes the information understandable and easy to use later. There is no single method that works best for every student or every task.

There are several approaches to organising notes. You can try different methods and adapt them to suit your needs.

Outline notes

Outline notes use headings, subheadings and indented points to show how information is organised.

For example:

Main topic: Factors affecting student learning

• Study environment

  • Noise and distractions

  • Access to suitable study spaces

• Study approaches

  • Planning study time

  • Reviewing material

• Personal circumstances

  • Other commitments

  • Available support

This approach can be useful when information has a clear structure, such as a lecture organised around several main topics.

Cornell notes

The Cornell method divides a page into three areas:

• Main notes: Record important points, explanations and examples.

• Cues or questions: Add keywords or questions that help you review the material.

• Summary: Write a short explanation of the main ideas in your own words.

For example, your main notes might explain two contrasting theories. In the question area, you could write, How do the theories differ? Your summary could then explain the main distinction.

This approach can be useful when you want a structured way to review your understanding.

Mind maps and diagrams

A mind map places a main topic at the centre and uses branches to show related ideas.

You might use it to organise the causes of a problem, connect theories or explore relationships between concepts.

Other diagrams can help you represent sequences, processes or systems.

Visual approaches may be particularly useful when understanding how ideas connect is more important than recording a detailed explanation.

Tables and charts

Tables can help you compare information systematically.

For example, if you are reading several research articles, you might create columns for:

• Author and date

• Research question

• Method

• Main findings

• Limitations

• Relevance to your assessment

This helps you compare sources rather than treating each article separately.

Handwritten or digital notes?

You can make effective notes by hand or digitally.

Handwriting may suit students who prefer drawing, annotating or working without a screen. Digital notes can make it easier to reorganise information, search for keywords, add links and access material across devices.

Think about what you need to do with your notes afterwards. You may find that different methods suit different situations.

Whichever approach you choose, concentrate on selecting and understanding information rather than copying it without thinking.

Note-taking can help you understand academic texts, remember important arguments and evidence, and connect what you read with your learning or assessment.

Before making detailed notes, establish why you are reading the text. This will help you decide which information matters.

While you read

Look for:

• The author's main argument, explanation or purpose.

• Important concepts and definitions.

• Evidence, examples or findings that support the argument.

• Limitations or alternative explanations.

• Ideas that connect with your topic or other reading.

• Questions or points you do not yet understand.

You do not need to record every point. Concentrate on information that helps you achieve your reading purpose.

You can annotate a text, make separate notes or combine the two approaches.

If you annotate, highlight selectively and add brief comments explaining why a passage matters. Only mark materials you are permitted to annotate.

After reading

Take a few minutes to review what you have recorded.

Ask yourself:

• What was the main argument or finding?

• What evidence supported it?

• What did I find useful or significant?

• How does this connect with other material?

• What questions remain?

Try summarising the main ideas in your own words. This can help you check whether you have understood the text.

Keep the author's ideas separate from your own

It is useful to distinguish between what a source says and your own observations.

For example:

Source's point: The author argues that a particular approach improves student engagement.

My question: What evidence is provided, and does it apply to all students?

Connection: Compare this with the findings in another article.

This makes it easier to develop your own understanding while accurately representing the source.

Record the author's name, title, publication details and relevant page numbers or locations where available. Identify exact quotations clearly so that you do not later mistake them for your own wording.

For more guidance, see Reading and Referencing.

Taking notes during live teaching involves listening, understanding and deciding what to record while information is being presented.

You do not need to write down everything your lecturer says. Try to capture the important ideas, explanations and questions.

Before the lecture

If slides, reading materials or a topic outline are available beforehand, look through them.

This can help you:

• Identify the main topics.

• Recognise unfamiliar terms.

• Understand how the lecture may be organised.

• Prepare questions or areas to focus on.

You might create a note-taking document with headings based on the lecture topics, leaving space to add explanations and examples.

During the lecture

Listen for the main points and how they connect.

Lecturers may signal important information through phrases such as:

• "There are three main reasons..."

• "The key difference is..."

• "For example..."

• "In contrast..."

• "This is important because..."

Pay attention to explanations, examples and the connections between ideas.

You may also want to record:

• Important definitions or concepts.

• Explanations of processes or relationships.

• Examples that help clarify difficult points.

• Questions raised during the session.

• References to further reading or activities.

Use abbreviations, keywords or diagrams where they help you keep up, but make sure you can understand your notes afterwards.

If you miss something, mark the gap and continue listening rather than becoming distracted by trying to reconstruct every word.

Taking notes in seminars and discussions

Seminars, tutorials and group discussions may be less structured than lectures.

Concentrate on the main questions, contrasting perspectives, examples and conclusions rather than attempting to record everyone's contributions.

You can also note how your own understanding changes during the discussion and identify questions to explore afterwards.

After the class

Review your notes while the material is still familiar.

Fill in gaps, clarify abbreviations, add any relevant points from slides or readings, and note questions that need further explanation.

If a recording is available, you may be able to revisit particular sections rather than watch the entire lecture again.

Reviewing your notes after teaching helps turn an initial record into a more useful learning resource.

Recorded lectures can give you more control over how you listen and make notes. Where a recording is available, you may be able to pause, replay or revisit explanations.

You do not need to transcribe the recording word for word. Focus on understanding the important ideas.

Before watching

Check the lecture title, learning activity and any accompanying slides or materials.

Think about what you need from the recording. Are you learning something for the first time, revisiting a difficult concept or filling gaps in notes from a live lecture?

Your purpose will influence how much detail you record.

While watching

Try the following approach:

1. Listen for the main ideas. Avoid pausing after every sentence.

2. Pause when needed. Take time to record an important explanation or think through something difficult.

3. Replay selectively. Return to parts you did not understand rather than repeatedly watching sections you already know.

4. Record useful timestamps. If possible, note where an important explanation or example occurs.

5. Add your own questions. Identify anything you need to clarify, investigate or discuss.

If you have the lecture slides, you could add notes alongside them rather than copying information they already contain.

After watching

Check whether you can explain the main concepts in your own words.

Review any unclear points, connect the lecture with your reading and identify what you need to do next.

If you are using a recording to revise, consider testing your understanding before replaying the explanation.

Using MyLearningSpace video tools

MyLearningSpace provides features for working with supported recorded teaching materials.

For example:

• Take personal video notes in Annoto explains how to create notes linked to timestamps in supported Kaltura videos.

• Find captions and transcripts for module videos explains how to access these features where they are available.

Not all recordings will have the same features. Use the options available in your module and follow any instructions provided by your tutor.

Notes are most valuable when you return to them and use them to develop your understanding.

Simply collecting notes does not necessarily mean that you have learned or remembered the information.

Review notes regularly

After reading or attending teaching, check whether your notes make sense.

You might:

• Clarify unclear points.

• Add missing explanations or examples.

• Summarise important ideas in your own words.

• Identify questions that need further investigation.

• Check information against the original source or module material.

You do not have to rewrite all your notes. Focus on the improvements that will make them more useful.

Connect ideas from different sources

As you study a topic, you will often encounter related ideas in lectures, academic reading and discussions.

Try connecting this information rather than keeping everything separate.

For example, a lecturer might introduce a theory, while a journal article presents evidence that supports or challenges it.

Your notes could record:

Lecture: Main features of the theory.

Article: Evidence relevant to the theory.

My interpretation: How the article supports, qualifies or challenges the explanation.

Further question: Are there other findings or interpretations to consider?

This helps you move from collecting information towards analysing and comparing ideas.

See Critical Thinking and Analysis for guidance on examining evidence, arguments and alternative explanations.

Use notes to prepare assessments

Before starting an assessment, review your notes in relation to the task.

Identify which ideas and evidence are relevant, where different sources agree or disagree, and what further research you need.

Organise your notes around the assessment question rather than simply following the order in which you encountered the information.

When using material from your notes, return to the original source to check its meaning and record the appropriate references.

Use notes for revision

Your notes can help you identify important topics and areas you need to understand better.

Instead of only rereading them, try:

• Explaining a concept without looking at your notes.

• Answering questions based on the material.

• Recreating a diagram or process from memory.

• Comparing related theories or examples.

• Checking what you have remembered and returning to anything unclear.

These approaches help you assess what you understand and where further revision is needed.

Digital tools can help you create, organise, search and revisit your notes.

You might use a word processor, a digital notebook, a PDF annotation tool or a mind-mapping application.

Choosing a suitable tool

Consider what you need to do:

• Create and organise notes: A digital notebook such as Microsoft OneNote can help you arrange information by topic or module.

• Annotate documents: PDF annotation tools may let you highlight passages and add comments directly to a document.

• Connect ideas visually: Mind-mapping tools can help you organise concepts and relationships.

• Take notes from videos: Supported MyLearningSpace videos may provide personal timestamped note-taking through Annoto.

You do not need to use several applications. Choose tools that are accessible to you, suit your learning needs and make it easy to find your notes later.

Keep your notes organised

Whichever digital method you use:

• Give files and notes meaningful titles.

• Organise material by module, topic or assessment.

• Include dates and source details where relevant.

• Keep your notes somewhere you can access them when needed.

• Use appropriate storage and backup arrangements.

Be careful with automated note-taking tools

Some digital applications offer AI-generated notes, summaries or transcripts.

These may omit important information, misunderstand explanations or present inaccurate details. Check any generated content against the original material before relying on it.

Follow university and module guidance on AI use, recording teaching, copyright and sharing material. Do not assume that permission to access a recording, transcript or reading also permits you to upload it to an external service.

For further guidance, see Using AI in Your Studies.