Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

Jimmy Foy
Manhattan College

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

Abstract:
This study examines note taking on classroom discourse, and in particular discourse on
primary sources. The study was done at an all-girls catholic school in a ninth grade United States
history classroom of around 30 students. The study used a primary source note taking sheet
(Figure 01) to help students increase their comprehension through evaluative question, but also
provide and easy to use format that was not vastly different from their current note taking styles.
This was done in hopes to provide students with a way to take notes on the discusser in the
classroom surrounding primary sources. Ultimately this study showed that a structured note
taking sheet provided a medium for students to easily take notes on a subject that they otherwise
would not have because of either lack of knowledge or effort.
Key Words/Phrases: Note Taking, Primary Source, Classroom Discourse, Structured
Note Taking, Linear Note Taking, Nonlinear Note Taking

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

Introduction:
Note taking is a key component of a students learning process. It is the way in which
information that is being passed from the teacher and the student is recorded. So a problem in
this process ultimately spells trouble for the entire learning process. This study focuses on this
note taking process in a very particular way, by targeting one particular component of classroom
discussion. Classroom discourse is a variety of different things. One example of classroom
discourse is what the teacher contributes beyond what is in the PowerPoint or on the board.
Things like stories the teacher might share, relations to current events, or comments made by the
teacher on information presented are all part of classroom discourse. Also part of discourse may
be discussion between the teacher and students, or discussion between students themselves.
Something a student contributions to class, a related personal experience or a relevant current
event are also forms of classroom discourse. The particular component of classroom discourse
this study focuses on is the discourse surrounding primary sources.
In the classroom where this study took place, which was a high school United States
history classroom, much of class time is spent discussing primary sources. Sources like pictures,
political cartoons, or news articles all from the time period. The key information of the lesson
was almost entirely present in the discussion of the primary sources presented by the teacher.
This key information was not present in bullet point on the board but rather in what the teacher
said and in the primary sources itself. The students however failed to take notes during this
period of discourse and in effect failed to record much of the lessons key information. This was
problem best represented by one particular observation that came on a day when the teacher was
absent. On this day the students were tasked with writing an in class essay due at the end of the
period. The students were required to support their arguments using specific examples form.

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

Only six students or twenty percent of the class ever consulted their notes for this assignment.
Instead most of the class consulted text books and a few neglected the assignment completely.
This represents a clear lack of notes on primary sources amongst the majority of the class. This is
the problem that this study sought to reconcile. How can these students be aided to better take
notes on this particular aspect of the classroom discourse.
Note taking is known among the educational and scientific bodies to be key part of the
educational process, there is no debate on this subject. There is debate however on what style of
note taking is best, or in what manner note taking should be done. While many studies were
consulted there were two studies in particular helped lead to the way in which this study was
administered. These two studies were Optimising the use of note-taking as an external cognitive
aid for increasing learning by Tamas Makany, Jonathan Kemp and Itiel E. Dror, and
Relationships between spontaneous note-taking, self-reported strategies and comprehension
when reading multiple texts in different task conditions by ste M. Hagen, Jason L.G. Braasch
and Ivar Brten. The first focused on the difference between linear and nonlinear note taking.
The results of which were that even though nonlinear note taking provide better comprehension
and metacognition there was still, no difference in accuracy (Makany, Kemp and Dror, 2009, p.
632). There was also negligible difference in memory between the two sides, but Liner note
taking scored slightly higher on the complexity of cognitive processes. (Makany, Kemp and
Dror, 2009, p. 629).
The problem with nonlinear style is they can be difficult to adapt to for learners
especially ones that are midway through the year and have already established their note taking
style. How then could the metacognition and comprehension of the nonlinear styles still be
achieved? This is where the second study enters. The study by ste M. Hagen, Jason L.G.

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

Braasch and Ivar Brten focused on taking note for summary purposes or argumentative
purposes. The results showed ultimately that taking notes with intent to argue a point produced
better quality notes, and notes that, may actually afford another level of elaborative and
transformative processing (Hagen, Braasch and Brten, 2014, 153). These argument based
guiding questions would be the key to improving comprehensive and metacognitive levels while
still maintain an easy note taking style for students to adapt to.
Method:
This study was conducted in a ninth grade United States history class at the Academy of
Mount Saint Ursula, which is an all-girls catholic school in the Bronx, New York. The class was
about 30 in size. The study was done using a primary source note taking sheet. This note taking
sheet, which was designed specifically for taking notes on primary sources, was in a primarily
linier style. It focused on recording information like the type of source, the title of the source,
date of creation, author of the source, and the audience of the source. The sheet also contains
evaluative questions that prompt the student to stake a claim and defend it with support. In this
way students seek to make an argument on the source and defend it. This would activate the
higher comprehension and metacognition previously discussed. See Figure 01 for the full
primary sources note taking sheet. These sheets were filled out over course of a weeks worth of
classes. Each day the students would receive a new sheet and would take notes on a different
primary sources. These note sheets were then evaluated at the conclusion in both a qualitative
and quantitative manner. Things like the effort put into the note taking sheets, the extent to which
the sheets were completed, and the class completion rate. There are some limitations of this
study. First it is specific to the field of Social Studies in its examination of primary sources.
While this may make it less relevant for some outside this field of study it will also make it more

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

specific and applicable for those within content are of social studies. This study was also limited
by the school it was done, in that it is an all-girls school dominated by Latinos and African
Americans. The predicted outcome of this study was that while the primary source note taking
sheets may be met with some resistance, they would ultimately provide a simple medium for
student to take notes, ultimately increasing the amount of notes taking on this particular
component of classroom research.
Figure 01

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

Discussion of Results:
The results of this study were for the most part as was expected. The note taking sheets
were used in different capacities by the different students in the class room. The overall
performance of the class can be represented in the samples of four students. For the purposes of
this study these students will be called Molly, Suzanne, Olivia, and Kate. Each of these students
and their sample work is representative of a different portion of the class. Mollys (Figure 02)
sample is drawn from the two students who filled the sheets to completion with significant effort.
Suzannes (Figure 03) sample is drawn from the collection of 16 students how completed around
75% of the sheet and may have put decent effort in or may have been slightly rushed. Olivias
(Figure 04) sample is drawn from 10 students who completed about half of the note taking sheet
and were noticeably rushed or only put some effort in. Olivia represents those who also may not
have submitted work every day of the week. Kates sample for which there really is none is
drawn from the collection of two students who submitted nothing throughout the week.
Mollys is one that was filed out completely. Molly also provided great answers for the
thought provoking questions on the bottom half of the sheet. These answers were well thought
out, relevant to the course, and demonstrated significant understanding. It can be seen in her
sample that Suzanne fills out most of the questions. She shows good understanding by pointing
out thing that are clearly significant in the primary source but fails to elaborate on these. Olivias
work appears to be rushed seeing as most of the questions were skipped. She did however
answer some of the key information about the source. These four different samples were chose
because they best represented the entirety of their group. These groups are displayed bellow in
Figure 05 and represent the different extents to witch the students partook in and accepted the
note taking sheets.

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

Figure 05

Completion
rate:
Number of
students:
Percent of
class:

Group 1
(Kate Sample)

Group 2
(Olivia Sample)

Group 3
(Suzanne
Sample)

Group 4
(Molly Sample)

aprox. 25%

aprox. 50%

aprox. 75%

aprox. 100%

10

16

6.67%

33.33%

53.33%

6.67%

With the quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the student work it can be seen that
the primary source note taking sheet did meet resistance as expected. At least 6.67% of the class
completely rejected it by not submitting anything whatsoever. Another 33% class put minimal
effort into the note taking sheet or rushed through it showing not as severe a level of rejection.
Also as predicted the note taking sheets provided an easy media for students to take notes on the
classroom discourse surrounding primary sources. Ultimately this sheet increased the amount of
note taking that took place on the classroom discourse surrounding primary sources. This can be
seen because 93.33% of the students in the class had some form of notes on these primary
sources. Assuming that the 20% (mentioned previously in the observation of the students during
the in class essay) is representative of the students who had notes on the primary sources, then
this would be an increase of 73.33%. The fact of the matter is that most students were not taking
any notes on the discourse surrounding primary sources, and with the implementation of this
note taking sheet most students now had at least something on the primary sources. The
conclusion of this study must be then that this primary source note taking sheet increased the
classs note taking on classroom discourse. This is probably due to the fact that the sheet provide

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

an easy format to take notes, and in a way required them to take notes, on something they either
chose not to take notes on or were unaware of how to take notes one.

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

10

Figure 02

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

11

Figure 03
Figure 04

Note Taking in the Classroom: Student Notes on Primary Sources

12

Bibliography
Hagen, . M., Braasch, J. L., & Brten, I. (2014). Relationships between spontaneous notetaking, self-reported strategies and comprehension when reading multiple texts in
different task conditions. Journal of Research In Reading, 37, 141-157. Retrieved from
https://www.ebscohost.com/
Makany, T., Kemp, J., & Dror, I. E. (2009). Optimising the Use of Note-Taking as an External
Cognitive Aid for Increasing Learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40,
619-635. Retrieved from https://www.ebscohost.com/
Deroey, K.L.B., Taverniers, M. (2012) Just remember this: Lexicogrammatical Relevance
Markers in Lectures. English for Specific Purposes, 31, 221-233. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/