NOTE(S)
Theoretical introduction
A complete and comprehensive, yet brief, note containing all information that must be remembered is an important element that supports the process of learning and consolidates the knowledge gained during the classes. Additionally – especially during online classes – it can be an important element supporting the teacher in organizing work effectively, maintaining students’ attention, and verifying the understanding of the teaching content. To achieve this goal, it is worth arranging a shared note to be prepared by all students in a group (each of them is responsible for a different issue or part of material). Shared notes can be equally effective during seminars and lectures.
Exercise I: SHARE NOTES
Each tool that offers shared document (e.g. MS Teams)
Possible to use during each class in the semester, usually in the main body of the lesson
Online
Synchronous or asynchronous
Selecting and writing down all essential information shared during classes; producing a ready-to-use aid while repeating the learning content before tests or exams.
STEP I
The teacher prepares a document in a form of a table. In the first column, he/she writes down questions or issues concerning the content of the class. The well-prepared and thought-of table has a certain ordering value – it can serve as a kind of a plan, suggesting the most important information and relations between them. It gives a hint to the students what information they should look for.
STEP II
At the beginning of the class, the teacher assigns each question/issue (each cell in a table) to a certain student (or a pair or even group of students). He/She writes down the name of each student in the right place, so that it is clear to everybody who is responsible for which issue.
STEP III
Students fill in the cells in the table that have been assigned to them. When all cells are filled, students get one, shared, and complete note. Such notes can be taken during the class (it works well especially during lectures) but it can also be prepared asynchronously – students can fill in the right cells after classes, whenever they have time to do it. Used in an asynchronous mode such note also serves as a repetition and consolidating activity (asynchronous usage of shared notes is more efficient at seminars).
- Students are given hints about the information they should look for, which prevents them from missing important points
- The teacher can monitor and verify understanding of the learning content – if there are mistakes or misunderstandings, he/she can clarify the problematic issues before they get repeated and memorized
- In the case of lectures this type of shared notes can help in activating students and directing their attention to the teaching content
- Students get ready to use, complete and verified by the teacher material that can be used for further study.
- If used systematically this exercise enhances students’ ability to put information into the right order and arrange it in a clear and comprehensive way
– If one issue/question/cell in a table is assigned to a large group of students, there is a risk that only few people will work, others will remain passive.
+ To minimize this risk, the teacher may try to prepare a table in such a way that one issue/question/cell in a table is assigned to maximum 2 or 3 students. To produce enough points for the note, the teacher may use detailed questions as well as analytical and cross-sectional ones, which will multiple the number of points and therefore allow reducing the number of students to whom one issue/question/task is assigned.
– There is also a potential risk that students will only focus on their question/issue and not pay attention to other parts of the lecture.
+ A solution may be to choose questions/issues that require more comprehensive answers, elements of which appear in different parts of the lecture.
Exercise II: MIND MAP
Coogle
It is possible to use before the class during the whole semester
Online / blended / face-to-face
Synchronous / asynchronous
Producing a note that highlights most important information shared in the text; an exercise enhancing reading comprehension
This exercise is extremely effective when students read difficult, highly theoretical texts – preparing a shared note in a form of a Mind Map is also a sort of peer-tutoring.
STEP I
Students are given homework: they are supposed to read a theoretical academic text (e.g. on the history of literature, linguistics). All students read the same text. The teacher divides students into groups – students in each group will work together to understand the text.
STEP II
After reading the text individually students must set up an online meeting to discuss it and prepare a Map Mind reflecting the information from the text (Coogle).
STEP III
At the beginning of the class, each group presents their Mind Maps. If necessary, the teacher (or other students) can suggest some corrections.
- Students support one another’s understanding of the text; they can verify their own understanding of most difficult issues as well as inspire their classmates with their own interesting ideas
- During the class the teacher can refer to the deep understanding and reliable knowledge of the text; if students have missed to understand some elements of the text, Mind Maps will reveal these problems at once, allowing them to get the explanation right in the beginning of the class
- Working on the Mind Maps and preparing notes will ensure that students will be well prepared for the class, which will influence their self-confidence and may result in more active class participation
- This exercise enhances cooperation skills
– We cannot be sure that in each group all students were equally engaged in producing the final result. There is a risk that some students remained passive or did not participate in producing Mind Maps at all.
+ If similar activities are often organized and while summing them up teacher remembers to ask different group members additional questions, students will eventually get more motivated as they will learn that preparing a Mind Map is not enough – one must also understand it and be ready to explain the details to the teacher and other students
Exercise III: WALL OF KNOWLEDGE
Padlet
Possible to use after each class during the whole semester
Online / blended
Asynchronous
Selecting and writing down all essential information shared during the classes; producing a ready-to-use aid while repeating the learning content before tests or exams.
This exercise enables enriching the class notes with additional materials selected individually by students according to their interests.
STEP I
The teacher creates a Padlet (a “Column” view) and introduces a headline for each column. The headlines suggest what kind of information must be gathered in each column.
STEP II
At the end of the class, students are given a link to the Padlet and are asked to fill each column with the appropriate materials – textual and graphic ones.
STEP III
Students work individually in an asynchronous mode. The teacher monitors the progress, introduces corrections, if needed, or suggests possible additional materials.
- Students get ready-to-use, complete and verified by the teacher material that can be used for further studies
- The teacher can monitor and verify understanding of the learning content – if there are mistakes or misunderstandings, he/she can explain the problematic issues before they get repeated and memorized
- This type of note contains varied materials (texts, pictures, and even website links), which enables presenting each issue in a complete way and offers students a possibility to use materials that meet their individual educational needs
- This exercise enhances cooperation skills and a need to build a shared knowledge base
- Information given during the classes can be accompanied by some additional materials completing the learning content according to the individual needs and interests of the students
– It may happen that students will not be very engaged in creating their shared “Wall of knowledge” and the result will be disappointing.
+ Teacher can effectively use this “Wall of knowledge” referring to the materials gathered during following classes; students should get more motivated as they will see that well prepared “Wall of knowledge” is not just homework but an effective learning aid.
Exercise IV: INDIVIDUAL NOTE
MS Teams – option Assignments (or any other LMS that enables task assignment)
Possible to be used during or after each class in the semester
Online
Synchronous or asynchronous
Selecting and writing down all essential information; checking the understanding of teaching content in the case of group work.
STEP I
Students work in groups and solve a problem referring to the prior knowledge and individually read texts. In literature classes it can be for example an interpretation of a poem. Each group has the same task.
STEP II
Each group presents the results of their work in front of the class. The results are discussed, verified, and completed with the missing information (by the teacher).
STEP III
The teacher assigns a task to all students: they are to fill in the blanks in the table that refers to all important issues that were discussed and must be remembered.
STEP IV
The teacher checks the tasks and gives feedback to students.
- All students must fulfill this task, so even if they were not very active in a phase of group or classwork, they will need to prove their knowledge and understanding of all key issues
- The note is verified by the teacher – in case of any misunderstandings or mistakes an instant correction is possible
- Students get ready-to-use, complete and verified by the teacher material that can be used for further study
– Checking many tasks can be time-consuming and too tiring for the teacher.
+ Peer assessment can be used to verify the tasks: students can be asked to check their works (teacher must provide students with a “key” – they must know what kind of information is essential and cannot be missed in any work).
ATTENTION: Peer assessment needs practicing. At the beginning it takes more teacher’s time and engagement. If practiced regularly it becomes an effective type of assessment and education (as students also learn a lot due to this experience).
Exercise V: PORTFOLIO
Class Notebook option in MS Teams
Possible to use after each class during the semester
Online / blended
Asynchronous
Selecting and writing down all essential information shared during the classes in a way that meets student’s individual needs better. Producing a ready- to-use aid while repeating the learning content before tests or exams.
This task is performed individually, and it allows each student to choose such a form of selecting and recording information that is most suitable for him/her (text, photos, pictures, mind maps, etc.).
Since checking each student’s individual work result can be extremely time-consuming, this exercise is most suitable for groups with relatively small number of students (up to 15 people).
STEP I
Before the beginning of the semester, the teacher creates a Student Notebook for each class participant. Student Notebook is a section designed for his individual work.
STEP II
After each class students are asked to write down in their Notebooks most important information they gained during the class. The teacher encourages students to include some additional materials that refer to the learning content (e.g. pictures, mind maps, short stories, poems inspired by the issues discussed during the class and created by students themselves).
STEP III
The teacher checks Students Notebooks before the following classes. He/She corrects mistakes if necessary. He/she also collects most interesting ideas to share them with the whole group.
- Students can keep their notes by recording all necessary information regularly.
- Students can decide which form of information recording is most effective for them (text, picture, mind map, etc.)
- The teacher has access to students’ notes, monitors them, suggests corrections, as well as prizes the most creative ideas – this way students get constant feedback which helps them improve their ability to synthesize and select the information
- The teacher can find out which form of expression is most suitable for each student – which student prefers texts, or graphs or tables, which student feels more comfortable with pictures; knowing this the teacher can also prepare more varied teaching materials that will meet individual educational needs of his/her students.
– Checking notes of each student after each class in a semester is extremely time-consuming.
+ This problem can be minimized by preparing Students Notebooks in a common space that is accessible to all members of a certain Team and using peer assessment – asking students to read and comment on each other’s notes.
