Impact of note-taking on cognition during lectures

Background: At Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC) (Manipal Campus), Manipal University, India, lectures form an important part of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum. The faculty of the Department of Physiology at MMMC uses both blackboard and PowerPoint for delivering lectures. Students are given the freedom to note down from the PowerPoint slides the content taught during a lecture. The present study was undertaken to explore the impact of note taking on students’ learning and also to determine students’ perceptions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of note taking.

 

Methods: During a respiratory physiology lecture (Lecture 1) using PowerPoint, students were allowed to take down notes. Lecture 1 was followed by an examination (Test 1). During another lecture (Lecture 2), students were not allowed to take down notes, but were asked to listen only. This was followed by an examination (Test 2). Scores of Test 1 and Test 2 were compared using paired t test.

 

Results and Conclusion: The mean score for Test 1 was found to be significantly higher (p <0.001) compared to that of Test 2. The present study revealed that note-taking during the lecture facilitated student learning by helping them to recall better. The conscious management of the note-taking activity is more than just taking down notes, but involves concentration during the lecture and understanding the concepts.