Structured or Unstructured Note Taking? Investigating the Impact of Guided Note Taking on Students’ Performance

Prior research has suggested that active engagement in the classroom is critical for college students’ learning and achievement. One method for increasing students’ engagement in the classroom and understanding of content is through note taking; however, research has suggested that college students struggle with independent note-taking. To combat the challenges students may face when note-taking, instructors may choose to design in-class organizers that highlight the key details that students should pay attention to and document during class. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two instructor-designed note-taking strategies in an education class. During two sections of the same undergraduate class, the instructor alternated the two note-taking strategies. Specifically, we compared the impact of structured traditional fill-in-the-blank guided notes and graphic organizers on students’ mastery of weekly lecture content. Based on examination of the graphed mean scores, results indicated that students performed slightly better when given a less structured note-taking format. Interestingly, students’ short-answer reflections also suggested that students preferred structured guided notes. Findings have implications for instructors and note-taking procedures in college classrooms. Recommendations for future direction for research will also be discussed.