Effective Note-taking and its Impact on Learning Undergraduate Introductory Physics Courses

TL;DR

Effective Note-taking and its Impact on Learning Undergraduate Introductory Physics Courses investigates whether teaching effective notetaking and allowing handwritten notes improves performance in algebra-based physics. The authors implement backward design with distraction-minimized, active-learning elements and compare sections with handwritten-notes use during quizzes/exams to sections without notetaking. They report that notetaking raises average midterm scores by approximately $10\%$, increases the share of students earning $A$ grades, and reduces the failure rate from $14.3\%$ to $4.6\%$, with moderate effect sizes (Cramer's $V$ ≈ $0.37$). The study is limited to a single historically Black university and nonrandom assignment, but the results support integrating effective notetaking and mind-map homework to reduce distractions and enhance long-term retention in physics education.

Abstract

Taking notes during lectures is one of the required skills, among many others, that students need (i) to master the topic covered in the lecture, (ii) to actively engage in the learning process with minimal to no distractions, (iii) to retain learned knowledge and skills for a longer time, and (iv) in securing higher letter grades. To learn the role of notetaking in learning undergraduate-level introductory physics courses, we present a comparative study of students' achievement in a mid-terminal exam at a historically black Fayetteville State University (FSU) (i) when students were taught effective notetaking strategies, motivated them to prepare notes and let them use their self-prepared notes in a terminal exam versus (ii) no notetaking scheme was implemented, keeping all other conditions the same. The no-notetaking scheme was used in 4 different sections over a few semesters, and the notetaking scheme was used at the same level of an introductory physics course in 3 different sections in other semesters. Students' scores in one of the mid-term exams are taken as measurement tools. Grade analysis indicates that effective notetaking enhances students' letter grades and lowers failure rates.

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: The figure is an illustration of the mind-mapping method, showing ways to increase attentiveness in the classroom to improve the learning experience for students.
• Figure 2: A Pie chart showing point distribution in introductory physics course. Exams weighs 56% towards the final grade. Each mid term exam has 12% weight.
• Figure 3: Bar chart showing letter grade percentage in sections with no notetaking implemented and with notetaking implemented. The grade presented in this bar chart is not the final grade student received, instead it is the grade students received in a mid-term exam. There were a total of 69 students involved in the teaching approach with no notetaking and total of 66 students in the notetaking implemented group.
• Figure 4: Plot showing the required sample size for 80% statistical power for as a function of effect size in terms of Cramér’s $V$-values.