Guided Notes

Posted on by Nattasit Dancholvichit

PURPOSE

To assist students in engaging in lecture content by providing uniform structure to their notetaking. 

DESCRIPTION

Instructors provide handouts that contain some lecture content. Students can use the handouts to follow along during the lecture as well as take notes that supplement or complete the provided material. 

UNDERLYING EDUCATIONAL THEORIES

self-awareness, metacognition, head-heart-hands theory 

PEDAGOGICAL BENEFITS 

  • Students who struggle to keep up during lecture can use the notes to follow along as well as reference them later to review. 
  • Students can build organizational skills by learning from the structure of the handout. 
  • Handouts that require students to fill in blanks or otherwise complete the material encourage students to pay attention to lecture. 
  • Handouts can serve as a useful reference for students throughout the course. 
  • Handouts help to normalize students’ experiences in lecture by providing all students with the same take-home content. 
  • Guided notes have been shown to have impact on students’ learning outcomes.* 

STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION 

  1. Prepare the lesson plan. Identify key points and concepts that you want to include in the handout.  
  2. In arranging the handout, consider including visuals and extra space for students to add supplemental notes. You may choose to insert blank spaces that students must fill in during the lecture. 
  3. Consider the length of the lecture in creating the handout. Be aware of how much reading material you’re providing and make sure students can still follow along to your spoken content as they work through the notes. 

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING 

*Larwin, K.H., & Larwin, D.A. (2013). The Impact of Guided Notes on Post-Secondary Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 25(1), 47-58. 

Lawanto, O., & Santoso, H. (2013). Self-Regulated Learning Strategies of Engineering College Students While Learning Electric Circuit Concepts with Enhanced Guided Notes. International Education Studies, 6(3), 88-104 

Stanford University. [21-Jun 21]. Guided Notes- Improving the Effectiveness of Your Lectures. Tomorrow’s Professor Postings. Retrieved from https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/495.