Note-taking

 

Note-taking Approaches

Note-taking Assistance is an accommodation that is available for students on an individual basis; options include the use of digital recorders and LiveScribe smart pens, available on loan from DSS for a semester. Students may also request another student take notes for them. Request note taking as an accommodation and a DSS staff will help you to determine the best choice for you.

Ideas to Consider

  1. Open Powerpoint on Laptop and type notes in bottom pane
  2. Record lecture with Glean or Livescribe and review recordings
  3. Cornell Method to organize handwritten notes on page
  4. Use ReadWrite to combine notes from different sources
  5. Use notes to self, to do lists, and other personal notetaking strategies

Note-taking Assistance

Note-taking Assistance is an accommodation provided by another student in the class who is already taking good notes, and asked to take those notes and provide a copy via email. This way both the note taker and the DSS student have notes at the end of each class session. Students using note-taking assistance are encouraged to review a sample of the notes taken by a student note taker to make sure the handwriting and organizational method will work well. Usually the students who come forward to serve as note takers are strong students with excellent note-taking techniques. Feedback has generally been very positive.

Some students like to recruit their own note takers, other students prefer to have faculty or DSS staff assist in the process by reading an announcement out loud to the class.

Students using note takers sign an agreement form.  Students are responsible for all communication regarding missed classes, quality of notes, and other concerns. Students are also responsible for making sure the note takers who come forward in the recruitment process make contact with DSS to turn in the note-taker application paperwork.

Note takers receive a note-taker overview in their application packet.  The application packet also contains a Note-taker Payment Verification form that is signed by both the DSS student and the note taker at the end of the semester. The note takers are paid $35.00 per credit per semester.