Note Taking, Note Making and the Cornell Format

What is the difference? With note taking, we are receiving the information from a source and recording the information for the first time. This may be information from a teacher, a text, audiovisual or digital source. Note making is what we do when we use the notes taken from different sources to create a ‘master’ or complete topic guide. Note taking is an important skill to develop as it will help you organise your ideas, help keep you focused when reading or listening, record and keep a record of what you read and think, help you engage with the information and allow you to draw links and conclusions in your learning and avoid plagiarism. To note take effectively, write in phrases and keywords, never in full sentences unless writing a definition or direct quote. You may find diagrams or examples or further information after your original note taking session to include. Once finished, you should be able to explain the topic in detail to another person using only the words and phrases. Essentially, we receive the information, understand it, condense it and when needed, be able to reform the information in our words.

We use Cornell note taking sheets at our school that allow users to be creative and record information in their own style. Once you have grasped how to create notes using the Cornell sheets, you can use them for revision or study for upcoming tests or to create new information for assignments. Refer to the Library for a guide of how to format and use Cornell Notes.

Sheko, T 2020, ‘Cornell Notes’, Study Skills, Melbourne High School, viewed 1 September 2020, <https://libguides.mhs.vic.edu.au/c.php?g=174546&p=1150058>.