Study Skills for Higher Education

This article discusses study skills for higher education, focusing on note-taking methods and strategies to improve listening ability. It also provides recommendations for teachers to help students understand lectures.

Study Skills for Higher
Education

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Assessment 1...................................................................................................................................3
1. Importance of taking notes and the significance of the stages: before, during and after......3
2. Identification and evaluation of some of the different methods students can use to take
notes.............................................................................................................................................5
Assessment 2...................................................................................................................................6
1. Evaluation of strategies that students can use to improve their listening ability..................6
2. How can teachers help students understand their lectures? Make some recommendations. 8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Study skills are the skills that through which students can achieve their objectives
efficiently. These skills enable students to effectively learn and retain their learning for longer
time. Study skills become more important in higher education because higher education is
comparatively more difficult and their comprehension and retention is more difficult and this is
why students need to have skills when they are in higher education. The essay will lay emphasis
on one of the important higher education skill that is note-taking and different methods students
can use to take notes. Later this essay will also discuss about need to learn new information and
skills for improving listening ability. Later role of teacher will also be discussed in it as how they
can help students understand their lectures and strategies to improve listening skills.
MAIN BODY
Assessment 1
1. Importance of taking notes and the significance of the stages: before, during and after
Note taking refers to a practice of recording information from other sources. Note-taking for
students is very important when they are studying and attending their class. Note-taking is
important because note-taking helps students to effectively concentrate on what they are listening
(Siegel and et.al., 2020). Other than this note-taking is important as note-taking help students to
understand the text. This means that listening and reading are interactive text and this is why
note taking help students in making sense of texts.
Note taking is mainly concerned with an activity being carried out during class and lecture but
this is not limited to that. Note-taking becomes more effective when it is completed in three
stages that are before class, during class and after class. Significance of stages is as follows-
This means taking notes before class get started, this stage in involved in effective note-taking.
Note-taking in this involves reading the assigned chapter for the class. This is important because
this will give an idea to students regarding what they are going to study in their upcoming class.
Along with this during before class stage of note taking students can also go through the notes of

previous class. This is important as this will help them in relating the learning and content of
previous class and coming class (Artz and et.al., 2020). This stage is very important as students
can mentally prepare them for coming session and become more focused during class.
This is the stage in which students are in their class and this is concerned with taking note of
what is being taught by the teacher. This involves listening to teacher and taking note of what
they are saying and along with this what is important. Students can also use abbreviations and
codes to speed up their note taking. This is important for their active listening and understanding
the concept and what they are being taught. Concentration plays important role in comprehension
and retention. In higher education this is very important. Concentration and taking notes also is
important because it enables question to ask question in case they do not understand any element
that they have been taught during the class. This improves understanding and enhances
effectiveness of learning.
This stage involves meeting classmates and discussing and comparing notes. This involves
identifying and checking accuracy of the notes and discussion along with the notes during the
class. This is important because students can ensure that have not missed anything and in case
they have they can fill in missing details of the notes. Students can also with help of notes
summarise what they have put in notes and ensure that they have understood everything they
have been taught during the class. This is very important as students can review noteds before
their next class get starts (Sylvia James, 2020).
Notes are important for students in higher studies as they can go through notes before tyheir
exams and they can recall all their learning by linking the notes with content and understand
efficiently.
2. Identification and evaluation of some of the different methods students can use to take
notes.
It is well known that note taking is essential and important part of academic life of all the
students. This means that in order to remain learning for longer all students take note of what
they are taught at in their classes and lectures. However this is more crucial and important in
higher education. There are several methods that can be used by students to take notes and these
methods are-

The Cornell Method
This is one of the methods in which systematic format for condensing and organising
notes without recopying completing (Iannone and Miller, 2019). In this firstly main space is used
for writing the notes and later lest hand margin is used for labelling idea and detailing with a key
word. This method of taking notes is ideal for all kind of lectures and is quick way to take,
review and organise notes. There is no disadvantage of this method of taking notes.
The Outline Method
This is one of the most common methods of note-taking in this method of note-taking. In
this method of note taking students need to outline the notes in bullet points to represent different
topics and their subtopics. In this main topic is started on the left side of the notes and subtopic
are added below using bullet points and indent. This is useful when the class and lecture follows
a clear structure. This method highlight key points more clearly and logically and also is ease to
be used by students to focus and relate the content. However this is not suitable for a subject that
comprises charts and formulas.
The Mapping Method
This is a note-taking skill in which comprehension and concentration skill is used which
relates each fact and idea to other fact or idea (Schmidt, 2019). This is graphic presentation of
the content of lecture. This method maximises participation of students and also involve critical
thinking and clear understanding. Students also become able to understand the relationship that is
there in different contents. This is useful when lecture is well organised and is heavy.
The Charting Method
This is an method that is used for chart and information and involve facts and statistics
and they are required to be learned by heart. The information in this method is organised in
several columns, which is similar to a table. In this each column represent different categories
which can be compared. This method is suitable for the information that involve statistics. In this
information can be effectively structured and very effective in reviewing and notes can be
effectively compared (Leicester and Taylor, 2019). However, this is not suitable when
information cannot be categorised.

Assessment 2
1. Evaluation of strategies that students can use to improve their listening ability
It is necessary for students to listen to lecture that they attend via online class. This is
because if lectures are not listened properly then it will not result in effective learning. However,
during online lecture there may occur various disturbance which can cause interruption in
listening. So, for improving listening ability there are several strategies available in it. They are
defined as below:
Utilising Technology is an effective way that can be used to improve listening ability of the
students. This is because there is several ways through which information can be presented in
front of the students. Students when get attracted towards the content they become able to
concentrate on the content and focus on what is being said with them by the teacher (Bello,
2018). There are several kind of education technology is available that teachers can utilise and
this becomes more important when classes are being attended with help of Zoom. Graphics and
data presented in different format than what students usually see and experience can improve
their attention and this along with improving attention also improve listening skill as students
become more apt to what is being said by the students.
Giving task which involves active listening, teachers should give such task to students which
involve and require active listening of the students. This is one of the important tasks because
when teachers give to students they require listening carefully in order to complete the task. This
will contribute in listening and will extend to concentration of the students about what is being
said. This is one of the effective strategies to improve listening ability of the students. This also
is able to maintain attention and concentration of the students for the longer time.
Two-way Communication this means teachers should develop teaching strategy in which they
actively involve students. This involvement can be in any type for example asking questions to
students in order to measure and understand their understanding (Latha, 2018). This can be in
form of asking students to clear doubts. These are some of the strategies that when students are
actively engaged while teaching they are able to focus on what is being taught and this improve
their listening ability. One more rationale for this is that when students are asked one time about
anything they become more active in listening and become more focused and along with that

other students also become more apt to listen what is being taught by the teacher because they
feel that like their fellow student they can also be asked something by the teacher. This is why
this is an effective strategy to improve listening ability of the students.
Avoid giving notes is another strategy that can be utilised to improve listening ability of the
students this means that students should not be given notes. This means that teacher should make
students make their own notes during the class. This will improve their listening skills as they
not only need to understand for the time they are listening but also need to write notes for future.
Contrary to this when students have notes they can overhear and not provide enough attention to
what is being said by the teacher.
Talk Less means that rather than talking continuously teachers should involve mini-lessons
during the lecture (Rexhaj, 2016). This is because continuous listening might become
monotonous for students using mini-lesson will ensure that students are listening to teacher.
2. How can teachers help students understand their lectures? Make some recommendations.
Teacher plays a significant role in giving lectures as well as in student learning. They are
responsible for making them understand as well. When a student is in confusion then he or she
can ask question to teacher regarding any doubt. Thus, in order to better understand and help
student in lectures there are certain recommendations which teacher can follow. It is defined as
below
Preparing notes- it is first recommendation teacher can follow. In this they can prepare notes of
lecture and provide them to students. it will enable student to learn lecture easily by reading
notes. Also, is there is any doubt than notes can be used to solve it. moreover, for different topics
different notes can be prepared and provided to students. This means that teacher should make
students make their own notes during the class. This will improve their learning as they not only
need to understand for the time they are learning but also need to write notes for future.
(Leicester and Taylor, 2019).
Giving practical examples- here, teacher must give practical examples to make it understand
student about lecture. With help of example it is easy to give lectures and also student find it
simple to understand it as well. Hence, teacher must show videos of those example.

Use of 3-D presentation- the teacher should use 3-D presentation so that student are able to
understand it easily. This will provide a clarity regarding it and clarifying their concepts.
Furthermore, 3-D image is highly useful in it.
Asking questions- here, after completion of lecture teacher should ask different types of
questions to students regarding it. through that it will be easy to solve their doubt and clearing
their concept. Moreover, asking question will give in depth knowledge to student as well that
what lecture was about and what they have learned from it. (Iannone and Miller, 2019).
Conducting tests- the teacher should conduct test of every lecture so that he gets overview about
how much student have learned and whether they have understood it or not. Similarly, student
can answer questions as well to understand it.
Doing revision- here, teacher must do revision of lectures so that student understand it in
effective way. They will analyse things and learn from it. besides that, it will clarify their
concepts in more precise manner.
Solving student problem- teacher can solve students problem if they are in doubt. It can be done
one by one and answer to all doubts is given again and again until students is clear with doubt.
Hence, these are some recommendation which can be followed by teacher. By this it will
be easy for them to help student to understand lectures in better way. Furthermore, during online
lectures as well these can be followed
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above discussion it can be concluded that note-taking is an important
element in academic life and this is why students should be able to effectively write notes. This
is usually undertaken during the class and lecture but note-taking is not limited to that. This
means that effective note taking starts before lecture and note-taking actual process is carried out
out during the lecture and after lecture they are reviewed and summarised. Later this essay also
discussed about some of the methods of note-taking with help of which students can efficiently
take notes. Later in this essay some of the strategies were discussed with help of which students
can improve their listening abilities such as talk less, avoid giving notes, two way

communication, etc. also, followed by this essay also discussed about how teachers can help
students in understanding the lecture like preparing notes, giving practical example, conducting
tests, and many others.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Artz, B and et.al., 2020. Taking notes in the digital age: Evidence from classroom random
control trials. The Journal of Economic Education. 51(2). pp.103-115.
Bello, A.A., 2018. Curriculum implementation: strategies for mounting listening skills among
junior secondary school students. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 2(1), pp.63-77.
Iannone, P. and Miller, D., 2019. Guided notes for university mathematics and their impact on
students’ note-taking behaviour. Educational Studies in Mathematics. 101(3). pp.387-
404.
Latha, A.M., 2018. IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING SKILLS OVER OHER SKILLS.
In International Journal of Advance Engineering and Research Development (IJAERD)
International Conference of Trends in Information, Management, Engineering and
Sciences (ICTIMES) Volume (Vol. 5).
Leicester, M. and Taylor, D., 2019. Take Great Notes. SAGE Publications Limited.
Rexhaj, X., 2016. Constructivist approaches and strategies for improving the listening language
skills.
Schmidt, S.J., 2019. Taking Notes: There's a Lot More to It than Meets the Eye. Journal of Food
Science Education. 18(3). pp.54-58.
Siegel, J and et.al., 2020. Measuring the importance of information in student notes: An initial
venture. Journal of English for Academic Purposes. 43. p.100811.
Online
Sylvia James. 2020. Note-taking Strategies Every College Students Should Know. [Online].
Available From: < https://communalnews.com/note-taking-strategies-every-college-
students-should-know/ >.