Researched and written by: Aleksey Moshkov, Lead Engineer for EnvisionSTEM
Guided notes are a teaching strategy that provides students with partially completed notes for a lesson. While the lecture progresses, students fill in the gaps in their notes, which can help them stay focused and actively participate in the material. This can aid their understanding and memory of the essential topics introduced. Guided notes are used in a number of subjects and at different grade levels—they may include specific spaces to write key facts, answer questions, and other prompts that encourage participation. Guided notes encourage using abbreviations, which saves time in the lesson.
Guided notes offer numerous benefits to both teachers and students. Guided notes are flexible for satisfying the different learning styles of students because they may be structured to give varying degrees of support based on the needs of the students. Teachers can make sure that all students get the help they need to connect with the subject and learn effectively. Guided notes can save time for both teachers and students. For example, preparing guided notes in advance can help the lesson flow swiftly; additionally, students can focus on the essential information and avoid copying down unnecessary details which would already be on the guided notes. With precise information from the course, guided notes promote organization and make it simpler to dissect. As corroborated by the ADA Coordinators Office, "students produce complete and accurate lecture notes. Students who take accurate notes and study them later consistently receive higher test scores”. Students are focused and involved during the lesson if they employ a structured approach to taking notes. This can assist learners to keep up with the pace of the course. According to K. and D. Larwin, “guided notes can facilitate increased student focus and engagement in lectures". Increased focus leads to a deeper understanding of the material and improved retention and recall. Guided notes encourage students to actively participate in the session, promoting critical thinking abilities and active learning. “Guided notes are designed to increase student listening, active participation, and covert verbal behavior (i.e., thinking) during classroom lectures and discussions" (Haydon, Todd, et al.). Students are more likely to be interested and motivated to learn when they actively participate in the educational process. Thus, this will improve student comprehension of the subject, which will benefit their marks throughout the academic year.
Therefore, students accomplish more academic achievement through guided notes, while teachers run their classes more efficiently. People should be encouraged to think about implementing guided notes in promoting their usage in schools. Guided notes can aid in increasing concentration, enhance memory, and encourage active learning by giving students an organized technique to take notes and actively engage with the content. These advantages make guided notes an effective tool for encouraging critical thinking in the classroom and boosting student achievements.
Works Cited
ADA Coordinator's Office (n.d) “Guided Notes: Improving the Effectiveness of Your Lectures” The Ohio State University https://ada.osu.edu/guided-notes Accessed 24 Dec. 2022
“Guided Notes: Increasing Student Engagement During Lecture and Assigned Readings” Intervention Central, https://www.interventioncentral.org/academic-interventions/study-organization/guided-notes-increasing-student-engagement-during-lecture- Accessed 24 Dec. 2022
Haydon, Todd, et al. “A Review of the Effectiveness of Guided Notes for Students who Struggle Learning Academic Content” Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth vol. 55, no. 4, Aug. 2011, ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233243709_A_Review_of_the_Effectiveness_of_Guided_Notes_for_Students_who_Struggle_Learning_Academic_Content Accessed 24 Dec. 2022
K. and D. Larwin (n.d) “The Impact of Guided Notes on Post-Secondary Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis” International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, vol. 25, no. 1, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1016535.pdf Accessed 24 Dec. 2022
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