Strategies for reading, note

taking and note making

Prepared by Gwyn Jones, The Learning Centre ©UNSW February 2013 COPYRIGHT CONDITIONS

Adapted from the art work of Pam Mort. This is a publicly available resource for staff and students of UNSW. UNSW students may

download a single copy of individual study purposes. No parts of this presentation may be reproduced without permission from the author.

If educators or institutions not part of The University of New South Wales would like to use this resource in their own courses, then written

permission is required. Please contact Gwyn Jones (gwyn.jones@unsw.edu.au) for permission and comments

Can you read?

Daahh..go

figure!?!?

But, why do

you read?

For need!

(Source unknown)

4. Short is easy , long is hard.

1. We must recognise each letter in a word

2. We must understand every word.

7. All reading is the same

5. Fast readers are good readers.

3. All words are of equal importance.

6. Quick eye movements are efficient.

8. If you read the words you can understand the

message.

9. Reading the end of the book is wrong

10. Reading is formal

Expectations

NOW ! TIME !

SPEED ? HOW ?

WHY ?

HOW You know something

WHY You think something

Read and write for

assignments to inform

Academic reading and writing demands a

change in you from being a receiver of

knowledge to being an active seeker of

understanding and a maker of sense and

meaning. You are not just telling a story

you are exploring a question.

Reflective &

Critical

Thinking

Critical

Reading

Critical

Writing

Understanding

I have no

time…

They don’t

read

enough!!

…To

understand

and link

to collect

all the

stuff!

The how and the why

The what

‘to research”

‘to search’

for stuff

‘Google!’

‘by reading

authoritative

articles and texts

150 hours ÷ 12 weeks

Time?

12.5hrs per week per course

4 hours of lectures

8 hours of + self directed

learning(Mcal)

6 unit course = 150hrs ps

Making choices about your learning

• Thinking- write about it

• Reading -write about it

• Researching- write about it

• Note taking -record

• Note making-writing about your thinking

• Preparing Assignments-style

• Position you will take -write about it

• Structuring the product

• Drafting the mess

Relationship

Reading

Thinking Writing

Write about it Write about it

Reading for Understanding

Reading & writing helps you

understand your community of

practice

I can’t find the

answer!!!”

But what is the

question?

Academic Argument (AA)

The AA expresses a point of view developed in

a systematic and balanced way that leads to a

clear conclusion. The argument must be

supported by evidence. You read to find authors

arguments. You write to voice your position by

using the evidence that comes from other authors

which shows how you understand the ideas

that informs your thinking and your argument

Your position

Critical

Active

&

Reading

S W

Critical Judgement

Critical

(Brookfield, 1987)

Reflection

Assumptions

Attitudes

Values

Beliefs

Justify actions

Solve Problems

Deeper meaning

Changes

You

Re-visit

past

experienc

es

(Adapted from Mezirow, 1990 and Schon, 1987)

Plus or positive

Minus or negative

Interesting or

intriguing

Active & Critical

Reading

• What do I already know?

• How does this fit or differ?

• What do I need to know next?

The SQ3R

Reading Method

S = Survey

Q = Question

R1 = Read

R2 = Recall

R3 = Review

Authorship:

Highly credible A highly regarded source with

information, diagrams and

images referenced, cited and

written by experts in the field. Author’s identity clear.

Relevance The source gives an informed,

objective and balanced view and

directly informs the topic. Purpose is to support scholarly research

Reliability The source is well recognised for

independent and critical review by experts in the field

Originality The source is a primary source of

original content and viewpoints. It is current and well supported

Quality Content is current, externally

peer reviewed, researched and

informed and provides a wide coverage of the topic

Evaluating Written Academic Sources & Websites (Jones, adapted from SEER, 2013 & Neville, 2012)

The information is not relevant

and presents a ‘biased sales

pitch’. The purpose is often personal

A source that has not been independently reviewed

The source offers

information but unclear where the ideas come from

The quality of the content is

questionable and creation date unknown

Information is not researched,

referenced or cited. Author identity is not clear

Not credible

‘Meeting your needs or know thy enemy

or If you don’t need it, don’t read it’

• Text books- foundation- in and out – index

• Edited collections- more specific- range

• Journal Articles-specific audience-abstract

• Peer reviewed – professional- General audience

• Review Articles-specific-current overview

• Research papers-very specialised-specific

• Authoritative web sites-data bases-Government

sites

• Read several times, shifting back

and forth. Be strategic

• Read with a purpose- question

• Select manageable sections.

• Explore some sections in more

depth, assessing and writing about

your understanding of them.

Notes on my thinking

Bibliographic

Information

Note-taking-the stuff P# Note making-my thinking about the how and

why

Questions to ask for

each reading

Summary How does this material relate and link?

How is this material relevant?

What is the author arguing?

Is there anything I need to follow up?

How does this add to my

understanding?

What do I need to know next?

Paraphrasing

Direct quote

Secondary source

citation

How does this add

to my

understanding

Note Making Strategy

Your thinking

Citation

Informs your

assignment writing

Critical

engagement

Reference List

How this informs your thinking and learning

What do I know Avian influenza in Indonesia has killed more than 190 people since 2005. Some factors can cause late response to AI

outbreaks such as slow in reporting suspected outbreak in poultry, strong stigma, and lack of information. Our group

has an idea to modified surveillance system in Indonesia by establishing call hotline to improve response to

outbreaks.

What do I need to know Is there any study that can be used as evidence that call hotline is effective to improve response to AI outbreaks?

Bibliographic information Phommasack, B., Moen, A., Vongphrachanh, P., Tsuyuoka, R., Cox, N., Khamphaphongphanh, B., Phonekeo, D., Kasai, T.,

Ketmayoon, P., Lewis, H., Kounnavong, B., Khanthamaly, V., Corwin, A. (2012). Perspective Capacity Building in Response

to Pandemic Influenza Threats: Lao PDR Case Study. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 87(6), 965-971. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0074

What is my purpose I need to know from this journal how Lao improve the capacity building which can be used as lesson learned in

Indonesia, particularly the implementation of call hotline in Lao.

Summary

The authors aim to describe commitment and experience of Lao in responding to avian influenza (AI). The authors

explain that capacity building measures has successfully decreased the impact of the 2009 influenza pandemic in

Lao. The authors argue that strategic influenza investments in public health laboratory detection, surveillance, and

outbreak response are essential not focus only for influenza but also for general approach to other pathogens. Real

time PCR testing which initially was invested for influenza, now is also used to detect anthrax outbreaks and epidemic

dengue in Laos. Hotline toll free is also effective in transferring information from and to the community both for avian

and non avian influenza as shown in the increase number of calls. The authors conclude that Lao’s experience in

successfully transforming investments into practice has significantly increased response to pandemic influenza in

country.

Paraphrase (p.986) Event based surveillance approach with community oriented is needed to overcome the lack of reporting

mechanisms in the village level. ‘Hotline’ toll free is a simple reporting system implemented in Lao, where over 70% of

its population living in rural settings.

Note making-my thinking

how and why

This article is relevant to my question on the example of implementation of hotline calls in

Lao which is effective and could be implemented also in Indonesia. The authors argue that

increasing number of calls in toll free reporting ‘hotline’ reflects the public awareness and

community concerns to influenza pandemic. This article gives me insight that along with good

laboratory capacity, community involvement to the existed surveillance system will increase

response to an outbreak. I think this hotline toll free can also be implemented in Indonesia

since most of people now have mobile phone as their daily communication tool. Financial

barrier is not a problem since it is free of charge call. In addition, Indonesia with geographical

factor (it consists of over 17,000 islands) needs a simple and faster reporting system.

Therefore, this method seems very effective to be used in Indonesia in order to provide quick

response to outbreaks. Investment in this hotline system in Indonesia, I think will not be too

expensive but indeed it is needed a good management. Providing qualified call operators

who are trained in technical information such as AI in human and animals as well as for other

diseases is crucial. Responding to report provided by callers should be taken seriously by the

government. For further research, by applying this hotline method in surveillance system, I

need to know the possibility of media to improve public awareness in response to outbreaks.

Questions to ask for each reading: How does this material relate and link?

How is this material relevant?

What is the author arguing?

How does this add to my understanding?

Is there anything I need to follow up?

What do I need to know next?

• xMind : http://www.xmind.net/

• coggle : http://coggle.it/

• FreeMind:

• http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.

php/Main_Page

• MindNode : http://mindnode.com/

YOUR notes can help …..

Actually ‘see’ what YOU are ‘really’ thinking

Think critically about what YOU are reading

Analyse & engage with the text

To link with other ideas YOU have read about

Draw conclusions from YOUR understanding

Identify areas that YOU need to explore further

Practice developing YOUR voice

P

P

P re- think

urpose

ost- think

Before you read

Read with

After you’ve read

P ick up a pen And write about

your thinking

The 4P’s of active reading

Critical reading & thinking

strategies

P.M.I

Writing about your

understanding

Express in an academic

style

You

Journal-the mess

Writing about your

reading and thinking

Reflection

Critical

How? Write all the time

By hand- Reflective Journals

Computer

Tablets

Smart phones

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/read.html

Effective Reading

Reading for understanding

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/sqw3r.html

Note taking Skills

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/note.html

Effective Note-making from Written Text

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/notemake.html

l Selecting Information

Thank you ..

And now it’s up to you!