Lesson 6

Q: Will content rich handouts prevent students from learning how to take notes?

A: Possibly. However, this does raise the question of whether note-taking is the best method for learning and memory recall. Encoding activities that support your content usually do that much better.

Q: Can students only learn from our explanations in class?

A: No. YouTube, e-courses, and textbooks have shown for some time that students can get information in a variety of places.

Q: Is note-taking where we should be putting all our effort?

A: Alternatively, should we be teaching students annotation skills instead?

Q: How do students who miss class get information?

A: Does your slidedeck or copying someone else's notes provide enough context to understand the material? Conversely, if your slidedeck does have plenty of context, are your slides too text heavy which increases the likelihood that students weren't able to write everything down or listen to what you were talking about?

You don't need to be a graphic artist to understand the basics of good document design. Think about the documents you see all the time like menus or text books. When done right, you can find what you're looking for with little problem without having to scan every single word.

TIPS:

• Only include graphics that directly support the content.
• Only use highlights, boxes, and arrows sparingly (see below)

Looking at the boxes up above, where was the first place your eyes were drawn? Chances are it was on the 'click here' box instead of the content.

You'll notice that the frame on the left still calls attention to the content and it's also the only thing that your eye is drawn to. You'll also notice that the content is written in a sentence instead of the previous box which was written in bullet points.

In Google docs, highlight a section of text you want to call attention to and then click EDIT --> PARAGRAPH STYLES --> BORDERS AND SHADING

• Write your sentences in your handout in a conversational story-like tone.
• Include bolded headings, borders, and shading where appropriate.
• Consider listing your essential standards, learning targets, or guiding questions somewhere on your handout.
• If you'd still like to teach note taking, consider giving handouts for students to fill out while you are presenting. Structure the fill-in document as much as you can so that students can easily identify what to write down with enough time to do it. e.g. guide them in the note taking as much as is appropriate.