Charting Method

Overview

The Charting Method is an effective note-taking technique for history students.

The Charting Method involves organizing information into tables, matrices, or other visual formats to compare and contrast different topics, themes, or historical events

Advantages vs Disadvantages

Advantages:

Helps track conversations and dialogues that may otherwise be confusing to capture
Reduces the amount of writing required compared to other methods
Provides an easy review mechanism for memorizing facts as well as analyzing comparisons and relationships
Particularly useful for history classes where analyzing and comparing different periods, groups, or nations is important

Disadvantages:

There are few major disadvantages, but users must be able to understand the lecture content well enough to identify the appropriate categories to chart
May require some initial learning to get comfortable with the charting format

Effective for:

History courses that involve analyzing and comparing different time periods, regions, or groups.
Tracking dialogues, debates, or discussions where capturing the full context is important

How to use the Charting Method?

Divide the page into a table or matrix with relevant categories across the top and rows for different topics, events, or perspectives
As the lecture progresses, fill in the cells with concise, key information
Use abbreviations, symbols, and formatting to maximize efficiency

Tips:

Identify the key categories you want to track ahead of time based on the lecture content.
Use abbreviations, symbols, and color-coding to make the chart more concise and visually clear.
Review the chart after class to solidify your understanding of the relationships between different events and concepts.

Exercise and feedback

Read and make chart note based on this text. Then, compare with the sample answer.

A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that the charting method of note-taking can significantly improve student learning and retention compared to traditional linear note-taking. The study involved 120 university students who were randomly assigned to either use the charting method or take linear notes during a 45-minute lecture.

After the lecture, students completed a comprehension test and a one-week delayed recall test. The results showed that students who used the charting method scored 23% higher on the comprehension test and 19% higher on the recall test compared to the linear note-takers.

The researchers suggest that the visual organization and condensed format of charting notes helps students better identify key concepts, see relationships between ideas, and consolidate information in their memory. They recommend the charting method as an effective note-taking strategy, especially for courses with complex, conceptual material.